Yes. Yes, he does.
To my own detriment I sometimes think, I like to discuss politics. No secret to many of you, I’m sure. And in the last 7-ish years the vitriol and blind brain dead partisanship has made the political waters all the more disheartening. Very few people actually care about the country anymore, if you listen to what they say “owning” the other side is paramount. It’s no longer “we’re in this together”, it’s “us vs them”. Many conversations on popular social media sites are with people I do not know, but this happens with people whom I do know, also… and who know better. It is not uncommon for a person to hit me with, “Donald Trump lives rent-free in your head.”
Make no mistake, this is not a compliment. It is squarely an insult. The implication being I am somehow not smart enough to discern what is important and what is not important. A slam at my intellect… a very partisan slam. According to thefreedictionary.com the phrase means…
live rent-free in (one’s) head
slang Of a person, to be a source of antipathy or exasperation to one to the extent of becoming a frequent or continual subject of one’s agitated thoughts. The term indicates that such a person is able to negatively impact one without any repercussions (with the implication that one should not allow such a person to have such an effect on them).
With an example of…
Don’t let your opponent live rent-free in your head, man. Shake it off!
Which is very similar to what other Trump-supporting friends have said to me, “Why are you still harping on Trump? He’s not even president anymore.”
Both phrases are intentionally dismissive. The people who say these things don’t like their worldview being challenged, it seems. Why am I bothering myself with such trifles? Trump is harmless, neutered, right?
🙄
No, the man is not harmless, or yesterday’s news. He should be, but he’s not. The man is a liar and a cheat and a thief… the ultimate con man… and will topple anything for his own gain. He does not care about the country, or you… especially you… or even his own family members. Donald Trump still wields considerable influence. He has almost the whole of the Republican Party scared to death of him (and his base) even though many of them privately despise him and wish he’d just go away. And that’s the whole point, he won’t go away, and he’s still dangerous to the country.
So yes, Donald Trump lives in my head rent-free. I welcome him in. I own it. I have space reserved in my head just for his fake tan and absurd comb-over. I’m not going to lie quiet and let him do his damage unopposed. Donald Trump squarely and intentionally inserts himself into the American political process on an almost daily basis, and as long as he does that he needs the attention. The best way for a person of limited resources like myself to counter such a dangerous person like Donald Trump is to keep them close and to keep their insidious intentions in public view so no one forgets them.
That’s why I unreservedly invite Donald Trump to live in my head.