Presumed Rethuglican Presidential nominee and neo-fascist bigot Donald "Rump" Trump offered one more example of his unfitness for the Presidency this past week in his ludicrous appearance in Scotland as the Brexit vote was being announced. Touting his Turnberry golf resort's amenities (sprinkler systems, suites) in his press conference rather than discussing the seismic shift in Europe, Rump then praised the vote to exit the EU in Scotland, which had voted decisively to stay in. Since he's a stone-cold narcissist, he also opined that the UK's exit from the EU would weaken the British pound and help bring people to his golf course. Big picture! Presidential!
Sadly for the UK, Rump has a doppelgänger in the form of former London Mayor and buffoon Boris Johnson. They even bear a resemblance to one another. As a member of the Conservative Party, Johnson was one of the leaders of the "Leave" movement, opposing his Party's leadership on the issue. He shares many of his American counterpart's nativist and anti-immigration sentiments. (In an ironic twist, Johnson was born to British parents in New York City, ironically not far from Rump's and Omar Mateen's birthplaces, and has Turkish ancestry -- his grandfather was named Osman Kemal). As with most petty demagogues, after the Brexit vote and as the damaging consequences were apparent, Johnson and other "Leavers" have been ducking questions about the terrible ripple effects on the UK's economy, not to mention questions about the movement's backtracking on promises made during the election. It appears that they had no plan, since they apparently didn't believe British voters were foolish enough to actually vote to leave the EU.
This is the outcome and the side that Rump praised, using a version of his taking-your-country-back rhetoric. It shows starkly not only that he has no grasp on international economic issues, but that his judgement is too flawed and dangerous to be anywhere near the White House.
(cartoon: Darren Bell, via Gocomics.com)
