The week Trump refused to renounce Satan and may have jumped the shark…
Donald Trump has jumped the shark- again. Unlike Arthur Fonzarelli, however, the president doesn’t represent the rebelliousness and confident “cool” of the beloved character who made our days, well, happier in the 70s. I must admit, I was there that night in 1977 when The Fonz, wearing swim trunks and his signature leather jacket, literally (sort of) jumped a shark while waterskiing. Fonzie made “thumbs up” and “Ayyyy” a national gesture that suggested life is good, the world is in a word, “correctamundo.” Donald Trump represents quite the opposite- a kind of Fonzie in his dotage, hair turned orange and wifty compared to slicked back and combed.
The shark scene has become legendary and has entered popular usage to describe a downward turning point when someone or something “loses it.” In TV parlance, when a popular series had reached its peak and was beginning to see its creative end:
The term jump the shark was coined by Sean Connolly and Jon Hein in 1985, based on their premise that the scene that marks the beginning of the decline of the American television show Happy Days occurred in the episode in which The Fonz jumps over a shark on water skis. The phrase caught on and is now widely used, not only for TV series, to describe a far-fetched, ridiculous event that is indicative of a decline in quality.
To be fair, Trump has often jumped smaller fish, usually in a Brioni suit sans the Speedo. Bigger fish, like his buddy Putin, around whom The Donald tiptoes, distinguish Trump from The Fonz. In his neighborhood, Putin is the cool guy with a swagger riding a ‘hog’.
The week began in Alaska, where Trump danced a drunken Continental(here)down the red carpet in anticipation of meeting with his pal. As the week went on, Trump took on the Smithsonian, slavery, Epstein, and Maxwell, and had a high time getting over himself while sharing his favorite nickname with his least favorite governor. “Newscum,” Ayyyy!
But the week ended with a Trump homage to Francis Ford Coppola and the classic Baptismal scene in Godfather II(here). Before sending his FBI hitmen to finish off John Bolton, Trump seemed to reflect on his final reckoning while conflating his efforts for peace in Ukraine with the final essay for his eternal exam:
“I want to try and get to heaven, if possible. I’m hearing I’m not doing well. I am really at the bottom of the totem pole. But if I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons.”
It was a pearl-clutching moment that quickly passed, but in that moment, Trump blinked. Unlike Michael Corleone, who could icily pretend to renounce Satan while doing his handiwork and eliminating all his enemies in a blaze of retribution, Trump invoked the angels. Instead of one-upping the godfather, his show of power was taken for what it was intended- a distraction. His plaintive play for sympathy among the MAGA hardliners was more Potsie than Fonzie.
Donald forgets that Coppola’s drama had three acts. Once Michael gained all the power he could handle, he lost what was most important. In eschatological terms, the devil generally gets his due. The price you get for selling your soul is a pittance compared to its worth. Trump’s lament seems more like an attempt to curry favor with his evangelical toadies, while hoping they forget his involvement with pedophiles and hookers.
Ultimately, what he needs is power, but what he craves is respect. The power of the presidency (and the abdication of the Supreme Court to his will) is the air that keeps his balloon afloat. Without it, he is just another convicted felon, a half-assed developer, and a lousy husband. But being powerful is not enough. It cannot be mistaken for being good, successful, or loved. It has its limits and can be fickle. Britain’s Iron Lady knew well the responsibilities that come with power, and that real power is in the perception:
“Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.”
― Margaret Thatcher
Predicting Trump’s fall has, so far, been a dangerous sport. He has been able to maintain his leverage over followers he disdains and enemies he has managed to outwit. For both, the relationship has been an abusive one.
But “sharkjumping” in itself is dangerous. It’s a bridge too far, an overreach with serious consequences. One can only imagine the satisfaction felt in the White House as FBI agents carried out their early morning raid on John Bolton’s home and office. The thrill and joy of ‘doing unto others” what he perceives had been done to him must have been exhilarating. It also revives the memory of what was, perhaps, The Donald’s worst offense in the eyes of history, and what may be remembered as the most damning mark on his legacy. The boxes stored in bathrooms and closets at Mar-a-Lago remain evidence of a traitorous act that history may view as unforgivable. It marked the lowest point in the recording of presidential conduct in our nation’s history.
Long after he is gone and if, after him, the nation survives, it will be remembered that there once were days, call them unhappy ones, when the people of a once great nation chose to flirt with the beginnings of its end- when democracy was suddenly relegated to reruns and memories of better days, never to be seen again.
Originally published at https://vincerizzo.substack.com.
