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Unless I want to go completely out of my mind, I have to believe that there is some limit to a human being's capacity to look upon insanity and keep a straight face. On Friday, probably because there have been too many people on television this week who were not him, the president* threw himself a press availability at the White House. This came after yet another meeting aimed at ending the shutdown stalemate collapsed yet again. What was perfectly plain was that the president* is even several more sandwiches short of a picnic.

Watching House minority leader Kevin McCarthy stand there like a potted palm while the president* did everything except bite the head off a live chicken made me wonder exactly what it would take for someone to run screaming away in abject terror. (Mitch McConnell, it should be noted, was conspicuously missing from the set decoration.) Quite simply, what we saw was an arguable madman who sounded like he'd replaced the famous presidential M&Ms in the White House with huge bowls of Adderall.

What was your favorite part?

When he talked about the "military version" of eminent domain?

When he said he might not build his big, beautiful wall in California because people there complain too much?

[youtube align='center' autoplay='0']https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UryMFBLdKFU[/youtube]

When he said he'd be willing to keep the shutdown going for a year?

When he couldn't figure out if the human traffickers turn left or right when they get into the country?

When he said that earlier presidents had told him to build his wall?

When he said that most of the people currently not getting their government paychecks support what he's doing?

When he said he might build a "see-through steel wall"?

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Take your pick. My own favorite moment was when he talked about what Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib said about impeaching the motherfucker on Thursday night.

“I thought her comments were disgraceful...I think she dishonored herself and her family. I thought it was highly disrespectful to the United States of America.”



Donald Trump, Language Cop.

The more I listen to the president*, the louder I hear in the back of my mind a cockpit warning blaring.

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Charles P. Pierce Charles P Pierce is the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976.

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