The Harris-Trump debate is in the news and the most talked about moment was when Harris mocked his rallies and Trump responded by asserting that Haitian immigrants in Springfield were eating the residents' pets.
| "At the ABC News presidential debate, former President Trump went on a tear accusing Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, of eating pets." |
This was the real Springfield, as opposed to the Simpsons' fictional one.
Yet, Trump saw no warning signals before repeating this obvious nonsense. It reminded me of his suggestion, also picked up on Social Media that Covid-19, might be overcome with household disinfectant.
| President Trump claims injecting people with disinfectant could treat coronavirus |
And his claim that the F-35 stealth fighter was actually invisible.
| In a Thanksgiving speech to the US coast guard, President Donald Trump hails the F-35 fighter jet, calling it an "invisible" plane that they "enemy cannot see". |
We already knew that his grasp of American, let alone World, history was woefully inadequate for someone aspiring to, and actually holding, high office. And this gets to the heart of the matter: he's an ignoramus.
I don't mean he's stupid but he's lacking in the most basic knowledge of how the world actually is.
No doubt the occasional cat or dog does get eaten by a homeless person but ravenous immigrants, en masse, falling on the pets of Springfield?
The average twelve year old could tell him that this story is unlikely to be true. That same child could tell him that a stealth-jet is not actually invisible (to the naked eye); and that injecting disinfectant; or exposing yourself to radiation, sufficiently energetic to kill a virus infecting you, would very likely kill you too.
But his ignorance is legendary:
| Donald Trump often discusses history, and he has a unique way of talking about it. |
Yet, on several cruises that we have been on with older Americans: "What do you think of Donald Trump" is a standard question at dinner. A few don't like him but for the great majority: 'The Don' can do no wrong. All the negative things said about him are just 'fake news'. They are 'welded on' regardless.
It will be an interesting election.