GOLD RUSH

Trump and his family are grabbing as much as they can as soon as they can. Crypto capitalism, crony capitalism, now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t. His M.O.is bluster, bombast, bloviation and bullshit, followed by backing off. Tariffs are a perfect example. Start high and then adjust, usually downward. By now, anyone who's ever bought a used car is on to it.

Trump brought a cease-fire to Gaza and freedom for the hostages. Accolades earned and deserved! But a peace prize? Not quite yet. Blowing up crewed boats in an undisclosed war is murder on the high seas. Parking warships off the coast of Venezuela to take out Maduro without the consent of Congress is unlawful; he also makes war on Hispanics, whether in the US legally or not. His A.G. denies them due process; Trump countenanced Bibi’s revenge on Gaza — only recently did he wag an oh-oh finger at him.

The mindset of a developer is to build; but to build they must demolish. The despoliation of the East Wing of the White House — in order to build a Mar-a-Lago style — ballroom is a garish vanity project, accomplished without consultation, let alone taste. It’s a middle finger to the American people, the rightful owners of the White House and related properties.

The man’s narco-like obsession with gold and gold plate belongs on a shrink’s couch. He could knock down a chunk of the multi-trillion dollar federal deficit that he ran up during his first term.

The nation’s chief bean counter, Russell Vought, is a sui generis stereotype of the skinflint though lacking the garters on the shirt sleeves and without the green eyeshade. The recent New Yorker profile nails him. Like all bean counters, he sees almost every  outlay as potentially wasteful or unnecessary.

Friends, the Chutzpah Express is barreling down the tracks: ex-con Steve Bannon says a third term for Trump is a certainty; the constitutional two-term limit is no obstacle. No one knows for sure how this would be pulled off. The best guess is a Rubio or a Vance would run, with the Donald as the VP candidate; when inaugurated, the Judas goat resigns. And Trump …

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P.S.: Last week, ICE came to SoHo! The masked goons are usually caged a few blocks down at the 26 Broadway federal building. They turned up at the south end of Wooster St. where it runs into Canal (we live at the north end). The targets, mostly all black and West Africans, hawk counterfeit jewelry, “designer” purses, imitation leather goods, etc. to the tourists. The locals know better. The guys are back.

Our birthday comes next week; Seeing Trump gone is a very good reason to live!