Bill Kristol's Weekly Standard folded in 2018. His gigs at ABC and Fox News were not renewed.
Should Kristol suffer a similar fate at The Bulwark, the fiercely anti-Trump website where he serves as editor-at-large, Bill should consider opening shop in a local strip mall: "Mystic Mister William Sees All, Tells All."
The suggestion arises in light of Kristol's Bulwark column today: "Reading Trump’s Mind."
In it, Kristol writes satire like he's comedian Larry David, posing as if he were President Trump as he conducts a review of multiple senior aides. The prism through which he judges them all is their usefulness to him "in 2028."
Thus, "Trump":
- Concludes that, "because he screwed up too many times," he must fire Pete Hegseth. Trump does so regretfully because: "He was willing to do what it takes to get a military that’s loyal to me. Which is goddamn important for 2028."
- Says that AG "Pam" and FBI Director "Kash" are "great," because "they never tell me I can’t do anything," and "having Justice and the FBI at my disposal—that’s important for 2028."
- Says OMB Director "Russ" Vought is "doing fine," because he is "quietly pulling off that Schedule F thing so key people at agencies that matter are going to be loyal to me. Which is also big for 2028."
- Isn't impressed by Homeland Security Secretary "Kristi" Noem's judgment, but "what matters is that the people under her at DHS are making sure that agency is loyal. They’ll be useful in 2028."
- When it comes to replacing Hegseth, "Trump" considers two candidates. Of four-star general Charlie Flynn, Trump says he's told that "he’ll be with us when it counts, if you know what I mean."
- Trump's other choice for SecDef is Elise Stefanik, of whom he says: "She’ll do what it takes. Getting the right people in the right places in the military—it’s key for 2028."
"Trump" never spells out just what he has in mind for '28, but he didn't need to. The meaning is clear. "Trump" is planning to stage a coup, using the combined might of the military and various government agencies, to remain in power beyond the end of his current term.
It's true that Trump has suggested that there are ways for him to serve an additional term. But only someone as Trump-averse as Kristol could suffer the paranoid delusion of the sort he suggests.
A cool-headed consideration of Trump's suggestion yields two explanations.
First, Trump simply enjoys stirring the pot, sending the likes of Kristol and like-minded journalists and politicians into a tizzy.
Second, and more importantly, by suggesting that he could remain in the Oval Office beyond 2028, Trump wards off lame duck status.
Note: Kristol also paints Trump as an ignoramus who attributes to Roy Cohn famous quotes from Shakespeare and Milton's "Paradise Lost," and the phrase "a photo's worth a thousand words."
