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As Trump Grows More Unmoored, Corey Lewandowski Reemerges to Steady the Ship—Or Sink It

TheIntellectualist August 24, 2024
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Trump’s Desperate Gamble: The Return of Corey Lewandowski

As the 2024 presidential race draws to its final act, Donald Trump has once again reached into the murky recesses of his past, resurrecting a figure as contentious as he is loyal—Corey Lewandowski. This high-stakes maneuver underscores the fragility of Trump’s political fortunes, with Lewandowski’s sordid history threatening to drag the campaign into deeper disarray. As Election Day looms, the lingering question persists: Can Lewandowski, weighed down by a legacy steeped in scandal and misconduct, steer Trump back to victory, or will his return merely serve as a grim reminder of the chaos and controversy that have long defined Trump’s political odyssey?

The Unlikely Comeback

Donald Trump is navigating increasingly treacherous political terrain as the 2024 presidential contest barrels toward its climactic conclusion. Once a figure who thrived amid the chaotic spectacle of American politics, Trump now appears to be a beleaguered ringmaster, struggling to keep the show from imploding. With Kamala Harris, the newly ascendant Democratic nominee, surging in the polls, Trump’s campaign falters, ensnared by its own contradictions. Harris’s momentum, buoyed by a triumphant Democratic National Convention, threatens to unravel the tenuous grip Trump holds on the swing states he must secure to reclaim the White House.

In a move reeking of desperation, Trump reaches back into the shadows of his past, summoning Corey Lewandowski—a man whose reappointment serves not just as a tactical ploy but as a symbol of the moral decay that has long festered within Trump’s political orbit. This decision is less an affirmation of loyalty than a chilling reflection of the transactional alliances underpinning Trump’s operation. These are men bound by their shared ethical compromises, acutely aware that betraying Trump would probably expose whatever misdeeds they could be hiding. Trump, ever the carnival barker, knows that controversy is the lifeblood of his brand, much like a primate hurling detritus to provoke a reaction. Yet, the very spectacle that fuels his persona also sows the seeds of his downfall—each scandal a grim reminder to the electorate of why his appeal has eroded.

Lewandowski’s return is not merely a strategic gamble; it’s a calculated risk, underscoring the precariousness of Trump’s current position. As the campaign enters its final, most critical phase, the question remains: Can Lewandowski, encumbered by his own notorious baggage, right Trump’s ship? Or will his reappearance merely deepen the quagmire that threatens to engulf them both?

A Pattern of Loyalty Over Morality

As the 2024 presidential race lurches toward its conclusion, Donald Trump finds himself in a situation starkly contrasting with the polished campaigns of his Republican predecessors. Unlike George W. Bush or Mitt Romney, who could draw from a deep reservoir of top-tier talent—scholars, seasoned congressional staffers, and esteemed think tank experts—Trump surveys a far more barren landscape. His presidency, widely regarded as one of the most catastrophic in American history, has left an indelible stain on the resumes of those who served under him. Now, as a convicted felon, his reputation is so toxic that the brightest minds that remain in Republican politics keep a safe distance.

Forced to rely on the remnants of his former team, Trump is left with few options. Those who haven’t been indicted, imprisoned, or pardoned—figures like Corey Lewandowski—are all that remain. Lewandowski, ousted in 2016 following allegations of assault against a female reporter, epitomizes the bottom-tier operatives upon whom Trump now depends. When Lewandowski was cast aside, Trump turned to Paul Manafort—a man entangled with Kremlin-linked oligarchs and later exposed as a severe counterintelligence threat to the United States. Manafort’s tenure ended in disgrace, paving the way for Steve Bannon, a figure now serving time for contempt and awaiting trial for fraud—both of whom were later pardoned by Trump.

In this context, Trump’s decision to resurrect Lewandowski is all the more revealing. It is not simply a tactical move but a grim reflection of Trump’s predicament. Bereft of a deep bench, Trump is reduced to scraping the bottom of the barrel, turning to those as morally compromised as he is—figures whose loyalty is as much about mutual survival as it is about genuine allegiance. Lewandowski’s return to Trump’s orbit starkly illustrates that, for Trump, controversy isn’t just a means of garnering attention; it’s the inevitable outcome of his inability to attract anyone of real substance to his cause.

In an act of political desperation, Trump reverts to the familiar, no matter how tainted. But Lewandowski’s baggage is considerable, and his reappointment may serve more as a reminder of the scandal and chaos that have long plagued Trump’s political career than as a strategic coup. As the campaign enters its final, most critical phase, Trump’s lack of viable options is laid bare. He is forced to rely on a figure whose notorious past only amplifies the unease surrounding his bid for a second term.

Lewandowski’s Baggage

Lewandowski’s baggage is not merely an accumulation of past indiscretions but a testament to a deeply unsettling pattern of behavior. At a 2021 donor function, his conduct veered from inappropriate to profoundly menacing. Trashelle Odom, the wife of prominent Republican donor John Odom, vividly recounted her harrowing experience, where Lewandowski’s unwanted advances escalated into a relentless pursuit that left her feeling trapped. “He repeatedly touched me inappropriately, said vile and disgusting things to me, stalked me, and made me feel violated and fearful,” she disclosed, her words heavy with the trauma of that night. Yet, it was his chilling boasts—detailing the murder of two men, including one whom he claimed to have stabbed in the back of the head—that truly haunted her. Odom described the encounter with a sense of dread, noting that Lewandowski’s words carried “no tremor in his voice, no hesitation,” as if recounting the most mundane of acts, leaving her spine chilled with fear.

