On This Peculiar Pre-Election Moment of Anxiety and Hope

By Maria Behan — SPOTLIGHT

Donald Trump began his presidency by lying about the size of his inauguration crowd. He’s finishing it (I hope) by lying about the pandemic that has left America with the highest number of Covid-19 infections and deaths in the world.

Trump’s improbable ascent to power in 2016 may have been difficult to predict, but once the Electoral College shoehorned him into America’s highest office, it was easier to foresee that his tenure there would escalate from farce to tragedy. Malignant narcissism (a term coined by psychologist Erich Fromm to describe Hitler and Stalin) combined with a mafia-capo mentality is dangerous in any individual, but especially perilous in the man who wields the most power on the planet.

I’ll spare you the long and heartbreaking list of outrages that Trump and his sinking ship of fools have perpetrated on the environment, human rights, the rule of law, fundamental decency, and the Constitution. You already know. It seems sadistic to remind you once more, when you may be feeling as dismal as I am about everything going on right now.

Just days away from the election that looks likely to drive Trump out of office (I hope), the mood in America is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I’m tempted to trot out the adjective that’s…