A raging elephant is always dangerous

With Republicans threatening to break completely from the president, Trump is at the most isolated, and potentially dangerous, point of his presidency. He’s even turned on his closest media ally. According to two Republicans, Trump lashed out at Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy during confrontations at Mar-a-Lago over the Christmas holiday. The Republican sources said Trump was furious with Ruddy because Newsmax started referring to Biden as president-elect on December 14, even as the network continued to amplify Trump’s election-fraud conspiracies. “Trump went up to Ruddy at the golf club and said, ‘You’re weak-kneed!’” one of the sources said. Trump threatened that he could take away Newsmax’s audience with a tweet. “I could move your audience in a heartbeat,” Trump told Ruddy, according to the source.

In private Ruddy has been trying to talk Trump off the ledge. According to a source, the Newsmax chief told Trump around Thanksgiving that he could concede the election while still maintaining there were voting irregularities. Ruddy compared it to a court case where a person can disagree with a judge’s ruling while still accepting the outcome. Trump dismissed the idea. “If you concede then you’re admitting you didn’t believe they stole the election!” Trump said, according to the source. Ruddy declined to comment on private discussions, but told me that while Trump “isn’t always happy with my take on things, he knows I am acting out of goodwill towards him.”

“I was a friend of Donald Trump before he was president, while he was president, and I hope to be a friend for many years to come,” Ruddy said.

  Vanity Fair

Jesus. Is there no end to people who think they're Trump's friend and thus will avoid his wrath?

Trump was swayed in part by Senator Lindsey Graham. The source said Graham called Trump yesterday and explained that there were enough Republican votes in the Senate to remove Trump from office unless he conceded the election and diffused tensions. “He told Trump that he had to say there would be a ‘peaceful transition.’ Those were the key words,” the Republican said.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.