Anti-Trumpers Channel Their Inner Donald Many who decried Trump now exhibit the worst traits he was accused of. William McGurn

Posted By on November 22nd, 2016

http://www.wsj.com/articles/anti-trumpers-channel-their-inner-donald-1479774178

In a now forgotten column years back, a writer noted how times had changed in Britain since the 1960s. Back then, he wrote, it was the rock stars who filled the tabloids with their sex and excess. By contrast the British royals, raised on noblesse oblige, largely limited their public appearances to celebrations on behalf of hospitals, schools and other worthy causes.

The roles are now reversed. These days it is the British royals caught exiting nightclubs in the wee hours of the morning or captured playing naked billiards. By contrast, knighted rock stars emerge periodically from their landed estates to offer polite statements on the environment.

Something of the same has just happened this side of the Atlantic. At least since his victory speech promising to be president for all Americans—and notwithstanding the occasional tweet deriding “Saturday Night Live” as “nothing funny” or the New York Times as “failing”—Mr. Trump has mostly tried to sound positive and inclusive. Meanwhile, those who spent the 2016 campaign decrying Mr. Trump for his temperament and fascist tendencies are now exhibiting precisely those traits.

 The most recent outburst came Friday night, when Mike Pence and some of his family took in a performance of the Broadway hit “Hamilton.” Having entered the theater to a mixture of cheers and boos, the vice president-elect at the end of the performance found himself lectured from the stage by the cast.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, who both wrote the musical and starred in it, tweeted that he was “proud” of the moment, which he characterized as “leading with love.” As Mr. Pence pointed out, cast members have a right to say what they please. But the rest of us likewise have a right to note how boorish and self-congratulatory they were.

Then there are the CEOs such as GrubHub’s Matt Maloney, who sent out an email to employees suggesting that those who agreed with the president-elect should resign. Mr. Maloney later backtracked, denying that his line about “you have no place here” was aimed at Trump supporters. Plainly the markets thought otherwise: His stock took a beating.

He wasn’t the only CEO with, uh, a temperament not suited for the job. Another CEO has been sacked for making death threats against Mr. Trump on social media. Meanwhile, Sophie Theallet, who runs her own fashion label, released a statement declaring that, such is her opposition to discrimination, she will never make a dress for the new First Lady, Melania Trump. “I encourage my fellow designers to do the same,” Ms. Theallet says, right after a line calling for “respect for all lifestyles.” CONTINUE AT SITE

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