THE DESPICABLES

The two most despicable men in Trump’s circle are Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary (not War) and Stephen Miller, who replaces Susie Wiles as Trump’s chief of staff.

As all can see and hear, Trump is babbling and increasingly incoherent. As a young man he was schooled by his lawyer, Roy Cohn, to always deny, double down, lie, blame, bluff, bullshit and bluster — always tough it out. Never acknowledge error. Never ever explain. Kai Bird’s terrific new biography, American Scoundrel dissects Cohn, a closeted gay man. who wasn’t gay, he said, and hated that word. He just liked to screw men, and vice versa. He had AIDS and said he didn’t, though it was widely known among his friends (and enemies) that he did. He died of it, in denial to the end.

Hegseth is a buffed up Fox News reader, dumb as a brick, in over his head of gelid hair — whacking top generals, women, people of color, anyone he remotely regards as a threat to his power; an incompetent manager charged with running a bureaucracy, that employs nearly three million people, including active duty military, the national guard, reservists, and civilian employees. This idiot was put In charge of a war.

Trump, who has recently been focused on men’s butts, no doubt admires Pete’s. Also, Trump needs to fault someone else for the war with Iran that he started and clearly lost, rather than accept any responsibility himself. Accordingly, prediction gambling firm Polymarket puts the probability at 41% that Hegseth will be gone before the end of the year. Have your hankie handy to dry your tears for it might come much sooner. The new Democratic Congress will quickly file articles of impeachment against Hegseth if he isn’t disappeared sooner by Trump sacking him. He can resign quickly to avoid that fall from great heights or a firing squad of Democrats which is normally circular.

Stephen Miller has been named Trump’s chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles for no explicable reasons other than she’s a woman, not a young one (69), more gray than blonde; Trump simply said it was time. She was seen as a restraining influence on his worst instincts though it is difficult to pinpoint exactly what of his boorish behavior was curbed.

The most important distinction between Miller and Hegseth is that Miller is smart — and colder, if that is even possible. Also, Miller probably can’t do one-armed pushups which Hegseth can. But Miller will poke the beast and encourage Trump’s worst behavior. He is an ideologue, unlike Hegseth — certainly better spoken, though a complete racist on immigration. No one need be surprised if he ratchets up ICE, border security excursions, expulsions of US citizens, breaking up families, going after immigration court judges, cutting up green cards, etc.

Worst of all, Miller will be the US president de facto, just as Edith Wilson took charge as her husband, President Woodrow Wilson lay on his death bed — incapacitated by a stroke.

This is  scarier than Halloween and not as much fun.

Photo: Yahoo.com