Donald Trump at the right-wing CPAC conference in February
Image: AFP
Donald Trump has mastered the art of attrition. He keeps causing outrage – and everyone is exhausted when it really matters. This time, a Democratic prosecutor is helping him.
DThe historical indictment against Donald Trump does not mark a turning point, but a further shift in boundaries. Since he decided to enter the political arena in 2015, he has done it continuously: pushing boundaries, breaking taboos, normalizing unpatriotic behavior. In retrospect, some episodes that once raged the entire political elite of the United States and half the world seem harmless. When Trump actually caused national crises, many people had long since become jaded.
Some examples. After Trump dared to insult Republican war hero John McCain during the primary campaign, commentators used no superlative to declare his political ambitions a failure. But when Trump later insulted America’s NATO allies as President and questioned the entire alliance policy, part of the audience just waved it off.