Trump Needs a New Hobby

 

President Trump (how strange it still is to type that) is an avid golfer, which does seem fitting as practically every president in the last 30 years has also been a golfer.  Of course we beat constantly on Obama for golfing, and GW Bush was mocked for the same, even though he soon stopped as he felt it dishonorable for president at war taking leisure on the greens (not that the media gave him one iota of credit for this).

Clinton had a rumored reputation of being a horrible cheater on the fairways (no surprise as he was a cheater in other matters too), and now The Donald is taking media flak for golfing. Apparently one of the latest attacks has been on his committing the faux pas of driving his cart on the greens.

https://twitter.com/barstoolsports/status/877880160242028550

Whatever.  My rare golf games usually involve watching the other sort of embarrassing faux pas – that of inebriated relatives hitting on the girls driving the mobile refreshment carts, or losing an entire box of balls on the front 9 to water hazards and swimming pools (sidebar: who would want a house built right next to fairway?).  But golf is respectable.  Golf is intellectual.  Golf is…. presidential!  This is why I say President Trump needs to find a new hobby.  He should take up shooting.  I’d settle for trap or skeet shooting, I mean he doesn’t need to go full Ted Nugent and use a full-auto (legally registered) M-16 and nail wild boars from a chopper (and I don’t think he could pull it off anyway) but he should have a more… well… Red-State hobby than golf, and that should be shooting.  It would also one-up Vlad the Putin.

Vlad is a Judo champ. Vlad likes to ride horses while bare-chested. These are sooo European. They’re cultured. They’re refined. But Trump with a gun would be Indiana Jones in the Cairo market, tired, ticked off, and just ready to shoot the show off. What could be more red-blooded American than Trump maybe trying his hand at an IDPA match? Or bagging turkeys? John Kerry tried that one and he just didn’t look the part, but Trump could look the part. Well, assuming he doesn’t insist on gold-plating his Mossberg, which I suppose I shouldn’t put past him.

Still, I confidently predict that if Trump takes up shooting, and ditches the golf, he’d already have a lock on 2020. It’s Red-State to the core, it would give him solid ground for tweeting nasty things about New York gun laws, and dang it but it’s just a lot more fun! So President Trump, I implore you, sir, to throw your custom clubs in the closet, grab your MAGA hat and gold-rimmed sunglasses, and join us at the range. It’s the best.

And we won’t mind if you start tweeting unbelievable hunting stories, it’s just part of the game.

Published in General
This post was promoted to the Main Feed by a Ricochet Editor at the recommendation of Ricochet members. Like this post? Want to comment? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Join Ricochet for Free.

There are 104 comments.

Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.
  1. James Of England Inactive
    James Of England
    @JamesOfEngland

    I don’t get that excited at the thought of Trump shooting.

    I do get a thrill from the thought of endless liberals and Democrats going on screen and sneering at people who shoot as a way of criticizing Trump. It’d be as if the steak and ketchup mockery was of pepperoni pizz appreciation.

    My favorite day dream of today; thank you!

    • #1
  2. Titus Techera Contributor
    Titus Techera
    @TitusTechera

    This is a great idea. Wow. Maybe he’ll sound less whiny, more Clint Eastwood after some firearms training.

    • #2
  3. James Of England Inactive
    James Of England
    @JamesOfEngland

    One exception: Canned hunting and/ or endangered species and/ or excessively cute species. If Trump pays someone to find the last of some dying breed of cat and ties it to a peg before taking it out, the only thing between Van Jones and the White House would be the primary. If he got the nomination, Officer Yanez would be competitive with Trump. Heck, in the Republican primaries, assuming no one else ran, Al Sharpton might be able to defeat the sitting President. etc. etc. etc.

    • #3
  4. skipsul Inactive
    skipsul
    @skipsul

    James Of England (View Comment):
    One exception: Canned hunting and/ or endangered species and/ or excessively cute species. If Trump pays someone to find the last of some dying breed of cat and ties it to a peg before taking it out, the only thing between Van Jones and the White House would be the primary. If he got the nomination, Officer Yanez would be competitive with Trump. Heck, in the Republican primaries, assuming no one else ran, Al Sharpton might be able to defeat the sitting President. etc. etc. etc.

