American Horror Show: Election 2016 and the Ascent of Donald J. Trump (Transgressions)

American Horror Show describes the last weeks of the 2016 election, Trump’s victory, his transition and construction of a scandal-ridden cabinet and administration, to his inaugural speech and the first 30 days of his presidency. The text uses a multidimensional analysis to explain Trump’s victory, including his mobilization of an authoritarian populist movement, the use of fake news to attack Hillary Clinton, the intervention of FBI Director James Comey 11 days before the election, claiming that another investigation of Clinton’s emails was underway, and the intervention of Russian hacking of Democratic Party email and the use of this email against Clinton. Questions are raised concerning relationships between the Russian hacking and attacks against Clinton and members of Trump’s campaign. The remarkable positive remarks from Trump concerning Putin, followed by putting pro-Putin Republicans in key posts of his administration, raise questions about Trump administration relations and connections to Russia. Finally, the first 30 days of Trump’s administration show that he is a rightwing billionaire and militarist who has carried out an extreme rightwing Republican agenda and is not a populist concerned about the working class. Front Matter....Pages i-xviii Presidential Debates, the Access Hollywood Tapes, and Donald the Deplorable....Pages 1-15 The October FBI Bombshell and Comey’s Intervention....Pages 17-26 The Final Week, the November Surprise, and Banana Republicanism....Pages 27-38 Spectacle of Horror: Brexit Plus, Angry White People, and the National Nightmare....Pages 39-56 Unforeseen Consequences of a Trump Presidency....Pages 57-65 Drain the Swamp: The Alligators of Wall Street, Billionaire Snakes of Corporate America, Swamp Creatures of Washington, and Militarist Generals....Pages 67-87 Conflicts of Interest and Family Nepotism, Fake News and Telephone Diplomacy....Pages 89-102 Trump at War: Media, Corporations, Ordinary Citizens, and the U.S. Intelligence Services....Pages 103-108 The Hacked Election, The Swamp of Scandal, and Constitutional Crisis....Pages 109-113 American Nightmare and the Disaster of Election 2016....Pages 115-121 Swamp King....Pages 123-131 Donald J. Trump: Useful Idiot or Putin’s Poodle?....Pages 133-143 The American Horror Show: Donald Trump Becomes 45th U.S. President....Pages 145-157 Rightwing Billionaire Authoritarian – Not Populist....Pages 159-171 Back Matter....Pages 173-191 TABLE OF CONTENTS 8 INTRODUCTION TO DONALD TRUMP AND THE AMERICAN HORROR SHOW 10 NOTES 18 PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES, THE ACCESS HOLLYWOOD TAPES, AND DONALD THE DEPLORABLE 20 THE OCTOBER FBI BOMBSHELL AND COMEY’S INTERVENTION 35 THE FINAL WEEK, THE NOVEMBER SURPRISE, AND BANANA REPUBLICANISM 45 SPECTACLE OF HORROR: BREXIT PLUS, ANGRY WHITE PEOPLE, AND THE NATIONAL NIGHTMARE 57 UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCES OF A TRUMP PRESIDENCY 75 DRAIN THE SWAMP: THE ALLIGATORS OF WALL STREET, BILLIONAIRE SNAKES OF CORPORATE AMERICA, SWAMP CREATURES OF WASHINGTON, AND MILITARIST GENERALS 84 CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND FAMILY NEPOTISM, FAKE NEWS AND TELEPHONE DIPLOMACY 105 TRUMP AT WAR: MEDIA, CORPORATIONS, ORDINARY CITIZENS, AND THE U.S. INTELLIGENCE SERVICES 119 THE HACKED ELECTION, THE SWAMP OF SCANDAL, AND CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS 125 AMERICAN NIGHTMARE AND THE DISASTER OF ELECTION 2016 130 SWAMP KING 137 DONALD J. TRUMP: USEFUL IDIOT OR PUTIN’S POODLE? 146 THE AMERICAN HORROR SHOW: DONALD TRUMP BECOMES 45TH U.S. PRESIDENT 157 RIGHTWING BILLIONAIRE AUTHORITARIAN – NOT POPULIST 170 NOTES 183