Tony Brenna

As political entities Donald Trump and John McCain’s stories represent the best and the worst of America: two conflicting tales — one dark, the other dazzling. As I watched McCain’s coffin on its way to Washington, the contrasting characteristics of the two leaders came into sharp relief. One’s a narcissistic divisive coward unable to escape his own insecurity or lust for sex, gold, and fame. The progeny of an immigrant New York family avid for American wealth, Trump grabbed the glitzy realtor throne continuing the shabby business his racist father started — banning the poor and blacks from their properties.

In contrast to devious Donald, who dodged the draft with supposed bone spurs, McCain displayed a dauntless spirit. He flew fighter planes off heaving carrier decks into dangerous war zones. He dedicated his life to patriotic service — not the hyper-manic pursuit of wealth and sexual conquest that filled Trump’s days. While the depraved playboy shored up his shaky masculinity with sexual marathons, McCain withstood six years of torture in Hanoi — turning down early POW release offered by his captors because he was an admiral’s son.

And as Trump chased flimsy TV fame, McCain became a serious senator hoping one day for the presidency. It was a bitter blow when dirty Donald, aided by Kremlin hackers, got the job. His military service sneered at by Trump, but still determined to serve, McCain sought an end to Washington’s self-serving politics and political division.

Meanwhile, without shame, Trump exploited his presidency, destroying Obama’s legacy, boosting his own fortune and that of his unendingly grasping family. Then the rival he feared above all others died — — and America showed heartfelt admiration and respect for the naval aviator turned politician.

It outraged Trump when McCain, lying in state at the capitol rotunda, drew the spotlight away from him. Worse, John’s brave legacy contrasted embarrassingly with the Donald’s appalling failure. He was a coward who cheated on his women, double-crossed his business associates — and, finally, betrayed America.

Uninvited to McCain’s funeral or memorial service, it enraged Trump to fly the White House flag at half-mast for the rival he both envied and detested. He relented only when aides brave enough to speak out cautioned such pettiness underlined his loathsomeness.

With Robert Mueller closing in, with frightened friends and family seeking immunity from prosecution and prison, McCain’s inconvenient death sent Trump fuming and sleepless through lonely White House corridors. It sparked a tweet storm blaming everyone except himself for the Oval Office debacle likely to end his presidency.

The ghost of John McCain is winning — and Trump can’t bear it. Karma’s still working to deal Trump the fatal blow. The day he fears most — being branded a loser — is nearing. FBI agents have the cooperation of Allen Weiselberg, Donald’s chief financial officer. He’s expected to reveal dodges Trump used to avoid income tax, how he laundered Russian oligarchs’ cash through property deals, how his lawyer, Michael Cohen, hushed dozens of women Trump seduced and silenced with payoffs and threats. Much of that material was in a safe owned by the debt-ridden National Enquirer, which has logged details of Trump’s divorces and seductions for two decades.

Desperate, Trump tried to buy back this scandalous material from his groveling friend, David Pecker, the Enquirer’s boss, who helped him defeat Hilary Clinton in the 2016 election. But that try at avoiding more Trumpian scandal failed. The unethical tabloid is said to have turned the contents of its Trump vault over to federal investigators.

And currently a new fear haunts the president, that his two sons, Donald Jr and Eric and daughter Ivanka, could face prosecution for their involvement in illegal Trump deals. If that occurs, hapless Donald will have to decide whether to ‘fess up to his financial wrongdoing — or throw his children under the FBI bus. Knowing their father’s inability to ever admit guilt, the Trump children have consulted lawyers should Donald place them in legal jeopardy.

Against this background the Republican Party as we once knew it, is crumbling. Many old-time Republicans have fled Trump world. Only far right-wingers desperate for reelection are still backing Trump — a man who sold his country out to gangster-ridden Moscow in a bid to build skyscrapers there. These Republicans haven’t yet dumped Trump — not while he still has a chance to help them gut social security while giving the rich another big tax break.

Meanwhile, hypocritical evangelicals continue to support a president packing the Supreme Court and judiciary with ultra-conservatives. Sen. John McCain knew what a danger such extremists are to our future — and he fought against them until the end. He was a true American hero, one who protected the Constitution — and saw Donald Trump as the biggest threat to democracy in American history.