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One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: How does Donald do it?

Jun 16, 2023 | 5:00 AM

AGAIN THIS WEEK, Donald Trump defies the facts and spins the lies, and still manages to keep his supporters in line and keeps his popularity among the extreme right wing.

Trump created headlines Tuesday when he appeared in court on 37 charges relating to his handling of classified documents when he left office. Unfortunately, the media continues to play at journalism.

All the headlines from Tuesday screamed “Trump pleads not guilty. “ Not a headline. What did you expect him to do? If he had pled guilty, that would have been a headline. The fact that his appearance was an historic occasion was a headline.

The real story here is how Donald Trump continues to rise above the truth and continues to maintain his popularity. He does it by controlling the narrative. What did he do as soon as he left the courtroom Tuesday? He went to see a group of his supporters, and from that safe vantage point, he immediately went on the attack.

He attacked everyone he could think of, spreading the blame around- to the prosecutor, the justice system, the courts and even President Biden. With the media hanging on every word, he stirred up the pot and again, as he has so often, deflected the blame away from himself and on to everyone else.

He took control of the narrative and shifted the headlines. Virtually everything he said to his supporters that night was either false, or a bending of the truth. But that was lost in the shuffle.

It was a heinous and evil crime, said the Donald. It was a bunch of bull, and all of the truths that came out Wednesday to correct his falsehoods didn’t bear much weight because Trump had beaten them to the punch once again.

Trump has even forced changes in the way charges are announced. The prosecution had hoped to make the announcement in such a way that they could control the narrative, but the Donald was just too quick. And despite the mountain of evidence, Trump can still beat the charges.

The polarization of views in the U.S., which has really become a serious issue, has certainly contributed to Trump’s ability to stay at the top. The Republican Party has become so right wing, that the divide between the parties has become almost irreparable. And it has led to a chasm in the middle that no one seems to be able to fill.

You know, when George Washington took office as the first President of the United States, he confessed that he had doubts about the success of the two-party system. He confided to some of his closest friends that he feared eventually the system would fracture the country.

It’s taken a few hundred years, but that prophecy has certainly come true. And as long as people allow Donald Trump to continue to control the narrative, that fracture won’t be healed any time soon.

I’m Doug Collins and that’s One Man’s Opinion.

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.