New Zealand Listener

‘A very perilous time right now’

Last month, the findings of what could be termed a moral audit of Donald Trump’s presidency were released by non-profit US publishing house McSweeney’s. It was headed “Lest We Forget The Horrors: A Catalogue of Trump’s Worst Cruelties, Collusions, Corruptions and Crimes.” It had 889 entries.

Despite its comprehensiveness, this shameful back catalogue already needs updating. For instance:

■ Trump admitted to famed reporter Bob Woodward that he continued to assure Americans the coronavirus was a here today, gone tomorrow insignificance, even a hoax, while knowing full well it was anything but. He’s still at it, recently telling a rally the pandemic, which has resulted in seven million Americans being infected and more than 200,000 dying, “affects virtually nobody”.

■ He allegedly dismissed US war dead as “suckers” and “losers”, in keeping with his long history of disparaging military service.

■ He has repeatedly refused to commit to accepting the outcome of the November 3 presidential election and ensuring a peaceful and orderly transition, should Democrat candidate Joe Biden prevail. Despite being well behind in the polls, Trump insists he can lose only if the election is “rigged”, and as he told a rally last weekend, “we’re not going to stand for it”.

■ Having gained access to more than two decades of Trump’s tax data, the reported that he paid no income tax in 10 of the 15 years before he entered the White House, that most of his assets are losing money, and

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