Valentine’s over but look who is romancing Trump

‘Will you be my Valentine?’ One wonders if Melania Trump organised a romantic candle-light dinner in the White House on Feb 14. If not, there are enough people competing for Trump’s affections. The chamcha brigade no longer includes Mike Pence, Donald Trump’s former VP. Despite his declaration, “I love you, man,’’ in 2017, Pence is not standing by his man. In fact, he has been throwing truth bombs of late, warning Trump about the consequences of his stance on Ukraine or cutting support to Taiwan. Quite different from the days when GOP politicians were competing with cringe-worthy outpourings designed to curry favour with the boss.But hello! These were party loyalists sucking up to their leader. Take a look at the more recent accolades showered on Trump by foreign leaders.
Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu is officially Trump’s chela No 1, emboldened by his rhetoric on Gaza. At a recent rally in Madrid, Europe’s far right leaders praised Trump and pledged to ‘Make Europe Great Again’. Copycats! Be a little original, guys. Among those who attended were Hungarian PM Viktor Orban, Italy’s Deputy PM Matteo Salvini, and others. The UK too is determined to make nice to keep itself out of Trump’s crosshairs. While they are falling over backwards to eulogise the once reviled man, he shrewdly continues his campaign to assert complete American domination now that he has successfully demolished his most strident critics. Ufff… the power of naked, besharam, well-timed flattery! Rule No 1: Know your audience, lay it on thick and go for the kill. Remember, nobody is immune to praise, fake or genuine. Narcissists thrive on compliments and strong validation. Nothing is too much when it comes to maska lagaoing so line up the chamchas —it is how we do it back home.