Trump thinks you're stupid. Prove him wrong. | Opinion

There’s no delicate way to say this. Donald Trump is pathological.

And he thinks you’re stupid.

Not mistaken. Not misinformed. Not confused.

Stupid.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that a man who once said he doesn’t ask God for forgiveness wouldn’t show an ounce of repentance after posting a blasphemous, AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ.

That would require humility and self-awareness. Better yet, a moral conscience. Instead, Trump did what he always does. He lied. He deflected. And then he doubled down.

After deleting the artificial intelligence post amid backlash, Trump told reporters at the White House that the image wasn’t meant to portray him as Jesus. He said it represented him as a doctor. Or, a Red Cross worker. And only the “fake news” media, he claimed, could interpret it otherwise.

Trump did what he always does. He lied.

Let’s pause there.

Since when do doctors and Red Cross workers wear flowing religious robes and stand bathed in divine light? This wasn’t a misunderstanding or ambiguity. It wasn’t media spin.

It was obvious.

And yet Trump said it anyway − with a straight face − because he believes enough people will accept it, as they have his myriad falsehoods before. That’s the real story here. Not just that he lied.

But that he expects you to believe it.

Vance, a Catholic, defended Trump over the pope

Trump's lies don't just expose him. They expose everyone around him. Because once he says something this absurd, the people closest to him are forced into a choice: Tell the truth or humiliate themselves trying to defend the indefensible.

Too often, they choose humiliation.

Take Vice President JD Vance, a converted Roman Catholic, who found himself in the awkward position of explaining away behavior that directly contradicts the faith he professes. Vance not only had to defend Trump's assault on Pope Leo XIV, but he also tried to explain the Jesus post itself by calling it a joke that people misunderstood.

Think about that.

Trump says he was a doctor. Vance says Trump was a comedian. And the American people are supposed to pretend this makes sense. This is what Trump does. He creates a reality so detached from common sense that defending it requires public self-debasement.

And the more outlandish the claim, the deeper the humiliation required to sustain it.

Trump's lies aren't a moment. They're a pattern.

Trump has told some extraordinary lies over the years. But this one just might take the cake. It’s not even a sophisticated, layered or nuanced lie. It doesn’t require fact-checking or interpretation. It collapses under the weight of basic common sense.

And still, he said it. Because he can. Because he has. Because it keeps working.

Trump once said he loves the poorly educated. People laughed it off. Some even cheered it. But moments like this make it painfully clear who he was talking about. If you can look at that image, hear that explanation and still nod along − then yes, he was talking to you.

That’s not an insult from me. That’s a calculation from him.

We’ve heard the phrase “Trump Derangement Syndrome” thrown around for years. Usually, as a way to dismiss Trump's critics. But if you want to see what actual derangement looks like, look no further than this moment.

The president offers an explanation so detached from reality that it demands either blind loyalty or willful ignorance to accept. Unfortunately, too many people choose to swallow these whoppers whole.

If you were concerned about Biden, you should be alarmed now

For months, Americans were told to scrutinize the cognitive fitness of then-President Joe Biden. Fair enough. Leadership demands clarity and sharpness of mind.

But if you were concerned then, you should be alarmed now. Because what we are witnessing is not just political spin. It is something deeper. More erratic, brazen and delusional.

Call it unhinged. Call it unbalanced. Call it dangerous.

I call it all of the above.

There comes a point when this stops being about politics altogether. When it becomes a question of capacity and fitness. Whether the person holding the most powerful office in the world can be trusted to operate within the bounds of reality.

That’s where we are.

And that’s why serious conversations about the 25th Amendment are no longer fringe. They’re necessary. This is bigger than a party, ideology or whom you voted for. It is and always has been about truth. And right now, the truth is this: Trump lies with impunity because he believes he can, and he believes you will let him.

Trump has made a career out of making a fool of himself. That’s nothing new. What should concern every American is how often he brings the country with him.

You don’t have to agree with me politically to see what’s happening. You just have to be honest.

Stop letting Trump insult your intelligence. Stop letting him lower the bar for truth. Stop letting him make a fool out of this country.

And out of you.

Kevin S. Aldridge is the opinion and engagement editor at The Cincinnati Enquirer, where this column originally appeared. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X: @kevaldrid