Donald Trump’s First Month, Torture, and Rumours by Fleetwood Mac
From those who support Donald Trump, the arguments in favor of his first month are simple. The stock market is improving, job rates are up, and he’s making steps to do the things he promised to do. But taking credit for the first two when they are ripple effects of the Obama administration would be akin to Ben Cherington taking credit for the 2013 Boston Red Sox’s World Series championship with a team that was clearly built by Theo Epstein. And as for the “he’s doing what he said he’d do,” the argument seems counterintuitive for many of the Trump supporters who scoffed at the big picture issues. “He’s not going to actually ban Muslims,” one friend of mine said. “It’s all just talk.” And while the federal court system and the ACLU have been doing an excellent job of combating his unconstitutional acts, what if it’s only a matter of time?
As for Trump’s reaction to the unexpected challenges of the presidency (many people knew healthcare could be so difficult), Maggie Haberman of The New York Times reports that Trump is growing increasingly frustrated that his legislation on issues related to immigration is being continuously impeded. Haberman has an inside track to Trump except for when he throws a temper tantrum and bans the reputable newspaper because in his eyes, the reports that are coming from inside the White House (!!!) are merely rumors.
But a musical group that would know a thing or two about rumors is Fleetwood Mac whose most famous album is Rumours. (How about that for a transition?) There’s been a lot said about the production of Rumours and much of its fame and acclaim comes from the tumult through which it was written. It’s a miracle the band stayed together through that despite the break-ups of John and Christine McVie, Mick Fleetwood and his wife, and Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, but what resulted was one of the all-time great achievements in music. And, sure, maybe it’s kind of a stretch, but so is everything these days in the age of hypocrisy’s and democracy’s death. I believe there are more similarities than differences between the personal, intimate torture felt by the members of Fleetwood Mac during the production of Rumours and the broad, bleak torture delivered to us from the first month of President Donald Trump.
One of the prevailing storylines of Trump’s first month as president is the lack of party leadership in the GOP standing up to his actions that are clearly a threat to the United States. “Country over party” is a phrase that’s been tossed around a lot when referencing the inability for Republican politicians, but it only goes so far when Republican legislation is even having a tough time being approved. I bet Paul Ryan has Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way” on his mind a lot. “Loving you/Isn’t the right thing to do/How can I ever change things that I feel?/If I could/Baby I’d give you my world/How can I/When you won’t take it from me?” Can’t the Trump/Ryan love fest get a room? Like, a room that is far away from Washington D.C.? Maybe even out of this country?
What we need are more conservative officials like Evan McMullin, who seems to be the only one connected to the GOP with anything resembling a spine when it comes to addressing the matters Trump personally oversees. He’s more aligned with the angry epic, “The Chain.” “Listen to the wind blow/Down comes the night/Run in the shadows/Damn your love/Damn your lies.” Buckingham wasn’t afraid to tell it like it is. Lies are lies. They’re not falsehood or untruths or alternative facts. They’re fucking lies. Enough with the petty bullshit politeness.
I’ve also seen a lot of criticism from the left from people on their side in the first month. I don’t mean the criticism for Tim Kaine who voted to confirm a good deal of Trump’s cabinet appointments because he’s absolutely worthy of being ripped apart and voted out of office for pulling that little routine of harmonious politics. I mean the criticism for Barack Obama for going on vacation after leaving the White House. I think he earned it and I don’t think it’s a great idea to whine about him not fighting Trump while he’s on vacation with his family because we’ve already asked a lot of him. He is worthy of vacation. The critics of the left could take a hint from the first track on Rumours, “Second Hand News.” “I know there’s nothing to say/Someone has taken my place/When times go bad/When times go rough/Won’t you lay me down in tall grass/And let me do my stuff.” But now he’s back! And stylish as ever. What more can you want from him?
One iconic line from Rumours can easily summarize the first month of the resistance to Trump much more than it can the first month of Trump, in general. “Thunder only happens when it’s raining.” That’s from the Nicks vehicle, “Dreams.” Rest assured, the first month has been a torrential downpour. But the reaction to the ideas perpetuated by Trump and his merry band of cronies to make it this way have absolutely resulted in some of the greatest thunder ever witnessed by American democracy. Between the Women’s March and the anti-Muslim ban protests and the recent Day Without a Woman, it’s true what Jon Lovett said. “Protests are the new brunch.”
