I was wondering today about how in the world a person like Donald J. Trump could possibly wreak such havoc on American society and culture at 76; he’s only 4 years older than me.
As a 7th grader I was observing his ilk as high school seniors, basically. I first started watching my brother Jeff; he was 6 years older than me. I started observing Jeff and his friends when I was about 11; I was antsy to be just like Jeff, and he seemed to enjoy grooming me along as well.
I had a lot of fun hanging around with Jeff and his friends but we were awfully tough on our mother. Jeff and I were very close back then, and I never would have dreamed then that I was capable of ending our relationship when we became older. I had idolized Jeff up to around my turning 17 or 18, when his shine started to dull through my eyes. But Jeff was always extremely charming and handsome, like Troy Donahue.
Trump was brought up on wealth, privilege and social controversies (by way of his father) until he started creating controversies on his own. My brother was a self-made man; Trump is not. Trump has found a way to sustain himself by making money from his image as a ruthless developer and now, politician. Trump’s irate, controversial character seems to appeal to a lot of folks, but he certainly is not charming. I don’t understand how he gets away with deeds that would ruin others.
Trump’s popularity is built upon his being socially incorrect and perhaps that’s why the Proud Boys admire him so much and wish to serve him. My brother and Trump share many of the same character traits – chronic lying, opulence, misogyny, rudeness and mean sarcasm, to name a few of their worst traits. Both were sent away to military school as young men. Back in the 60s, many troublesome boys were sent to military academies in hopes the discipline would straighten them out; that was never to be with Jeff and Donald.
In fact, Trump’s controversies had an early start at the New York Military Academy. Quickened promotions were viewed by some cadets as being helped along by Fred Trump’s wealth. Donald was reassigned from Captain of A Company to school staff (which was considered to be another accelerated promotion); the reassignment occurred after a hazing incident within A Company under Trump’s watch.
To quote Cadet White, the school’s top cadet of that year: “He (Trump) was singled out as early as October for special treatment. They were keeping Trump busy and out of mischief.”
My brother graduated from Hargrave Military Academy, also with “honors,” albeit self earned. Both Jeff and Donald had impressive pictures of themselves at graduation. Jeff was a Navy Corpsman just before the Vietnam draft. Trump got a medical exemption for bone spurs.
Donald went on to work for and then took over his father’s business in 1971. He was already considered “A Lady’s Man” from military school and grew into a wealthy, jet-set playboy, hanging out with Hugh Hefner, Jeffrey Epstein and Roy Cohn … Sex and Power. He started throwing his weight around New York City and Atlantic City with controversial developments.
Trump stumbled in and out of bankruptcies, dabbled in fraud, finally hitting the big time in 2004 with reality (?) TV: The Apprentice. I remember everyone started yelling “YOU’RE FIRED!” at each other during the show’s success.
During the 80’s, my brother Jeff (from his own actions) lost his business and his family. He became distraught and bitter, refusing to work at any job that he thought was below him (which was any 9-to-5 job). His bitterness and constant, rude sarcasm became unbearable, and I lost what respect I had left for him. It saddens me to this day. I love our early memories but disliked the man.
In retrospect, I think that is why I have such distaste for Donald J. Trump; he is in so many ways a carbon copy of my brother Jeff. Jeff died a lonely, broken man, rejecting all who tried to lift him out of the hole he had entrenched himself in. Trump just plows through any and all instances where the truth of his mean-spiritedness and deceitfulness threatens to expose him.
I never, ever, considered liking or respecting Donald J. Trump. I think he is a wicked man and harmful to our society. Why is he admired? Why do people support his hypocrisies? I have no idea; it is quite the conundrum.
And yet, his supporters continue to send this awful man money. Why? How have those people come to embrace such an odious man? Worse yet, they emulate him. Jeff at least had some sense of compassion or dug deep to find the grace to simply wither away and stop hurting people. He found a final redeeming quality. Trump never will.
Tim and Kristy Wood moved to Beaufort in 1974. He worked as a carpenter in both restoration and new home construction, as well as operating a shop specializing in custom woodwork, Wood on Wood Specs. He is semi-retired, involved with fine woodworking and formerly sat on the City of Beaufort Zoning Board of Appeals.
