I realize that documenting the inanities is getting tiresome, but here’s one that really struck me:
REPORTER: Doge and SpaceX employees are now working directly at the Federal Aviation Administration and the Defense Department agencies that have billions of dollars in contracts with Musk’s companies or that directly regulate his companies.
How is that not a conflict of interest?
[TRUMP:}Well, I mean, I’m just hearing about it.
And if there is, and he told me before I told him, but obviously, I will not let there be any conflict of interest.
I won’t say a word about the fact that if Biden, or any Democrat, had said such a thing the press would have been all over it, accusing them of lying and/or incompetence and/or senility. I also won’t say a word about the fact that the press, of course, simply let this pass because, after all, it’s just Trump being Trump. He lies all the time so why is that news?
But let’s pick this one apart.
There are a couple of alternatives. Let’s start with the least likely first. He could be telling the truth. I’m not talking about the statement to the effect that he won’t allow a conflict of interest, because he’s never seen such a conflict that he didn’t join. I’m talking about his assertion that he was “just hearing about it”. If we accept this statement as true, how do we not conclude that the man is either a total incompetent or mentally unfit for the job. Musk’s conflict of interest has been obvious to anyone with a functioning synapse. You don’t need a whole brain to figure it out.
The second alternative is that he is and was totally aware of the conflict, and has absolutely no problem with it. After all, he himself has made an art form out of cashing in on his presidencies. He has been a criminal all his life and he’s got no problem with other criminals so long as they’re white, rich, and willing to share the goods if circumstances require it. So long as Musk cuts him in on some of the take I’m sure he’ll be fine with it.
While I consider the second alternative the more likely, I am not dismissing the fact that he is also not half there, mentally. Consider again this sentence he produced in response to the reporter’s question:
And if there is, and he told me before I told him, but obviously, I will not let there be any conflict of interest.
I confess that despite being rigoursly trained by the nuns at Our Lady of Sorrows (we even had a nun who specialized!) I would be unable to diagram that sentence, or give a definitive explanation of what he is saying. It is total gibberish. Now again, this may not be evidence of a mental defect. He may be counting on the fact that if he issues such gibberish the press will simply go on to the next question and the absurdity of his utterance will go unremarked while the criminality in question goes on unhindered.