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Hard to believe, but Donald Trump briefly stopped talking last week. Called to a deposition in a civil case over his business dealings, he pleaded the fifth - the US constitution's amendment that protects individuals against self-incrimination. It was surprising because during his 2016 campaign he railed against people - in particular staffers for Hillary Clinton, caught up in the email scandal - for pleading the fifth. "I once asked, 'If you're innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?'" he wrote on his social media platform. "Now I know the answer to that question. When your family, your company, and all the people in your orbit have become the targets of an unfounded, politically motivated Witch Hunt supported by lawyers, prosecutors, and the Fake News Media, you have no choice."
Earlier in the week, after his Mar-A-Lago residence in Palm Beach was raided by the FBI, reportedly searching for classified documents taken unlawfully from the White House, he appealed to supporters to open their wallets and contribute to his campaign coffers. If there's a chance to make money, you can guarantee Trump will seize it. You can also guarantee there will be suckers willing to hand over their hard-earned cash and more. One deranged supporter armed with a semiautomatic rifle and a nail gun tried to force his way into an FBI office in Ohio and was killed during a shootout a few hours later.
Trump's cult appeal, even after all his wrongdoing, is one of the abiding mysteries of the 21st century. How can someone so patently unfit for office garner such ironclad support? Most likely, it's all about the brand. Trump is the US's most recognisable product - up there with McDonald's, Krispy Kreme, Chevrolet and Ford. The hair, the Cheeto complexion, the tiny hands fist pump, the pursed mouth and the hate speech - it all comes down to brand recognition. A Big Mac is hardly attractive but we all know what it looks like. Trump is the same. From afar he repels but in the US he still works the crowd, despite the mounting evidence against him, delivered by his own staff and even his family.
Why is this important here? Unless something criminal sticks to prevent Teflon Don from running again, he'll have another tilt at the top job in 2024. Should he win, Australia will find itself in the awkward position of being aligned with a nation led by a man whose unpredictable behaviour matches that of his friend, Vladimir Putin.
It may be tempting to assume the law will catch up with Trump, especially after the FBI raid, but it's foolish to ignore the fact the publicity is exactly what the former president wants. Banned from Twitter and Facebook, the spotlight gives him the platform to mobilise his followers.
As the saga unfolds, we should gird ourselves for more ugliness and a lurch back into the post-truth parallel universe that is American politics.
HAVE YOUR SAY: What do you make of the cultish fascination with Trump? Does he have a chance in 2024? Will the law ever catch up with him? Will he ever go away? Email us: echidna@theechidna.com.au
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- A union is taking fast food giant McDonald's to court again arguing that its young workforce have been denied paid breaks. The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association has lodged a Federal Court Claim in South Australia against 323 McDonald's operators and the multinational firm itself over the alleged denial of paid rest breaks at nearly 1000 current and former McDonald's sites.
- Origin Energy has received a demand to look at climate change impact across its operations when reporting on financial performance. A failure to reflect climate change in financial statements calls into question the governance of directors and the diligence of auditors, a shareholder activist organisation said on Friday.
- Political leaders have vowed to work together to fix a disturbing culture at NSW Parliament which Premier Dominic Perrottet says has become "toxic". A long-awaited independent report has found sexual harassment and bullying is rife there, while several people have reported incidents of sexual assault in the workplace.
THEY SAID IT: "Trump is unloved in his own house. A figure of ridicule, a theatrical creation, he is almost sympathetic. He was told by the greedy and the outright stupid that he would make a swell president. The Liar's Paradox has spun out of control, with liars lying to a liar who believed the lie. What would that be called? Fox News, I think." - Richard Cohen
YOU SAID IT: The COVID wave is waning but we're not out of the woods quite yet. Your thoughts on masks and boosters:
"Yes, I am a mask wearer everywhere outside the home. And of the N95 variety, which is what Victorian commuters will be given. Good on Victoria to take the lead, although this should have been earlier as you said. I like the idea that wearing a mask is good manners. But how to convince the 'she'll be right'. Then of course it is the question of wearing masks correctly. I'm thinking of contraceptives here. If not used correctly and at all times they fail," says Hilary.
Veronica says masks are still useful: "I consider there is nothing wrong in urging people to continue wearing masks indoors and in large public gatherings. It doesn't hurt and if it stops more infections then why not follow it? I recall that when compulsory wearing of seat belts were introduced there was a hue and cry, random breath testing saw another outrage, vaccinations of young children attending preschool and long day care centres and they were off again. NSW in particular has been called the nanny state with its introduction of rules over the years - you can't guarantee that some of the stupid people will voluntarily take precautions so we have to legislate for them."
Karin says: "I wear a mask and have had four jabs, as have all my family. Echidna, the fourth booster is now the best safeguard against the new variants."
David thinks there will be a summer wave. As for wearing a mask, "Yes I am, unlike the majority of the totally irrelevant tossers that make up the conservatives in Parliament. It will become de rigueur for all of us. Pre-COVID, I remember being surprised by all of the Asian students on campus wearing masks - not so surprised now."
Ruth is sticking with the precautions: "I have had four jabs, wear my mask regularly and have been reading about the significant number of people who have been actively infected and then go on to develop Long COVID. It take months, years or maybe never to recover from, we don't know yet, but in the very least it prevents a quick return to 'normal' life. Not time to relax our guard yet."