Mr. Trump Goes to Washington

by Jim Buckley

Jimmy Stewart “Mr Smith Goes to Washington”, Photo: Columbia Pictures / Alamy

If you have never seen Frank Capra’s film, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” you should. The parallels between what happened to Mr. Capra’s protagonist, Jefferson Smith (played by Jimmy Stewart) – an outdoorsman and political neophyte who gets caught up and nearly destroyed by corrupt politicians in the nation’s capital – and Donald Trump are many.

President Trump is no nature boy, and neither is he an innocent. His father had built a successful property development company, headquartered in Queens, a borough of New York City. Upon being named president of the Trump Organization by his father, Donald almost immediately began buying property in Manhattan. He was young, handsome, rich, and arrogant, though, it turns out, as green as a cub scout when it came to understanding how brutal the game of politics could be.

As a land developer in Manhattan, Donald Trump became accustomed to dealing with sketchy characters, including mafiosi (the Sicilian mob had effective control over critical unions and resources), along with various swindlers, con men, and other unsavory characters.

That’s New York.

But what he discovered about the seedy characters in politics no doubt shocked him, particularly considering the swarm of investigations, false charges, and indictments that have come his way as president, then again upon his announcement that he would run for re-election in 2024.

And, of course, the 34 “Guilty” verdicts announced yesterday (30 May 2024) that have made him – probably temporarily – a “convicted felon.”

For many years, he was Toast of the Town in the Manhattan press, particularly after paying for the renovation of the Wollman Ice Skating Rink in Central Park out of his own pocket, asking only that he be allowed to run the concessions around the rink as compensation (which he made good money from).

A non-smoker, non-drinker, he knew celebrities from all walks of life (particularly politicians, many of whom – mostly Democrats – happily received his generous “donations”). He became a successful star/producer of a long-running TV series (“The Apprentice”), and having reached “retirement” age, decided to enter politics, a realm he had always avoided and vowed that the only reason he’d consider running for office would be if he thought there was no one who could do what he thought should be done.

Consequently, in 2015, at the age of 66, he declared his candidacy, as a Republican, for president of the United States.

His announcement was met with derision from most of the press, but, well, you know the rest of the story.

In Capra’s film, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” Young Jefferson Smith (Jimmy Stewart) and his Boy Rangers were famous for having snuffed out a forest fire that could have cost millions of dollars and hundreds of lives. Smith too became a local hero – the equivalence of Trump’s Wollman Rink.

Smith is chosen by his state’s governor as a replacement for a Senator who had died of a heart attack two months before the upcoming election. The state’s other Senator, Joe Paine (Claude Rains) receives a late-night phone call that informs the senator that the governor of the state – Hubert Hopper (Guy Kibbee) – must come up with a replacement quickly.

Senator Paine and his cronies fear their plan to have the government buy property to build a dam, which promises to earn them a lot of money, could be in jeopardy unless the governor chooses a political neophyte, so Jefferson Smith, “a simpleton and big-eyed patriot,” was the perfect man: he’d never been in politics and “wouldn't find out what it's all about in two years, lets alone two months.”

His first interview with a reporter goes badly. Smith is honest; the reporter is not. The press becomes his enemy.

To sidetrack the young senator, Joe Paine urges him to get busy writing a proposal to build a National Boys’ Camp and present it to Congress, which he does.

Unfortunately, the 200 acres Smith has chosen for his camp is on land that Paine and his Senate pals have chosen to build their dam.

When Smith learns that they expect him to go along with them, to vote for the dam and move his camp to another area, he resists. He is advised by Paine, “That’s not how the world runs…, you have to leave your ideals outside the door, with your rubbers.”

But Smith is adamant, so Senator Paine – Smith’s longtime hero and best friend of his father – and his accomplices develop a scheme to smear Smith.

Paine tells the Senate that he has “conclusive evidence” that Smith owns the land he describes in his bill and that he expects to make a fortune when the government buys it for the camp.

Didn’t Adam Schiff have “conclusive evidence” of Trump’s “collusion” with Russia?

Paine then produces a fake contract and deed “signed” by Smith.

The next day, the Senate brings in a resolution to expel Smith from the chamber.

The young senator considers signing a resignation letter offered him but – at the urging of Saunders (Jean Arthur), Paine’s assistant – decides instead to fight via a filibuster. Unfortunately for him, the local political boss, media magnate Jim Taylor (Edward Arnold) owns all the newspapers and radio stations in the state and commands them to not print a word of Smith’s filibuster speech.

They don’t.

Instead, they print the lies given to them by Taylor.

“Line up all the papers in the State! Don't print a word of what Smith says, not a word of any news story coming out of Washington! Understand? Defend the machine. *Hit* this guy!” was Taylor’s command. The papers called Smith “a criminal – convicted by the Senate – blocking a relief bill– starving the people.”

They toss out everything that comes in from the Smith camp.

Senator Paine (Claude Rains) and Mr. Smith (Jimmy Stewart). Photo: Columbia Pictures / Alamy

Sound familiar? (“Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” was released in 1939 and was unveiled at a special screening held for Congress in Washington, D.C., whereupon the film was roundly booed by the elected politicians and many in attendance walked out in outrage.)

Senator Smith’s lonely filibuster lasts for 23 hours and 16 minutes, until bleary-eyed, his legs buckle, his voice goes, and he collapses on the Senate floor. Much of official Washington is present for the kill.

In the end, he doesn’t beat the corruption charge.

The establishment wins.

Smith’s political career is over.

He may even go to jail.

Mr Smith (Jimmy Stewart) at the end of his failed filibuster. Source: Columbia Pictures / Alamy

That is until Senator Paine, in a moment of moral clarity sees what he’s done to his best friend’s son, and cries out on the Senate floor, “Expel me, not him. Me! I'm not fit for office! I'm not fit for any place of honor or trust in this land! Expel me!”

Paine admits that the dam project is a fraud and that every word Smith said is true.

Is there a Senator Paine who can save the sanctity and dignity of the U.S. justice system?

Will Joe Biden, Alvin Bragg, Fani Willis, Letitia James, or any of the cadre of public prosecutors ruefully admit that they are not fit for any place of honor or trust in this land?

Doubtful.

I do believe the only thing that can save us from the tyranny now loose in America will be the re-election of Donald J. Trump as President of the U.S. this November.