In searching around for some other term to describe what Donald Trump has done in drawing followers to his wagon, I have been looking for synonyms for “hoodwink”. There actually are quite a few, so let’s review them. One is rather antiquated and is seldom heard any longer, as in “Trump bamboozled his MAGA crowd at his rally”. Then, there is “He was bluffing when he said that Mexico would pay for the Wall”. There were also those workmen on his properties who got burned when he refused to pay them. Probably the most common term in use is “con”, like when he conned those who signed up to hear him lecture at Trump University. The more direct term is deceive as in the time when he deceived workers who expected he would support an Infrastructure bill, providing them with work. Do you remember the hoax he perpetrated when he said. In becoming President, that he would put all of his properties in trust – and never did? It has been quite a while since he misinformed the FBI, telling their agents he had given them all of the classified documents he had at Mar-A-Lago – but still held on to more. There is also the property valuation situations, wherein he juggled the values of his properties, overstating values to get loans from lending sources that he duped and undervaluing properties on tax filings with agencies he snookered. And, when he reported the payments to Michael Cohen to keep Stormy Daniels quiet, he fraudulently listed them as business expenses rather than reporting what they really were: a campaign expense to hide his cheating.
Donald Trump has millions of Americans who have voted for him in past elections and who will continue to do so this year. Perhaps they see him as he really is – and will vote for him nonetheless. Perhaps they are in agreement with his narcissism.. Perhaps they support his deconstruction of the government bureaucracy and also support his inclination to interfere with the personal lives of his opponents, to seek retribution against his critics and adversaries, and to deprive women of their right to health care. Perhaps they agree with his efforts to override the law.
But, maybe they have been exploited by a con artist – and ignore his misbehavior and exploitations – and his threat to carry on with a government that is responsive to the financial and welfare needs of ordinary Americans. Perhaps they have been snookered and defrauded, tricked and beguiled, hustled and scammed. It’s hare to admit you have been fleeced and exploited. No one wants to think they have been victimized by a snake oil salesman, especially when it is being done so openly and publicly. But, there comes a point when one’s sensibilities com onto play and what is true is obvious. It takes some courage to admit you have been played – but acknowledging the truth is the right thing to do – for one’s own sake as well as for the community in which you live.