Donald Trump has spent his entire miserable existence failing upwards like a helium balloon filled with hot sewage.
It’s impressive, in a twisted sort of way, how one man can embody so many repugnant qualities. He’s a racist, a misogynist, a con artist, and a pathological liar, just to name a few. And yet, somehow, this festering pile of narcissism still commands the devotion of a horde of MAGA-hatted cultists who would gladly follow him into the pits of hell if he promised them liberal tears. Even now, after being kicked to the curb by the American people, he still refuses to slink away into the shadows where he belongs.
A video by Congressman Eric Swalwel is now going viral on the internet that takes aim at the heart of Trump’s grotesque legacy. Titled “Trump School Bus,” the video opens on an idyllic suburban street, with a loving mother sending her daughter off to school. But then the bus doors open, revealing a Trump impersonator in all his orange glory.
In Swalwell’s ad, Trump declares that he’ll be a “Dictator on day one!” as the concerned mother yanks her daughter back from the dystopian ride to school. The unhinged statements from the Cheeto-dusted Antichrist about punishing women and inciting a “bloodbath” drive home the ad’s none-too-subtle message that this is a man who shouldn’t be trusted with children, let alone the country.
The ad is a collaboration between writer-producer David Grae, editor Michael Lim, and composer and Emmy winner W.G. Snuffy Walden from The West Wing. With President Biden’s sudden exit from the race leaving Democrats scrambling, provocative ads like this appear to be an attempt to swiftly define Trump in the starkest terms. The hope is likely that younger voters will not just absorb the message themselves, but amplify it by sharing the memorable ad across their networks.
Swalwell’s “Trump School Bus” ad is also a brilliant subversion of the right-wing narrative. For years, conservatives have been peddling the absurd notion that the left is somehow “coming for your children.” By casting Trump himself as the creepy predator, the ad exposes the underlying bigotry and bad faith of their arguments. In doing so, it opens up a new line of attack for Democrats. Whether the ad’s shocking imagery and dark humor will resonate with voters remains to be seen. Regardless, the image of Trump as a deranged bus driver is a potent metaphor for the destruction many fear would accompany a second Trump term.