Sketch of Trump by courtroom artist Elizabeth Williams.

from Act V of “The Rise and Fall of Donald J. Trump” by James C. Horner

“I have a Trump-hating judge

with a Trump-hating wife and family

whose daughter worked for Kamala Harris

and now receives money

from the Biden-Harris campaign.

A lot of it.”

Whenever I’m nagged

about my weight

my mouth is full of hate.

“He called me a fraud,

and he didn’t know anything about me!” Mr. Trump
exclaimed from the stand,

pointing at the judge,

who flashed a grin.

I’m convinced Ozempic is a fraud

my wallet rebels at the cost.

He assailed Justice Engoron:

“The fraud is on the court, not me.”

Weight loss with no sweaty muscles—

what a fraud!

Mr. Trump told Mr. Wallace:

“People like you go around and try to demean me

and try to hurt me.”

I won’t let anyone demean

my appearance.

How do I rebuff the merchants of flesh

so they can’t inject me with hurt?

“I gave two people total authority

to work with a very expensive accounting firm.”

Mr. Trump added, though,

that he was not entirely hands-off:

“I said, ‘Prepare the statements

so that the accounting firm is

happy.’”

How can a pill gain total authority

over my life?

Touting that it’s expensive

that’s why it will make you happy?

“You’re wrong in your opinion,”

Trump replied, adding:

“He called me a fraud

and he didn’t know anything about me.”

It’s a fraud

no one knows anything about me.

Not even Google’s algorithms.

Judge Engoron is “tyrannical and unhinged.”

Fitness clubs have gurus

tyrannical

and unhinged.

“I am being forced to take the witness stand tomorrow

in a SHAM trial in New York City

where an extremely anti-Trump Attorney General
is trying to impose

the ‘corporate death penalty’ upon me

and even my family.”

The whole body image thing is a SHAM

hawking a social death penalty

if you aren’t Instagram -worthy.

 

In a separate line of questioning Monday,

Trump distanced himself from a statement of
financial condition from 2021,

claiming he was busy at the time “keeping our country safe” from the likes of China and Russia.

“I was so busy in the White House,” Trump said.

“My threshold was China, Russia

and keeping our country safe.”

“Just for the record,” Wallace replied,

“you weren’t president in 2021?”

“No, I wasn’t,” Trump acknowledged.

Me, I’m just trying to stay safe

amid all the busy maniacs with their AR-15s

keeping our country safe.

That prompts Trump to lash out from the witness stand.

He speaks in a neutral tone,

but his frustration is unmistakable:

“This is a very unfair trial—

very, very,” the former president says.

It’s all so very unfair–

rights for the gun-toters

but no safety for me

very

very

very

unfair.

“I gave two people total authority

to work with a very expensive accounting firm.”

Trump added, though, that he was not entirely hands-off:

“I said, ‘Prepare the statements so that the accounting firm is happy.’ ”

There’s a lot of money

in guns

in weight-loss

accounting and lawyers.

But liberated from those chains,

which imbeciles cling to and revere,

I’m happy.

Trump, too, should be happy.

No one is trying to make HIM lose weight!

No one is trying to make HIM work out!

No one is shooting HIM!

He should be happy.

Very.

Very.

Very.

Post-Re-election Lament:

“PITY THE NATION”
Lawrence Ferlinghetti (After Khalil Gibran) 2007

Pity the nation whose people are sheep
And whose shepherds mislead them

Pity the nation whose leaders are liars
Whose sages are silenced
And whose bigots haunt the airwaves

Pity the nation that raises not its voice
Except to praise conquerors
And acclaim the bully as hero
And aims to rule the world
By force and by torture

Pity the nation that knows
No other language but its own
And no other culture but its own

Pity the nation whose breath is money
And sleeps the sleep of the too well fed

Pity the nation oh pity the people
who allow their rights to erode
and their freedoms to be washed away

My country, tears of thee
Sweet land of liberty!

copyright Lawrence Ferlinghetti