Is President Donald Trump completely checked out of the 2024 Presidential race? It’s a fair question to ask. Prognosticating what goes on in his head is a fool’s errand, best left to alchemists and cable news pundits. But this is Trump’s third race, and it seems he may be tapped out of that show biz sparkle that made watching him so captivating to detractors and fans alike.
Yesterday, Trump took to X to unveil his new cryptocurrency business called World Liberty Financial. *(Although, in a world where Web 3.0 has shat the bed from useless NFTs to boring metaverses, at this juncture it’s probably more apt to call most crypto ventures … questionable.)
And let’s not kid ourselves — Trump, above all, is a schemer. After all, the guy sells his own Trump-themed Bible. If only Martin Luther could see what American Protestantism would become, he would have never put pen to paper, or nail to door. But I digress.
The presentation for the new venture on X, in complete Trump fashion, had little to do with the business, and eventually just became another platform for Trump to ramble on. What did he talk about? His recent assassination attempt. It’s hard to blame the guy, considering it was the second attempt in just over two months. He didn’t mention his crypto brand until 16 minutes in.
“You’re going to be happy, and you’re going to love your crypto,” Trump said. “And as long as you have your crypto, you’re happy.”
Perhaps I’m reading too much into it, but did Trump just insult crypto guys? “And as long as you have your crypto, you’re happy,” feels like he’s comparing crypto guys and their Monopoly money to babies with pacifiers. Absent from Trump during this whole presentation was any mention of the 2024 Presidential race.
Is Donald Trump Over the 2024 Presidential Race?
Ever since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, Trump has been coasting. Sure, the campaign marches on, but the poor guy can’t get anything to stick. The rumors about pet eating blew up in his face, and has his running mate admitting to lying on the Sunday morning talk shows. His debate performance was so bad, he’s trying to get an official investigation into ABC rigging the event for his opponent. Worst of all, he’s surrounding himself with the most unhinged sycophants that the American Right Wing has to offer.
But what’s worst of all, Trump has lost his juice. Like Vice President Kamala Harris pointed out during the debate, the guy simply can’t attract a crowd like he used to. Here’s a guy who’s rewired many minds (including mine!) with brainworms that we use casually in our daily lives.
Is there anyone who hasn’t imitated Trump? Everyone’s entitled to a spout off a casual Trump-style “Sad!” or “Wrong” or “The late great Hannibal Lecter” every once in a while. And while the internet is spinning “they’re eating the dogs, they’re eating the cats” into club remixes and parodies, none of his attacks on Harris are landing.
Recently, he tried referring to her as “Kamabla,” which of course, wasn’t a hit. He later tried to explain the nickname, which is the equivalent of not simply killing a joke but burying it. I’m not a fan, I never was, but I always had to hand it to him. The guy can work a crowd, and may be the funniest commander-in-chief the country has ever had. There’s a reason he’s been a mainstay in media since the 80s. He’s got it.
Well, he did, anyway. Maybe it’s the two assassination attempts. Or the fact that his polls are dismal. Perhaps it’s his repellant running mate. It’s probably all three reasons, with many more said and unsaid.
Even though his heart doesn’t seem in it, because of our shambolic constitution, there’s a chance he can still win.