I suppose it would be easy enough to, perhaps, admire Donald Trump’s life, if one takes a quick, superficial look. After all, he was handed hundreds of millions of dollars by the time he was four years old. He lived a pampered and entitled life. He never knew one day of adversity. And then? At the other end of his life, he gets to be President of the United States. Pretty sweet…

I wrote a song, once, that included the line, ‘I know, things aren’t always what they seem to be.’ (You sang it, didn’t you Jeff?) So let’s consider that same information a bit differently. Trump was handed hundreds of millions of dollars by the time he was four years old. He lived a pampered and entitled life. He never knew one day of adversity. But there’s an old saying: adversity builds character. A person who never knew one day of adversity would never have had the opportunity to develop as a human being, never have had the chance to build character.

Instead, Trump built a persona. In truth, I think many people liked the person he pretended to be. If nothing else, the viewing public was…intrigued. I suspect that if he and his crime family had stuck to the shadows he would have gotten away with the deception. But then? At the other end of his life, he got to be the President of the United States.

That’s not nothing. You are in the limelight as President. If I may quote Lin Manuel Miranda, “history has it’s eyes on you.” People pay attention to everything you do, everything you say. Everything. Very few were fooled by Trump anymore and those who were, mostly, were willfully ignorant. The persona had been ripped away. What was left is the wretched shell of a failed human – a person who literally embodies every one of the seven deadly sins. Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Avarice, Wrath, and Sloth – every one. Hell, he’s SUCH a failed human being, he even added one of his own: Mendacity. The guy lies for no reason at all! At this point, he seems absurd…

Benito Mussolini was once understood the be the most absurd authoritarian in history. I believe old Benito can sleep well tonight as the torch has been passed. Donald J Trump will, hereby, reign as the new champion absurd authoritarian going forward. (And you know it’s true because I included the word ‘hereby…’)

Oh, sure, a handful of conservatives, today, will make efforts to consecrate his name. Some hack, Heritage Foundation pseudo-historian will write a book that details the long list of alternate facts attributed as Trump “achievements” and the rank and file will sing his praises – for a while. The book will be mass ordered by conservative outlets and made a “best seller” but then the orders will be returned or “remaindered.” Eventually, the books will be ground up or just tossed out. History won’t remember them because they won’t be historically accurate.

The rank and file? These days, conservatives are having difficulty with basic science so their input doesn’t have much use or value anyway. After Trump leaves, the “base” will be moved on to other, new “positions du jour” and the specter of Trump will slowly fade as a day-to-day force. In the end, the harsh reality is that his supporters will eventually just…die off. All of today’s “alternative facts” will evaporate over time and efforts at character rehabilitation will become fewer and fewer. All that will be left, eventually, is history’s judgement.

I have no doubt that history will show that the money he was handed and that created such a comfortable life ALSO created a vacuous, gauche, rather vile human being. Being President stripped away his human persona and left behind the exposed, true person. It’s the failed, rude, vulgar, useless, and inept person, the one with no character, the TRUE Donald J. Trump, history will record as the 45th President of the United States. And THAT will be for all time…