It's The Same Old Donald Trump

I have just finished watching Donald Trump's lengthy acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. 

The former President, sporting a bandage on his right ear, spoke for more than 90 minutes. It made J.D. Vance's 37-minute speech yesterday look economical by comparison. 

Frankly, the speech was about an hour too long. Then again, Trump could have pulled a Fidel Castro and spoken for 8 hours, and his cult wouldn't have dared to budge. 

To be fair, Trump did speak at length regarding the assassination attempt against him. At one point, he said, "I'm not supposed to be here." To which the delegates replied, "Yes you are!!!"

On stage next to him was Corey Comperatore's fire helmet and uniform which Trump kissed and embraced before asking for a moment of silence. He should have ended the speech there.

Because from that point forward, he was the same old Trump engaging in blatant hypocrisy, demagoguery, lies, and projection. 

Trump said we must stop weaponizing our justice system. This is also the same Trump who wants Liz Cheney tried by military tribunal on live TV. 

Trump praised Aileen Cannon as "a highly respected judge" praising her dismissal of the 32 charges in the top-secret documents case. The only people who highly respect Cannon are Trump who appointed her and his devotees. He made no mention of the fact that the decision is being appealed to the 11th Circuit Court. 

Trump had the temerity to claim he is saving democracy, but he doesn't respect the will of the voters who reject him.

When discussing his sons Don, Jr. and Eric, he bizarrely blamed Nancy Pelosi for them being subpoenaed. What does a politician from California have to do with subpoenas issued in New York?

Trump bragged of creating jobs in Wisconsin when Foxconn all but abandoned the project begun with high fanfare during the Trump Administration. 

Trump spoke of an inflation crisis claiming it caused a depression. But how is that possible with our 4.1% unemployment rate. If Trump had been running for re-election with unemployment at 4.1% and inflation at 3%, he'd be telling us he created the best economy ever. 

Trump repeatedly used the term "illegal immigrant invasion" erroneously claiming it was killing hundreds of thousands of Americans but it was he who quashed a bipartisan deal which would have reduced crossings. 

Trump had the audacity to claim he would build roads, bridges and dams when it was the Biden Administration which was responsible for the largest infrastructure bill in more than half a century. All Trump ever did during his term was hold multiple "Infrastructure Weeks".

I could have also done without the praise of Kim Jong-un and Hungary's authoritarian leader Viktor Orban. 

There is much to criticize concerning the Biden Administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan, but it was Trump who set it into motion with the Doha Agreement with the Taliban.

Trump claimed crime was skyrocketing when in fact it is plummeting. 

Trump claimed Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sam Brown had suffered like no other Senate candidate. While it is true that Brown suffered devastating injuries, the late John McCain spent more than half a decade in a POW camp. But then again, Trump doesn't like veterans who were captured. 

The Donald Trump of 2015 is the Donald Trump of 2024. No assassin's bullet is going to change that.

Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that he spoke for so long. Because the longer he speaks, the more likely he will remind people of why they tossed him out in favor of Joe Biden four years ago. In which case, perhaps history can repeat itself.