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In striking contrast to his usual bombast, Donald Trump’s victory speech in Iowa sounded surprisingly humble, a quality not often associated with the former president.

He also looked and sounded a bit tired, but still jolly, as he thanked the crowd of caucusgoers for their support and made an unexpected plea for the nation to “come together.”

Oh? After months of hardball campaigning, that’s a refreshing turn, although hard to believe.

“What a turnout, what a crowd,” he said as the cheers died down. “And I really think this is the time now for everybody — our country — we want to come together.

“Whether Republican or Democrat or liberal or conservative, it would be so nice if we could come together and straighten out the world and straighten out all the problems … death and destruction that we are witnessing. It’s practically never been like this. ... All the death and destruction that we are witnessing. Practically never been like this. It’s just so important.”

That’s a change. “We’re gonna make that a big part of our message,” he said. “It’s going to happen real soon, too.”

Really? What happened, one wonders, to the Trump who for weeks has faced growing scrutiny over his increasingly authoritarian and violent rhetoric?

For example, the former president has suggested that, if reelected, he would use the office of the presidency to seek retribution against his political enemies, including unnamed “conspirators” among journalists and government officials.

Even when Fox News host Sean Hannity, his longtime pal, gave him a chance last month to assure the public that he would not abuse power and seek retribution if he wins a second term, Trump only stoked the fire.

“Except for Day One,” he said, in a limited promise to avoid dictatorship, speaking before a live audience in Davenport.

Ha, ha. It’s hard for me to laugh that off when memories remain fresh in my mind of the deadly storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, led by Trump supporters who essentially were rising up against the peaceful transfer of power so critical to our democratic republic.

Further mocking the rules of law and order that govern the rest of us, Trump also has repeatedly promised to pardon those convicted from actions on that day, whom he calls “hostages” in order to enhance the notion of their victimization.

And, shortly before Trump’s remarks were aired, Kash Patel, a longtime Trump ally who is widely expected to serve in a national security role in a second Trump term, told reporters, “We’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections.”

Frankly, I didn’t want to believe he would make good on such threats. But I didn’t think officials at our Mexican border would be separating small children from their families, either, when Trump was president.

As much as I am repulsed by his cavalier shots at the law, his supporters mostly say they love hearing it.

Although he faces multiple indictments, he tries to turn the tables by calling President Joe Biden the “true destroyer of democracy,” claiming the four indictments against him are politically motivated schemes to damage his campaign. All that Trump lacks are actual facts and evidence to back up his charge.

But why bother? Trump apparently reasons that such cheekiness is worth it, since his approval numbers have risen with each new scandalous headline, much to the chagrin of his rival candidates.

Predictably, caucus night polls found he received strong support from “strong conservatives,” older voters, MAGA fans, 2020 election deniers and less-educated Iowa Republicans — much the same breakdown as his past election contests.

And victory came despite his spending relatively little time in the state and despite indications that GOP voters were shopping around for other options among his challengers. Trump ended up with one of the widest margins of victory in Iowa since the caucuses began in 1976.

No, it doesn’t say much about the value voters put on character that, by a 65%-31% split, respondents to an entrance poll considered him fit for office even if he were convicted.

That’s their right. But about 3 in 10 said, no, he would not be fit if he is convicted. That could mean trouble for him in the general election.

Not as much trouble as he might do to our democracy if he wins, though.

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(E-mail Clarence Page at cpage@chicagotribune.com.)

©2024 Clarence Page. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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