Over the last four years, I’ve made no particular effort to disguise my dislike of Donald Trump as he has occupied the highest elected office in our land. I have felt that whatever policies of his administration that I might agree with (and there have been just a few) have been unfortunately tainted by his own motives and lack of character. Which is to say that although he has “character” in the sense of being a notable personality (good or bad), the quality of that character I have found dubious. This outlook of mine has created some tensions with the very conservative leaning folks among my friends, people whom I dearly love.
But as the campaign drew to its end, and the Trump wagon seemed to wobble a great deal, and the man himself said many times that if the voting went against him he would not leave the White House, a major “what if” story idea started bubbling up in my mind. In the last week before the election itself, I actually started a short story about what might happen on January 20th, if he had lost the election. Then came a few days when things seemed like they might go either direction, and I sort of lost some steam. I didn’t really want to contemplate another four years like the last four years. But as the votes were counted, I got my steam back.
What I wrote is entirely intended as satire. It is NOT about political philosophies on any issue, other than the effect of a leader’s character on those around him or her. I wrote about the extreme versions of personal traits I have observed in a Certain Someone. I don’t pretend to know or prophesy that my take is actually likely, but I got a deal of amusement in speculating on “what if he really wouldn’t leave?”
So I had my amusement. And I feel that I crafted a pretty good tale (for this moment in history). I hope the writing is good enough to withstand reality catching up with it and shining that bright light on it. That is, even if things fall out differently, I hope it remains an amusing bit of froth.
In any case, that is what lies behind the minor opus I titled “The Siege of the White House.” I felt I should record its origin and the intentions behind it, to make it clear to those same conservative friends who are dear to me that I am not mocking their political stances, but rather only the poor leader who has (badly) represented them while occupying that famed office.
And if you are interested, as a writer friend of mine has said at times, since “there is no shame in shameless self-promotion”, the story is available for Kindle on Amazon for less than a dollar (by a penny, but… that’s their pricing structure).
