There’s a chapter in my forthcoming book in which I describe Donald Trump’s populist, fascist appeal to that of the “American Sheriff.” Trump isn’t at home on the range, nor does he wear a white hat or ride a horse. Yet, in 2022, for $99, you could purchase an NFT featuring Trump as various iconic American heroes, including a sheriff.
Here’s what I wrote:
SCOTUS’s recent decision in the Trump immunity case continues to prove my argument that the best metaphor for Trump is a sheriff. The sheriff is a man who creates order without following laws. The sheriff holds immense populist appeal all while using military-style guns and vehicles to suppress dissent and ensure that those who oppose him are jailed or worse. The sheriff is elected but lacks democratic legitimacy. The sheriff exudes toxic masculinity and scorns calls for reform but is also uniquely bad at his job.
Part of Trump’s appeal is “to trigger the libs,” which makes the cruel sport of violent harassment seem fun. I think of someone who comes right up to your nose with a closed fist, laughs when you leap back in fear, and then proclaims they didn’t touch you. It’s gaslighting. As John Ganz points out, it’s the same tactic as a mob boss. (In a recent podcast, Ganz argues that the mob boss and “constitutional sheriffs” are analogues: one urban and one rural. Both have the same folklore legacy, the bad-guy-turned-good-guy, the Wyatt Earp – who, incidentally, was a womanizer, a pimp, and an entrepreneur as well as a killer and a lawman.)
I wrote a piece for Democracy Docket about Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco, a thoroughly incompetent sheriff who gained viral notoriety with a seemingly casual video – the smirks! – about why he supports Donald Trump for president. Reasonably, the residents of Riverside County objected – is it proper for a sheriff, the highest-paid county official, to endorse a presidential candidate? (Answer: It may not be ethical, but it is not illegal.)
Of course, the objections to Bianco’s endorsement just fueled the sheriff’s righteous ire. His message: he only endorsed Trump because the woke mob was so very, very annoying.
Chief Justice John Roberts, despite his tucked-in appearance, is no different from Trump or Bianco. His majority opinion is full of scorn for the “never Trump” and “resistance libs” who – gasp – seek to hold Trump accountable for crimes. Roberts himself has also refused to pressure SCOTUS to adhere to a code of ethics, and, like Trump and Bianco, will ride off into the sunset with nary a blemish on his record as the country burns.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson writes in her dissent, “To the extent that the majority’s new accountability paradigm allows Presidents to evade punishment for their criminal acts while in office, the seeds of absolute power for Presidents have been planted.” In other words, Trump can now say that he is the law, just like the sheriffs do.
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My book is coming out on September 17. You can preorder it here. If you are interested in scheduling a book talk or interview, please reach out! My fall is filling up faster than I thought. You can also visit my newly revamped website here.
Klickitat County resident here with Infowars guest Sheriff Bob Songer at the helm of the local law enforcement machine. I'm so glad you pointed out the role incompetence plays. Songer's is costing county taxpayers a fortune in liability and wrongful death cases revolving around the county jail. Songer appointed failed WA gubernatorial and Congressional candidate Loren Culp as the head of the jail in a blatantly political move last year, and it's been a disaster. And we can't forget about Songer's missing budgetary funds, the stockpile of military weapons he's purchased for the County, and the growing number of "posse" members who regularly show up armed in public places. It's absolutely bananas.