Party of the apes?
I have no idea why our disgraced, twice impeached, one-term, insurrectionist ex-president still maintains he won the 2020 presidential election.
I鈥檓 not the only one.
By happenstance, I caught an interview with that renowned primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall a few days ago.
Just in case you鈥檙e not hip to primatology and anthropology, she studies apes. And she蘑菇视频 pretty good at it.
Goodall has been living with chimpanzees, on and off, since 1960.
She took time away from her apes long enough to get herself interviewed by MSNBC蘑菇视频 Ari Melber.
It was enlightening.
Melber played a mash-up of old Donald Trump videos. Then he had Goodall characterize them.
鈥淚 see the same sort of behavior as a male chimpanzee will show when he is competing for dominance with another,鈥� said Goodall.
That was for starters. She was getting wound up.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e upright. They swagger. They project themselves as really more large and aggressive than they may actually be in order to intimidate their rivals,鈥� she said.
Ah, yes. That蘑菇视频 the Donald Trump who makes sure to offer derisive nicknames (Sleepy Joe, Crooked Hillary, Little Marco, and his latest for his potential presidential rival 鈥� Ron DeSanctimonious).
Who can forget how he refused to stop interrupting Joe Biden during their first debate? Or, that he kept walking right behind Hillary Clinton when he debated her in 2016.
Goodall seems to have pegged Mr. Trump for who he really is 鈥� a blowhard, without any good intentions 鈥� except for himself.
But she wasn鈥檛 finished.
Melber asked her about a guy with those traits, who controls a nuclear arsenal.
鈥淚鈥檓 not an American, and I鈥檓 not a politician,鈥� she replied. But the question was too juicy to leave at that.
鈥淟ooking at it from the outside, I see the divisiveness that蘑菇视频 being created in your America is a tragedy. And it蘑菇视频 a tragedy that can have a ripple effect around the world,鈥� she concluded.
There you have it.
The world蘑菇视频 leading authority on chimpanzees has defined our former president on her terms.
Too bad her interview with Ari Melber only lasted about 40 minutes. Goodall could鈥檝e defined all of those congressional Republicans who鈥檝e tried to call a halt to the certification of Joe Biden蘑菇视频 2020 win over Donald Trump by 鈥渕onkeying around鈥� with the U.S. Constitution.
She may have wanted to inspect all of those text messages that are currently being released by the Jan. 6 congressional committee that were sent to and from the account of Trump蘑菇视频 Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows.
According to the online publication Talking Points Memo, thousands of texts involving 34 members of Congress have been released that contain 鈥淐rackpot Legal Theories鈥� for the purpose of trying to get Meadows interested in calling a halt to Biden蘑菇视频 inauguration.
These weren鈥檛 texts from wild-eyed members of the Oath Keepers or Proud Boys. They were right-wing members of Congress, such as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), and Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.).
Just three days before Biden was sworn in, on Jan. 17, 2021, Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina texted, 鈥淥ur last hope is invoking Marshall Law!! PLEASE URGE TO PRESIDENT TO DO SO!!鈥�
First, there is no such thing as 鈥淢arshall Law.鈥� Norman, an elected public servant, should know that the proper phrase is 鈥淢artial Law.鈥�
And further, Trump probably would have been issued a stiff rebuke for trying to institute Martial Law, three days before Biden蘑菇视频 inauguration.
But folks kept trying to get Meadows, who appeared to be a willing participant in the nonsense to go along with them.
Rep. Norman hadn鈥檛 been the only Congressional Republican to call for 鈥淢arshall Law鈥� to be invoked.
That perpetual irritant, Marjorie Taylor Greene, texted to Meadows, 鈥淚n our private chat with only Members, several are saying the only way to save our Republic is for Trump to call for Marshall Law,鈥� she said.
I understand that Jane Goodall probably doesn鈥檛 want to get involved with American politics.
But she鈥檇 have a field day studying today蘑菇视频 Republicans.
Edward A. Owens is a multi-Emmy Award winner, former reporter, and anchor for Entertainment Tonight, and 50-year TV news and newspaper veteran. E-mail him at freedoms@bellatlantic.net.