This was no isolated incident. Lewandowski’s history is riddled with similar accusations, each more troubling than the last. In 2016, he allegedly assaulted journalist Michelle Fields, grabbing her so forcefully that it left visible bruises—a moment captured in the public eye that only added to his infamy. Later, Joy Villa, a singer and Trump supporter, accused him of slapping her buttocks at a party, an egregious violation that Lewandowski reportedly repeated even after she protested. These incidents paint a disturbing portrait of a man whose predatory behavior appears unchecked by either decency or consequence—a man who, despite being married, engages in such conduct with brazen impunity. His rumored affair with South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, herself married and a vocal proponent of the GOP’s “family values,” only underscores the hypocrisy at play.

The GOP’s public commitment to traditional family values rings hollow in the face of such blatant duplicity. Lewandowski, a central figure in Trump’s inner circle, embodies this moral bankruptcy—his return to Trump’s campaign is not just an act of loyalty but a testament to the pervasive rot that has come to define this political era. Reports indicate that Lewandowski’s crude behavior towards Odom at the Las Vegas event not only crossed ethical boundaries but also jeopardized a critical financial lifeline for Trump’s campaign, given that her husband, John Odom, is a significant donor whose support was put at risk.

The implications of these allegations reach far beyond Lewandowski himself. His public image, once that of a loyal soldier in Trump’s campaign, has devolved into one marked by volatility, unpredictability, and menace. Media outlets have chronicled this shift, and the public’s reaction has been one of horror and disbelief. Investigations were launched following Odom’s claims, but the lack of concrete evidence has made it difficult to pursue legal action. Nevertheless, the professional fallout for Lewandowski has been severe—he was swiftly removed from a Trump-affiliated Super PAC, and numerous high-profile engagements, including one at Harvard University, were canceled.

The Final Stretch

Lewandowski’s return to Trump’s side at this critical juncture in the 2024 campaign is a move that underscores the president’s increasingly fragile state of mind. As Vice President Kamala Harris continues to surge in the polls, what once seemed a certain victory for Trump now appears alarmingly tenuous. At the Republican National Convention, Trump still believed he had the race in hand, facing what seemed like an insurmountable opponent in President Biden. However, Biden’s unexpected exit from the race has thrown Trump into disarray, with Harris emerging as a formidable contender, threatening to shatter Trump’s confidence and sense of inevitability.

In this moment of unraveling, Lewandowski serves as more than just a campaign aide; he is a psychological crutch, a security blanket for a candidate whose bravado masks an underlying desperation. Lewandowski’s role as a thuggish enforcer, someone who can be relied upon to execute Trump’s will without question, is invaluable to a leader who is increasingly isolated and beleaguered. Yet, Lewandowski is also a significant liability, particularly in the eyes of women voters—a constituency with whom Trump has always struggled to connect.

The optics of Trump re-embracing a figure like Lewandowski, whose history of alleged sexual misconduct is well-documented, could not be more damaging. Trump himself is an adjudicated rapist, found liable for sexual abuse, and has been accused by 26 different women of sexual assault. The reappointment of Lewandowski, a man similarly tainted by allegations of sexual harassment and assault, only reinforces the perception of Trump as fundamentally anti-woman. This perception is especially dangerous in key swing states, where Trump is now trailing Harris beyond the margin of error, and where women voters could very well decide the outcome.

A Desperate Gamble

Lewandowski’s reappointment is a desperate gamble for Donald Trump, one that underscores the deep dysfunction and moral decay at the heart of his campaign.

In a healthier political environment, a Republican presidential nominee would have a vast array of advisors and strategists from which to choose—seasoned professionals with unblemished records, capable of steering a presidential campaign with precision. But Trump is no ordinary candidate, and his campaign is anything but healthy. Instead of turning to reputable figures, Trump is forced to rely on someone whose checkered past is even more tainted than that of Paul Manafort or Steve Bannon, the other notorious figures who have served as his closest aides.

Lewandowski’s history is not just checkered; it is an amalgam of moral and ethical failures that make him a liability of the highest order. This is a man who, at a donor event in 2021, allegedly admitted to committing murder while sexually harassing the wife of a major Republican donor. He did this while reportedly in the company of his rumored mistress, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem—both of whom are married. This sordid episode is emblematic of the moral rot that seems to permeate Trump’s inner circle and, by extension, the GOP itself.

Trump’s decision to bring Lewandowski back into the fold is fraught with the potential for failure. Lewandowski’s past behavior suggests that it is only a matter of time before he engages in another scandalous act, one that could force Trump to suspend or sideline him once again. This isn’t just a tactical misstep; it is a gamble with the highest stakes, one that reveals the desperation and decay that have come to define Trump’s political operations. The risk is that Lewandowski’s reappointment may not merely fail to bolster Trump’s campaign but could actively hasten its collapse, dragging down with it the remnants of a political movement that has become synonymous with scandal, corruption, and moral bankruptcy.

In the end, Lewandowski’s return to Trump’s side is not just a reminder of the dysfunction that has always been at the heart of Trumpism; it is a harbinger of the chaos that is likely to follow. It reflects a campaign on the brink, teetering between survival and total implosion, where the only certainty is the uncertainty of what Lewandowski might do next—and how catastrophic the consequences might be.

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Categories: Authoritarianism, Corruption, Crime, Demagoguery, Democracy, Extremism, Fascism, Law, News, Politics, Toadyism
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