(DON THOMPSON / iNFOnews.ca)

OPINION

Donald Trump bragged for almost two years that he - and he alone - was responsible for America’s good economic times. That, of course, wasn’t true when he said it…and it remains so today.

Unfortunately, Trump confuses the economy with the stock market. Hockey and curling are both played on ice…but similarities pretty much end there. So, it is with the economy and the stock market…both involve money but not much else.

Even so, more than 200 times in tweets, at rallies, at press conferences and in interviews, Trump claimed credit for stock market gains…until October of last year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average - an index that tracks the value of 30 large, publicly owned U.S. companies - started a nose dive in the fourth quarter of 2018.

That meant last year marked the worst performing stock market in a decade…and December the worst single month since the Great Depression. The Dow is volatile…and who knows what it will do in the weeks and months ahead…certainly not Trump. He has been silent during the decline…not a single tweet.

Trump, of course, is consistent if nothing else. He always brags and claims credit when he deserve none…and deflects responsibility when he should be accountable. It’s a lifelong behaviour…Trump’s modus operandi.

It’s 2019…and Donald Trump is going to have a very bad year…the worst of his 72 years. He’s finally going to get what he deserves. Oh, I’m not sure exactly what that will be…but I feel the curl of a smile coming. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report is expected soon…and I’m guessing even those who voted for Trump will have overwhelming proof that he, his family and many of those who surround him have no moral compass…all crew members of a rudderless ship of state.

Trump might be impeached…he might even be found guilty. Perhaps he’ll be indicted. Either way, he’ll try anything to save himself…a pardon, resignation…whatever it takes. He’ll create a constitutional crisis like America has never seen. Others might go down with the ship…but he’ll be the first one with a life preserver and you can forget that old adage…women and children first.

I predict Trump won’t like a single week in 2019. Here’s why. Besides the political and financial fallout from Muller’s investigation, a laundry list of mostly dirty deeds will come home to roost for this president. Nixon’s crimes and misdemeanours pale by comparison. The same can be said for Clinton’s sexual improprieties, especially if Trump is found to have violated campaign funding laws by trying to buy the silence of women he slept with.

The Democrats now have control of the House of Representatives…so there will be new investigations…subpoenas, public testimony and revelations that add fuel to this dumpster fire of a presidency. The previous Republican-controlled House - already in disrepute - will look as foolish and as guilty of malfeasance as they are.

The Senate - still in Republican hands - will take on the appearance of rats leaving a sinking ship…with defections from Trump every month. Trump supporters in the Senate will have to answer, “Why did it take you so long to act in America’s interests?” The answers won’t come easy…and a lot of Republican Senators will be out of work in 2020.

We will finally learn what really happened in that meeting at Trump Tower with a handful of Russians, Jared Kushner, Don Jr. and Paul Manafort. It’s easy to get lost in all the details of the Trump administration’s dealing with Russia and the various guilty pleas of Trump’s minions…but there’s little doubt in my mind that the name Trump will forever be linked to America’s biggest political scandal.

Let’s not forget that Trump faces more than a dozen other Federal and state investigations beyond Muller’s. He faces allegations that he violated the emoluments provision of the U.S. Constitution. The Trump Foundation remains under a cloud. We’ll likely learn just how unethical he is when his tax returns become matters of public record…and they will. His campaign fundraising and inaugural committees are highly suspect…with more money than logical reasons regarding where it came from, how it was spent and what happened to what was left.

No, I don’t know what will happen to Trump…my crystal ball isn’t that good. But I do know he’ll have a lousy 2019. And, ultimately, Americans will have the final say…rebuking Trump and the entire Republican Party.  Hmmmmm, come to think about it…2020 isn’t going to be a very good year for Trump and his partisans either. America and much of the world on the other hand will be just fine.

— Don Thompson, an American awaiting Canadian citizenship, lives in Vernon and in Florida. In a career that spans more than 40 years, Don has been a working journalist, a speechwriter and the CEO of an advertising and public relations firm. A passionate and compassionate man, he loves the written word as much as fine dinners with great wines. His essays are a blend of news reporting and opinion.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2019