What’s next for Mr. Trump?
It鈥檚 time for Donald Trump to get on with the rest of his life.
He鈥檚 got options.
Like every ex-president, he can pretty much do what he鈥檇 like to do without any fear of repercussions.
George W. Bush paints. Bill Clinton has his foundation. Jimmy Carter has been building houses with his Habitat for Humanity since the mid-1980s.
Trump鈥檚 immediate predecessor, Barack Obama, not only has his foundation, but he also writes books.
Obama is the only president to remain in the capital city after he left the White House since Woodrow Wilson did it in March of 1921. So, he remains close to the 鈥渁ction.鈥�
Trump, though, left town and headed for Florida in a huff.
He鈥檒l have a lifetime of speculation about what could have happened, if only he could have made it happen, in places other than in his own head.
He may now seek a new challenge.
Or he may seek to continue being a public servant.
I鈥檇 suggest he start small, though. Being impeached twice means he鈥檒l probably need a little practice.
How 鈥檅out if he runs for president of Barron鈥檚 PTA?
I like that.
He could write a lot of executive orders about party favors and field trips.
He could hire a cabinet (if there is such a thing for PTAs) consisting of Eric, Don, Jr., and Ivanka.
Note: I鈥檇 keep them far from becoming the PTA treasurer.
If that doesn鈥檛 work out, he can form his own 鈥淭wice Impeached Presidents Club.鈥�
He could claim it鈥檚 the best Twice Impeached Presidents Club in world history.
For once, he鈥檇 be right.
He could become a golf pro. He鈥檇 probably take off so much time golfing that he might not do the requisite 鈥減roing.鈥�
There are always opportunities to seek new pursuits.
He can take up a musical instrument.
He could start by playing a little jazz trumpet.
That would be appropriate for Dizzy Don because jazz musicians are well-known for their improvisational skills.
That鈥檚 a way of saying he鈥檚 been known to make-up stuff.
Lots of stuff.
The Washington Post fact-checker has counted more than 30,000 lies and misstatements he made since taking office in January of 2017.
In his free time, he can take up knitting 鈥� since he loves to spin yarns.
He could always become a hairstylist.
Nope.
A Walmart greeter? Perhaps.
A marriage counsellor. Not a chance.
Whatever he plans to undertake, he鈥檒l claim he鈥檚 the best person to ever do it.
Then he鈥檒l go about making himself the worst. (Remember his presidency?)
Math teacher? Naw. He thinks 74 million is more than 81 million. (Look it up)
He could do what most presidents do after they leave the Oval Office. He could begin work on the Trump Presidential Library.
There are a million jokes I could write here. I won鈥檛.
Let鈥檚 just say, Jimmy Carter could build it in a day.
Don鈥檛 forget, he鈥檚 been stripped of his Twitter, and his Facebook.
That leaves him with a lot of free time on his hands.
Melania probably won鈥檛 like that.
She鈥檒l encourage him to get out of the house and discover some new experiences.
I鈥檓 not casting any aspersions on him. To be frank, I鈥檓 fresh out of aspersions.
But I鈥檇 like to see the fellow have a fulfilling post-presidency 鈥� at least before the prosecutors come calling.
He could become a shoeshine boy, or a used car dealer, or a carnival barker.
Maybe he can go back to school and take some courses in humility.
The world is patiently awaiting his choice.
A worthwhile hobby could be target shooting or cheating at cards.
He might try to learn a foreign language. Russian seems appropriate.
He can always return to television as the host of a reality show.
He鈥檇 get great ratings on his return to The Apprentice.
But that could pose a serious challenge.
TV shows need sponsors.
His time as president sent potential sponsors heading in the opposite direction.
That happens when you try to ignite a civil war.
Edward A. Owens is a multi-Emmy Award winner, former reporter, and anchor for Entertainment Tonight, and 40-year TV news and newspaper veteran. E-mail him at freedoms@bellatlantic.net.