Trump’s attack on Ford exposes his venom

I did not sleep well Tuesday night. I committed the grave mistake of reading the news before going to bed. Here is the headline that so wrecked my anticipated slumber: “Trump mocked Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony about being sexually assaulted.”

I was incensed. President Donald Trump did what he always does: disparage, disrespect and mock. In this case, the target was the woman who courageously stepped forward with sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

The moment I read the headline it was obvious to me that the cloak of civility had slipped off, and what was revealed was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

After a week or so of restraint on the issue, his campaign rally assault on a woman who had been sexually assaulted delighted the audience. Women, children and men shouted “lock her up, lock her up” while a man who himself has been accused of abuse responded to her pain by making light, by making fun. Ford’s humiliation was converted via the dynamics of a sanctioned “bully in chief” and a complicit crowd into a great joke.

Why the change in tone? This is a president used to punching down. He mocks those who challenge him. Ford has challenged the credibility of his nominee, therefore challenging him. And he loves a crowd that greets cruelty with guffaws.

Remember when Trump would read the poem “The Snake?” at his presidential rallies? It is a symbolic representation of “you are not what you seem.” In his interpretation the snake was immigration. It ends like this:

“I have saved you,” cried the woman. “And you’ve bitten me, heaven’s why?”

“Oh, shut up, silly woman,’ said the reptile with a grin. ‘You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in.”

The crowd would respond with cheers, whoops and whistles.

There is a snake among us and we should all be horrified.

This story was originally published October 3, 2018 at 6:25 PM.