…and the Lost Lamps Of Israel.

As the article mentions, Trump may not be aware that he’s got several items from Israel’s national treasures collection in his boxes of stuff from his presidency. If you want to blame the White House staff, that’s fine, but recall that Trump regularly boasts that he only hires “the best people.” No, he doesn’t. He hires sycophants of dubious competence, gets rid of anyone who tells him things he doesn’t want to hear, and then later complains about how poorly served he is.

I can hear some reader out there scoffing, asking why anyone outside of Israel should care about these lamps. Besides the all-too-easy rejoinder, “it belongs in a museum!” — this situation vividly demonstrates the habitual attitude of Trump and his staff toward rules, regulations, the law, and how they choose to treat other people.

At heart, Trump is a scofflaw. He doesn’t think any rules apply to him, and unsurprisingly, those who work for him pick up this habit and philosophy. They’re sloppy, disorganized, and careless about other people’s stuff. Even if you don’t care about a couple of ancient lamps, those lamps matter a great deal to the Israeli Antiquities Authority, and sending the lamps here was an act of faith and trust. Through sheer carelessness, Trump and his team violated that trust. It’s not just about the lamps themselves, it’s about demonstrating respect for other people and what they value.

He really is a garbage human being. I hope that (somehow) he is not the nominee, and that (as a consequence) he doesn’t try to run independently.