Mr. Rogers Meets Donald Trump

photo by Spooky Mama / flickr

photo courtesy of Epoch Times / flickr

  Just before Christmas I turned off all the ranting on the telly. Whew! Then my wife and I drove to the local theatre so see the new movie about Mr. Rogers, “Won’t You want to be My Neighbor?” I was a blown away by his kindness and care not only about children but people everywhere. He helped change lives wherever he went.*

I came home and turned on the TV. The President was on per usual. And I began to think: I’d like Mr. Rogers and Mr. Trump to have a conversation. Wonder how that would go? Maybe something like this…

Mr. Rogers: Mr. President I am so honored to finally meet you. With all you pressures and decisions I can’t believe I am sitting in the Oval Office talking to you.

President Trump: Well, yeah I do have a country to run. And leaders from all over the world see my Hotels with my name in large letters  But people everywhere know my name—even in Antarctica. Nobody else has ever had this kind of influence. Some even say I am probably the best President since Lincoln. Everybody says this.

Mr. Rogers: Mr. President—you are right. Everyone seems to know your name. But I have been wondering about those pictures behind your desk. Who are those people?

President Trump: Well I could have a lot more pictures out there of people who think I may be the greatest person they know.

Mr Rogers: I am intrigued with the pictures behind your desk. Turn around and look at your pictures. Who are these people?

The President: I don’t want to talk about them—it would take up too much time and I’m probably the busiest person in the world. Everybody says this.

Mr. Rogers: I know you must have enormous pressures but tell me a little about those pictures.

The President: Hmm, close by is my mother. Really my father ought to be the first person you see. Maybe even Ivanka—but those people that dust the office—and they could do a better job—you know that most of them come from foreign countries. Some don’t even speak English.You’d think they would know how to arrange my pictures. But you know how it is.

 Mr. Rogers: Tell me about those pictures. How you feel about those in those frames. They must mean a lot to you to have them so close by,

The President: Well I told you I don’t have much time. Me and Melanie are flying to Mara Lago this afternoon on Air Force One. I need a break—everybody tells me I work much too hard.

Mr. Rogers:  About your photographs.

The President: Hmm, close by is my Mother’s picture.  Behind me and second in line in is my Father. Fred Trump was one of the most amazing business men in the world. Everybody said this. He had apartments everywhere and made gobs of money and taught me a few things along the way. Not as handsome as me and not nearly as  successful—he didn’t own any hotels and he never made Man of the Year which I have done numerous times. If I put just some of those framed pictures from Time up there there would be so many they would just fall off the desk. And there would be no room for those pictures back there. 

Mr. Rogers: Which pictures there tell about some of those people that shaped your life.

The President—Well, I am a self-made man—everybody says so—but of  course my father helped some. And Ivanka, one of the sexiest women anywhere—I taught her how to make money and she has done well. But I guess before I go I ought to tell you about my sister, a big-time Judge. I taught her a lot too. There is a picture of my children—all of them: Ivanka of course at the front first and then there is  my son, Don Jr. who is named after me and Eric.  And there is Barron in the back standing next to Tiffany. Everybody says they are the most beautiful pictures of anybody’s family. Over on the side is Melania who is my wife, of course. I took her out of Slovenia where she was a model and gave it up when I married her. Some of the pictures of her modeling days are just wow! But that’s about my picturers. No more room.

Mr Rogers: You may not know it but I have two children who are the light of my life, They keep me going l I wouldn’t have done the things I have done without them and my wife. 

The President—And what is that? 

TheRogers: Well I have had this TV program mostly for children and have been doing it for 33 years. I call it: “Won’t you be my Neighbor?” I tried to help just as many children I could—especially those that don’t feel good about themselves. And sometimes I learned a lot of things from their parents. They have all taught me so much.

Mr. President: You have a TV show? I never heard of it. You know that when “The Apprentice” was on it got the highest ratings of any program on TV. Maybe ever. I had to give it up when I started running for president, And the show just sagged after I left,. That loser Arnold Schwarzenegger ran it in the ground. But everybody said it was the best TV series they had ever seen. You wouldn’t believe all the awards I still get.

Mr Rogers: Your schedule must be monstrous. I don’t see how you do it. But I was wondering how you start your day. What keeps you going? 

The President: Well, I don’t need much sleep maybe four hours. But when I get up about nine or ten  I eat a good breakfast that the kitchen prepares just according to my specifications. And I put on my bathrobe and get the headlines from the paper the staff has provided—and I turn on Fox News to see what is happening and see how many stories they have of me. And of course there is Hannity and that new guy Tucker somebody I listen to just about every day. Fox News is a great media outfit. Not much fake news—sometimes it slips in even for them—but most of the time they stand behind me and I help make their ratings just go out the top. 

They give me ideas and I Tweet about what’s going on. Speaking of children did you see that girl from that foreign country won Person of the Year. I couldn’tt believe they picked her instead of me. Just ignored what I have done! But people read my Tweets every day and no other President has had such a communication tool. After my Tweets I put on my custom-made suits and have my hair done. Do you know that the President that has a Hair stylist on call to fix their hair. What about that? 

And then I open the door and solve all the world’s  problems. I gotta go. I have already given you more time than I should have. But thanks for coming. And remember next year we gotta still keep America great.

Mr. Rogers: Mr. President I have ideas how you might deal some of the children in the world. I want you to know that every morning I am going to pray for you and your family. Your wife and daughters and sons. God bless you in your work.

The President: I gotta go—thanks for coming. I bet you learned a lot about me that nobody else really knows. I bet you could get some pointers for your TV show. 

*One of the many books about Fred Rogers that moves me is Tim Madigan’s book, I’m Proud of You. It tells there moving story of how Mr. Rogers helped change this Reporter’s life. Great book.

—Roger Lovette / rogerlovette.blogspot.com