Playwright and columnist Bonnie Greer, journalist Hamish Macdonell, and I joined BBC Radio Scotland on Sunday for a lengthy discussion about the political crisis in the US, centered around — but not solely caused by — Donald Trump and his supporters.
Beginning with the passionate speech for decency by GOP Senator Jeff Flake, soon eclipsed by the pace of events last week, we look at the Trump Administration and the damaged American system. Bonnie Greer is blunt in repeatedly calling this a “constitutional crisis”; Hamish Macdonell considers parallels from recent UK political history, and I anticipate the downfall of Trump — but not of the broader problems — with the Trump-Russia investigation.
Flake’s appeal was one, “Look, we need to win this conflict [within the GOP]” and two, to all Americans “Let’s try to get beyond division and to some level of decency.”
The issue is that some, like the National Rifle Association and many of those who support Trump, don’t want that decency. This is a scorched-earth attack on many fronts, particularly because it occurs within the context of an extraordinary investigation of Russian interference in the US election which could reach up all the way to the President.