Another great quote from the people behind Crooked Media is the microcosm of the GOP’s plan for their alternative to the Affordable Care Act. “Repeal and go fuck yourself.” And now, this plan (which everyone hates. Like, really, everyone. Even Breitbart.) is garbage in a couple different ways and one of these is the potential for defunding Planned Parenthood it introduces. Not a lot of people seem to understand what exactly it is that Planned Parenthood does, but this essay isn’t about that. Just know that no one is drinking any Kool Aid. Their slogan in these times of trouble has been “We Won’t Go Back,” which is pretty similar to the Rumours track, “Never Going Back Again.” And certainly, Donald Trump doesn’t “know what it means to win.” Not really anyway.
Additionally, a lot has been said about Donald Trump’s backtracking on the promise he made to members of the LGBT community when he said, “I will fight for you while Hillary brings in more people that will threaten your freedoms and beliefs.” Obviously, it was a lie and he proved that when rights for transgender people were rolled back. Because that really helps bring jobs back, right? If only someone had warned us that Trump was full of shit. Perhaps such a person was even named in the aforementioned tweet sent by our wonderful elected leader. In “I Don’t Want to Know” by Fleetwood Mac, they said, “I don’t want to stand between you and love.” But it sure looks like we’re headed that way. With a campaign and an administration constructed on hate, it seems like love is going to be one of the first things on Trump’s checklist to eliminate. Maybe it’ll be on his plan for budget cuts to pretty much everything except defense.
And still, we have no idea whether or not Donald Trump is still actively involved in his own business interests, but with the immigration ban not targeting the country where he has real estate, it would certainly seem that way, wouldn’t it? “Gold Dust Woman” tells us, “Rulers make bad lovers/You better put your kingdom up for sale, up for sale.” But he’d never let go of his business ties. I mean, he’s so bad at making deals it seems like he fetishizes destroying things. The idea of crippling institutions because of his own mental instability is positively masturbatory for Trump.
The question must be asked what would make Trump supporters pump the brakes a bit? Or he is positively infallible? I believe if video evidence came out of him murdering someone, Kellyanne Conway would go on CNN and say, “That’s not what happened, Jake, it’s just not true what you’re saying,” his supporters would mount some defense connected to the false notion that Obama murdered someone first, and then Trump would tweet about NBC, and everyone would forget about it thanks to our flawless news cycle. “Oh Daddy,/If I can make you see,/If there’s been a fool around,/It’s got to be me.” We may never hear those words from those who claim to not live in a bubble.
Frankly, I thought the snowflakes were the ones who couldn’t handle the way the country was changing, but maybe it’s a more specific group. You know, the people who are okay with Russia undermining our democracy and the Trump crew being completely in on it, if not being directly responsible. We cannot forget this story. We cannot let it go because it is big and it feels big and it may be a good chance at saving the country. The hope of saving the country is, I’m sure, still resting comfortably in the hearts of many who are strictly opposed to everything for which Trump stands. “You Make Loving Fun,” another hit from Rumours expertly depicts this complicated feeling of hope through immense pain and fear. “I never did believe in miracles,/But I’ve a feeling it’s time to try./I never did believe in the ways of magic,/But I’m beginning to wonder why.”
Between all the batshit nonsense that’s happened in the past fifteen months or so, it seems like a miracle might be just the thing that rescues us from the Trump era that has proved, very early on, that it is just as disastrous as all of the doubters feared it would be. I’m ready for a miracle.
And maybe it’s no coincidence that the anthem of Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign, “Don’t Stop” also resides on the Rumours album. “Don’t stop, thinking about tomorrow,/Don’t stop, it’ll soon be here,/It’ll be, better than before,/Yesterday’s gone, yesterday’s gone./Don’t you look back,/Don’t you look back.” While the countdown clocks for 2020 are ticking, I can’t wait for Trump to whither so I can take the advice of one of the greatest group of songwriters ever assembled and not look back.
Next week: the democratic response to Trump, compromise, and It’s a Wonderful Life.
