Thomas Watkins is Washington bureau chief at The National
August 03, 2023
Pee-wee Herman, the bow tie-wearing man child created by comic icon Paul Reubens, delighted in silly catchphrases including his most famous retort: “I know you are, but what am I?”
Mr Reubens, who died this week, would perhaps have been surprised to see his nonsensical comeback become the cornerstone of Donald Trump's defence following his latest criminal indictment.
The former US president will on Thursday be arraigned in Washington on federal charges of trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election and of sowing the seeds of insurrection by pushing lies about having won, when in real life Democrat Joe Biden trounced him by securing seven million more votes.
For anyone who cares to read it – and didn't already know – the 45-page indictment lays bare Mr Trump's desperate attempts to cling to power and his determination to shred the US Constitution to achieve his goal.
Special counsel Jack Smith and his team of federal prosecutors have accused Mr Trump of repeatedly lying about the election results and engaging in a conspiracy to “disenfranchise millions of voters” by installing puppet representatives to support his bogus election claims in Congress. Many of those fake electors are also charged with felonies.
Mr Trump's response, and that of his Republican Party, to the new accusations of election interference has been to mount a Pee-wee Herman-esque defence: I know you are, but what am I?
On his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump accused prosecutors of “election interference”, arguing that Mr Smith and the Department of Justice had only filed charges in a bid to derail his campaign to reclaim the White House in 2024.
It's classic Trump, who responds to criticism and lawsuits by throwing accusations back at his accusers.
Why did prosecutors “wait two and a half years to bring these fake charges, right in the middle of President Trump’s winning campaign for 2024?” the Trump campaign said in a statement.
“The answer is, election interference! The lawlessness of these persecutions of President Trump and his supporters is reminiscent of Nazi Germany in the 1930s, the former Soviet Union, and other authoritarian, dictatorial regimes.”
If irony isn't dead already, it's definitely in intensive care.
Here is the man who has repeatedly bragged of his contempt for US democracy, saying in 2016 that he would gladly accept the election results “if I win”.
He lied repeatedly after his humiliating defeat to Mr Biden and tried to overturn the results on January 6 by telling his enraged supporters to “fight like hell” and trying to strong-arm his vice president, Mike Pence, into refusing to certify the election results in Congress.
Mr Pence, who is also running for president, ultimately refused the order, causing the pro-Trump mob to call for his public execution by erecting a gallows outside the Capitol and braying for him to be hanged.
Following Tuesday's indictment against his former boss, Mr Pence finally found the courage to speak out.
“Today’s indictment serves as an important reminder: Anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be President of the United States,” he said in a statement.
“Our country is more important than one man. Our Constitution is more important than any one man’s career.”
But such criticism from a Republican is rare these days, and the conservative establishment has largely moved as a bloc to regurgitate Mr Trump's claims that the three (at last count) indictments he faces are all political hit jobs.
His talking points are being repeated verbatim on Fox News and other right-wing media, and most of Mr Trump's rivals to seek the Republican Party nomination are too afraid of his base to criticise him.
Republicans' blind loyalty to Mr Trump even as the probability of him going to prison mounts reminds me of another of Pee-wee Herman's classic lines: “If you love (insert random object here) so much, why don't you marry it?”
In one episode of Pee-wee’s Playhouse, he married a bowl of fruit salad.
Donald Trump, the president at the time, speaks during a rally protesting the electoral college certification of Joe Biden as president in Washington on January 6, 2021. AP
A mob loyal to Mr Trump tries to break through a police barrier at the Capitol. AP
The mob waves pro-Trump flags in front of the Capitol building. AP
Riot police push back a crowd of rioters at the Capitol building. AFP
Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as people try to storm the US Capitol building. AFP
Insurrectionists loyal to Mr Trump try to open a door of the US Capitol building as they riot in Washington. AP
US Capitol Police push back rioters trying to enter the US Capitol. AP
Police and rioters confront each other in the Rotunda of the Capitol. US Capitol Police via AP
Smoke fills the hallway outside the Senate chamber of the Capitol. AP
Insurrectionists loyal to Mr Trump breach the Capitol in Washington. AP
Trump supporters, including Doug Jensen, centre, confront US Capitol Police in the hallway outside the Senate chamber at the Capitol. AP
Newly installed razor wire tops the fence surrounding the US Capitol following the January 6 riot. Reuters
Security agents and members of Congress barricade the door to the House chamber as the violent mob breaches the Capitol. AP
Rioter Jacob Chansley holds a sign referencing QAnon as supporters of Mr Trump gather to protest the early results of the 2020 presidential election. Reuters
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
How to wear a kandura
Dos
Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
SCORES
Yorkshire Vikings 144-1 in 12.5 overs
(Tom Kohler 72 not out, Harry Broook 42 not out) bt Hobart Hurricanes 140-7 in 20 overs
(Caleb Jewell 38, Sean Willis 35, Karl Carver 2-29, Josh Shaw 2-39)
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
Defined benefit and defined contribution schemes explained
Defined Benefit Plan (DB)
A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.
Defined Contribution Plan (DC)
A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
