Impressive piece, Jack. I believe many of us know that orange poupon would throw anybody under the bus to save himself. This is more of the same and impossible to ignore the intent between orange p and DOJ and Bill Clinton.
Thank you. More of the same...and...JHN readers like you... are smarter than the average bear. I see evidence of that every day. Thanks for being sharp, paying attention...and...for being HERE!
This piece nails the uncomfortable truth: Trump’s selective “respect” for Bill Clinton isn’t admiration — it’s transactional revisionism. It exposes how power worship replaces principle, how history gets laundered when it’s useful, and how the right pretends to value institutions only after spending years tearing them down. Clear-eyed, incisive, and necessary.
HK JANE...I appreciate this a lot...especially how clearly you articulated the core issue.
That phrase you used, “transactional revisionism,” is exactly it. What bothered me enough to write this wasn’t Clinton specifically...but how easily history gets scrubbed and repackaged...when power dynamics shift.
Principle disappears. Memory gets selective. And suddenly...the same people who spent years tearing institutions down...pretend they’ve always revered them.
I’m glad this landed the way it did for you. The goal wasn’t outrage...it was clarity. And comments like this tell me it did what it was supposed to do.
Thank you for reading closely...and for supporting the work!
I do not believe Clinton is an innocent man as far as Epstein goes, but perhaps not to the degree trump has used as a weapon against him. What is the game plan for running up the BFF flag now? Is it a "gee, I thought he was my friend but look at what the evidence shows?" And his base will forget that it was dt who said those things about Clinton but will remember what was said as fact. DOJ is already faking documents. By the way, I believe Epstein's "suicide note" bears scrutiny. His note could have been referring to what he thought was going to be a pardon.
I was married to a narcissistic pathological liar for far longer than I should have been. He would lie to your face even if the truth would have been more beneficial to him. I think donald trump is caught in that same quagmire. If he wasn't president trying to kill us all, I might even feel sorry for him.
I am going to create a "cheat sheet" from some of your points so when asked where's the evidence (amazing that they can ask that) I can give them chapter and verse.
Sue...you’re naming something really important here...and you’re doing it without pretending complexity doesn’t exist.
You’re right: acknowledging that Clinton isn’t innocent and recognizing that Trump weaponized those accusations far beyond the evidence...aren’t contradictory positions.
That tension is exactly where honest analysis lives. What Trump does isn’t truth-telling... it’s narrative hijacking. He doesn’t care whether something is accurate...he cares whether it’s useful in the moment. And once it’s useful...it gets repeated until it hardens into “memory” for his base...even if he later disavows it.
That’s the danger of the sudden “BFF” posture. It’s not reconciliation...it’s pre-positioning. If the story shifts again...he can say, “I respected him, but the evidence…” and his supporters will remember only the accusation...not who introduced it or how opportunistic it was.
Your point about DOJ and document fakery is also well taken. Once institutions are hollowed out enough...the appearance of process becomes a weapon in itself...people stop asking how something was produced...and focus only on what confirms their prior belief.
And what you shared about your marriage matters more than you might realize. People who’ve lived with a narcissistic pathological liar...develop an almost physical sensitivity to the pattern...the lying even when it’s unnecessary...even when it’s self-sabotaging.
That’s not politics; that’s pathology. And you’re right...if this weren’t playing out on a national scale with real human cost...it might evoke pity instead of alarm.
I love the idea of a cheat sheet. Not to win arguments...but to keep reality tethered. “Chapter and verse” isn’t about persuasion...it’s about self-respect in conversations where gaslighting is the default.
Thank you for thinking this through so carefully...and for staying grounded in nuance ...when the culture keeps trying to flatten everything into teams. That matters.
Thank you, Jack. He sets himself up as the paragon of virtue, the best, the wisest against everyone. It absolutely infuriates me that there are so many that STILL take him at face value and BELIEVE him. This is great info but MAGAts I know will brush off the truth because they believe him still. I am grateful our holiday on Thursday will not include any MAGAts. I hope yours does not either. #HOLDFAST
Pamela...thank you for this...I really feel the frustration in it.
You’re right about the core of the problem: Trump doesn’t just lie...he positions himself as the sole authority...the one person who sees clearly while everyone else is corrupt...stupid...or evil.
Once someone buys into that frame...facts stop functioning the way they should. Evidence isn’t evaluated... it’s filtered.
And...you’re also right about how often truth just bounces off. That’s part of why I wrote this the way I did. You can’t force someone out of belief...but you can keep reality intact for yourself...and for the people who are still reachable.
I’m glad you get a MAGA-free holiday. Those breaks matter...more than people admit.
Protecting your sanity isn’t disengagement...it’s endurance.
Thank you for being here...for reading closely...and for holding fast with us.
Impressive piece, Jack. I believe many of us know that orange poupon would throw anybody under the bus to save himself. This is more of the same and impossible to ignore the intent between orange p and DOJ and Bill Clinton.
