Viewpoint: He reaped what he sowed

James C. Nelson

I first became aware of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump’s life when my Apple watch lit up with the news. I was sitting with my wife in Kevin Costner’s Horizon movie—a glitzy flick characterized by minutes of boredom punctuated with seemingly limitless minutes of Indian vs. cowboy vs. cowboy vs. Indian horrific violence.

Shocking as the Trump incident should have been for me, it wasn’t—and not because the surfeit of gore in Horizon made the real-life assassination attempt seem pretty tame, by comparison.

Rather, my first thought was that Trump’s chickens were finally coming home to roost. The former President was finally reaping what he had sown from the beginning of his 2016 campaign through to the present day:

Preachments of hatred against and demonization of LGBTQIA+ people, the poor, veterans (losers according to Trump), disabled folks, racial and religious minorities, immigrants and just about anybody who isn’t rich and a MAGA Republican; misogynistic attacks on women and their unique gender related issues; sucking up to Putin, Orbán and every two-bit dictator in the world; the glorification of his January 6, insurrection and the insurrectionists.

Nancy Pelosi’s husband was nearly hammered to death in his own home. Trump jeered and mocked the attack, and one of Trump’s sons circulated the falsehood that Mr. Pelosi had brought on the attack through some sort of sexual encounter.  Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer didn’t fare much better.  Trump belittled her as an enemy after right-wing-extremists were foiled in their attempt to abduct her.

Then, there was the incident where Trump publicly humiliated and mocked a reporter who had a speech disability. And, don’t forget Trump throwing paper towels into a crowd of Puerto Ricans at a relief center after a hurricane ravaged their homes.

Finally, the lies, lies, lies; tens of thousands of serial falsehoods all designed to make Trump look good, or make him money or punish his enemies (and, best of all, the hat-trick for all three at once)

I’m not a religious person, but the first thing that crossed my mind in the movie theater was Galatians, 6:7, …. “whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”  Or to put it otherwise, “What goes around, comes around,” and, “He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword.”

Ironically, Mr. Trump was shot at by a fellow Republican using “America’s Rifle” (so named by the NRA), the ubiquitous AR-15.

But, ever the performer, the ex-President managed to turn his attempted assassination into a photo-op. Blood marks on his face from a nicked ear (an actual bullet never touched him), he defiantly pumped his fist in the air and shouted “fight, fight, fight” as he was hustled off the stage, encased in the arms and bodies of the people taxpayers pay to take a bullet for him.

And, now, as a result of the failed assassination, Mr. Trump is a star: the victim, the martyr, the warrior, the fearless leader. Just like Putin: Mr. tough guy.

Mr. Trump will probably be re-elected to fulfill his neo-Nazi, fascist promise to form a “unified Reich,” arrogate all power unto himself, deport millions, and seek retribution against his enemies. His own banana republic.

Alas, sorry Mr. T, no thoughts and prayers from me. I hate gun violence of any kind, but know that being shot at was the blow-back from the bad karma that you’ve dumped on other people for years.

Indeed, open one of those Bibles you’ve been hawking and read Galatians, 6:7. You’ve sowed hatred and violence and now you’ve reaped a bushel of it.

James C. Nelson, Montana Supreme Court Justice (Ret).