I was slapped in the face by two epiphanies this week. Perhaps epiphany is the wrong word. They were moments of clarity—reminders of what I already knew but, for reasons known only to God and my therapist, I had repressed for a while. Call them Trumpiphanies: those moments when you realize for the umpteenth time who and what Donald Trump and the MAGA movement are all about.

The first of these occurred shortly after I published my Fourth of July blog, Fireworks, Flags and Forgetting the Point, and posted it to Facebook. For reasons known only to Mark Zuckerberg and his algorithm of churn and burn, I started receiving messages from MAGA universe that were less than complimentary. Here are some examples:

“You are a lying POS.”
“If you don’t like it here, find the door.”
“HA HA Trump hurt your pussy.”
“Shut the fuck up, Democrap.”
“You can go right out and suck a dick commie scum. Oh, and you lie and twist facts like a good commie.”
“Remember no matter how much you cry like a little bitch Trump will still be your President.”
“We’re taking patriotism and Christianity back from trash before this over.”
“STUPID LIBERAL PROJECTION-LIBERALISM IS THE ANTITHESIS OF THE FOUNDING PRINCIPALS OR AMERICAN VALUES-WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME ANYONE HAS HEARD ANY LIBERAL SAY ANYTHNG GOOD ABOUT AMERICA.”

It made me realize a couple of things. First, MAGA world is really good at spouting hate. They seem to subscribe to three D’s: despise, deny, and denigrate—a direct reflection of their fearful leader, who, like most fearful creatures, lashes out at things he does not understand.

The last comment inspired me to create a new word: Trumphany—meaning a sudden dramatic realization delivered with bluster, certainty, and no regard for the facts. Here is an example of a Trumphany: when you wear a hat that says Make America Great Again and say that liberals have nothing good to say about America…

My second Trumpiphany is that MAGA has no idea how to govern. My definition of good governance is making sure you’re improving the lives of your country’s citizens—that your decision-making process is devoid of personal pique and jingoism, and focused on outcomes that serve the nation well.

Here are some examples of really bad governance by the Trump administration this week.

Let me start with Brazil—because that’s where I am. Trump announced a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods entering the United States. His reasoning was that:
1) The U.S. has a trade deficit with Brazil,
2) Brazil actively suppresses free speech, and
3) Former President Jair Bolsonaro is being politically prosecuted.

It should come as no surprise to anyone paying attention that not one of those reasons is based on fact. They are all Trumphanies.

The U.S. actually has a $7.4 billion trade surplus with Brazil.

The Brazilian constitution expressly forbids hate speech and the deliberate spread of falsehoods. This applies to all media, including social media. In other words, you can’t promote the racism and false narratives that MAGA thrives on. It’s something the U.S. could learn from.

Jair Bolsonaro has been convicted under Brazilian law for actively attempting to usurp the last election. This happened quickly because Brazil’s constitution provides for a court that specializes in electoral issues—ensuring that democracy thrives, not withers. Furthermore, Bolsonaro is likely to be convicted of inspiring and masterminding the January 6 insurrection, which was supposed to end in a military dictatorship led by him.

Trump didn’t impose a 50% tariff for any of these reasons. He did it because Lula, the President of Brazil, won’t bend a knee to him. This week Lula hosted the BRICS conference of non-aligned nations, which called for eliminating the U.S. dollar as the de facto global trade currency. Worse, Lula had the temerity to call Trump out. Among other things, he said:

“Brazil is a sovereign nation with independent institutions and will not accept any form of tutelage.”
“The Brazilian people must be respected. Brazilian justice must be respected.”
“We don’t want an emperor — we are sovereign nations”

Trump’s tariffs, created because his ego was bruised, will cost the American people—the ones he’s supposed to be looking out for—far too much. Not only will tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of Americans lose their jobs, but the price of oil, beef, sugar, soybeans, orange juice, and coffee will rise. Not good for Americans, but great for inflation.

When, shortly after the invention of the transistor, I was in elementary school, we were taught a song: The Eyes of Texas.

The eyes of Texas are upon you,
All the live long day.
The eyes of Texas are upon you,
You cannot get away.
Do not think you can escape them,
At night or early in the morn —

The eyes of Texas—and for that matter, the rest of the nation—should be on MAGA’s handling of the floods in Texas. At last count:
– 129 people are confirmed dead.
– 170 people remain missing.
– $20 billion in damage.

While we can blame God, with his notoriously bad sense of humor, for some of this, much of it can be laid at the feet of the Trump administration’s awful governance. Instead of creating a thoughtful plan to eliminate government waste, they slashed and burned budgets with no regard for consequences. That meant the National Weather Service’s meteorologist responsible for Kerr County was fired, and as a result, Texas had little warning about the impending rain. It meant that Kristi Noem—who, as Director of Homeland Security, is responsible for FEMA—took three days to approve swift-water rescue and FEMA aid for the affected area. (Ironically, Mexico had teams ready to help their former colony in hours.) And has anyone seen the director of FEMA? He seems to be MIA.

What this means is that anyone who lives in an area prone to hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, or any other natural disaster better do some serious prep work—because the Trump administration will not be there for them.

So yes, Trump and his MAGA disciples are world-class when it comes to rage, grievance, and performative patriotism. But when it comes to actually governing—protecting lives, managing crises, strengthening alliances, or even telling the truth—they are AWOL. The floods in Texas, like the tariffs on Brazil, aren’t just policy missteps—they’re flashing warning signs. The next time a MAGA loyalist screams about greatness or freedom, ask them where the FEMA trucks were. Ask them why your coffee costs more and your neighbors are underwater. Because in the end, governance isn’t about slogans—it’s about who shows up when it matters.