Thank you. More of the same...and...JHN readers like you... are smarter than the average bear. I see evidence of that every day. Thanks for being sharp, paying attention...and...for being HERE!
-Jack
This piece nails the uncomfortable truth: Trump’s selective “respect” for Bill Clinton isn’t admiration — it’s transactional revisionism. It exposes how power worship replaces principle, how history gets laundered when it’s useful, and how the right pretends to value institutions only after spending years tearing them down. Clear-eyed, incisive, and necessary.
HK JANE...I appreciate this a lot...especially how clearly you articulated the core issue.
That phrase you used, “transactional revisionism,” is exactly it. What bothered me enough to write this wasn’t Clinton specifically...but how easily history gets scrubbed and repackaged...when power dynamics shift.
Principle disappears. Memory gets selective. And suddenly...the same people who spent years tearing institutions down...pretend they’ve always revered them.
I’m glad this landed the way it did for you. The goal wasn’t outrage...it was clarity. And comments like this tell me it did what it was supposed to do.
Thank you for reading closely...and for supporting the work!
#HoldFast
-Jack
Pattern of abuse shows his depravity.
The lies they weave...
I do not believe Clinton is an innocent man as far as Epstein goes, but perhaps not to the degree trump has used as a weapon against him. What is the game plan for running up the BFF flag now? Is it a "gee, I thought he was my friend but look at what the evidence shows?" And his base will forget that it was dt who said those things about Clinton but will remember what was said as fact. DOJ is already faking documents. By the way, I believe Epstein's "suicide note" bears scrutiny. His note could have been referring to what he thought was going to be a pardon.
I was married to a narcissistic pathological liar for far longer than I should have been. He would lie to your face even if the truth would have been more beneficial to him. I think donald trump is caught in that same quagmire. If he wasn't president trying to kill us all, I might even feel sorry for him.
I am going to create a "cheat sheet" from some of your points so when asked where's the evidence (amazing that they can ask that) I can give them chapter and verse.
#HoldFast
Sue
Sue...you’re naming something really important here...and you’re doing it without pretending complexity doesn’t exist.
You’re right: acknowledging that Clinton isn’t innocent and recognizing that Trump weaponized those accusations far beyond the evidence...aren’t contradictory positions.
That tension is exactly where honest analysis lives. What Trump does isn’t truth-telling... it’s narrative hijacking. He doesn’t care whether something is accurate...he cares whether it’s useful in the moment. And once it’s useful...it gets repeated until it hardens into “memory” for his base...even if he later disavows it.
That’s the danger of the sudden “BFF” posture. It’s not reconciliation...it’s pre-positioning. If the story shifts again...he can say, “I respected him, but the evidence…” and his supporters will remember only the accusation...not who introduced it or how opportunistic it was.
Your point about DOJ and document fakery is also well taken. Once institutions are hollowed out enough...the appearance of process becomes a weapon in itself...people stop asking how something was produced...and focus only on what confirms their prior belief.
And what you shared about your marriage matters more than you might realize. People who’ve lived with a narcissistic pathological liar...develop an almost physical sensitivity to the pattern...the lying even when it’s unnecessary...even when it’s self-sabotaging.
That’s not politics; that’s pathology. And you’re right...if this weren’t playing out on a national scale with real human cost...it might evoke pity instead of alarm.
I love the idea of a cheat sheet. Not to win arguments...but to keep reality tethered. “Chapter and verse” isn’t about persuasion...it’s about self-respect in conversations where gaslighting is the default.
Thank you for thinking this through so carefully...and for staying grounded in nuance ...when the culture keeps trying to flatten everything into teams. That matters.
-Jack
Thank you, Jack. He sets himself up as the paragon of virtue, the best, the wisest against everyone. It absolutely infuriates me that there are so many that STILL take him at face value and BELIEVE him. This is great info but MAGAts I know will brush off the truth because they believe him still. I am grateful our holiday on Thursday will not include any MAGAts. I hope yours does not either. #HOLDFAST
Pamela...thank you for this...I really feel the frustration in it.
You’re right about the core of the problem: Trump doesn’t just lie...he positions himself as the sole authority...the one person who sees clearly while everyone else is corrupt...stupid...or evil.
Once someone buys into that frame...facts stop functioning the way they should. Evidence isn’t evaluated... it’s filtered.
And...you’re also right about how often truth just bounces off. That’s part of why I wrote this the way I did. You can’t force someone out of belief...but you can keep reality intact for yourself...and for the people who are still reachable.
I’m glad you get a MAGA-free holiday. Those breaks matter...more than people admit.
Protecting your sanity isn’t disengagement...it’s endurance.
Thank you for being here...for reading closely...and for holding fast with us.
-Jack
If only Trump supporters had someone like you to put the pieces all together. Thank you. With friends like Trump, who needs enemies?!
You're very welcome, Jane. Exactly!
-Jack