    Those sorts of “hunts” are very much frowned on by the gun community too.  Sure, they happen, but there is much shame involved.

    • #4
  5. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    He just needs the right gun.

     

    • #5
  6. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    There you go. Perfect.

    • #6
  7. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    skipsul: Well, assuming he doesn’t insist on gold-plating his Mossberg, which I suppose I shouldn’t put past him.

    The man with the golden gun…

    • #7
  8. James Of England Inactive
    James Of England
    @JamesOfEngland

    skipsul (View Comment):

    James Of England (View Comment):
    One exception: Canned hunting and/ or endangered species and/ or excessively cute species. If Trump pays someone to find the last of some dying breed of cat and ties it to a peg before taking it out, the only thing between Van Jones and the White House would be the primary. If he got the nomination, Officer Yanez would be competitive with Trump. Heck, in the Republican primaries, assuming no one else ran, Al Sharpton might be able to defeat the sitting President. etc. etc. etc.

    Those sorts of “hunts” are very much frowned on by the gun community too. Sure, they happen, but there is much shame involved.

    If you think “but the people actually in the conservative movement don’t think like that, so Trump won’t think like that when he tries to pander to them”, I don’t think you’ve been paying as close attention to politics as I thought you had been. Heck, now that I think about it, there’s any number of terrifying possibilities. Gang member paper targets, in sombreros? Female targets that support a misogynist narrative? An “Osama Bin Laden” target that looked more like a generic turban wearer? Claims to be a better shot than [insert revered military figure]? Favorable comparisons of his own with the courage of someone in the news?

    Dangit, now my daydream is much less comfortable.

    • #8
  9. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    skipsul: President Trump (how strange it still is to type that) is an avid golfer…

    There is a saying amongst certain communities that I might, for sake of the CoC, translate to, “Micturate on golf.”

    • #9
  10. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Judge Mental (View Comment):
    He just needs the right gun.

    Works for me.

    • #10
  11. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Punt guns were made for dinosaur hunting. Great things.

    • #11
  12. skipsul Inactive
    skipsul
    @skipsul

    James Of England (View Comment):

    skipsul (View Comment):

    James Of England (View Comment):
    One exception: Canned hunting and/ or endangered species and/ or excessively cute species. If Trump pays someone to find the last of some dying breed of cat and ties it to a peg before taking it out, the only thing between Van Jones and the White House would be the primary. If he got the nomination, Officer Yanez would be competitive with Trump. Heck, in the Republican primaries, assuming no one else ran, Al Sharpton might be able to defeat the sitting President. etc. etc. etc.

    Those sorts of “hunts” are very much frowned on by the gun community too. Sure, they happen, but there is much shame involved.

    If you think “but the people actually in the conservative movement don’t think like that, so Trump won’t think like that when he tries to pander to them”, I don’t think you’ve been paying as close attention to politics as I thought you had been. Heck, now that I think about it, there’s any number of terrifying possibilities. Gang member paper targets, in sombreros? Female targets that support a misogynist narrative? An “Osama Bin Laden” target that looked more like a generic turban wearer? Claims to be a better shot than [insert revered military figure]? Favorable comparisons of his own with the courage of someone in the news?

    Dangit, now my daydream is much less comfortable.

    Eh, we’ll just feed him with zombie splatter targets.

    • #12
  13. Matt Balzer Member
    Matt Balzer
    @MattBalzer

    James Of England (View Comment):
    Heck, now that I think about it, there’s any number of terrifying possibilities. Gang member paper targets, in sombreros? Female targets that support a misogynist narrative? An “Osama Bin Laden” target that looked more like a generic turban wearer? Claims to be a better shot than [insert revered military figure]? Favorable comparisons of his own with the courage of someone in the news?

    I could probably live with one and three, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen two, and four and five I would almost expect.

    • #13
  14. Matt Balzer Member
    Matt Balzer
    @MattBalzer

    skipsul (View Comment):

    James Of England (View Comment):
    One exception: Canned hunting and/ or endangered species and/ or excessively cute species. If Trump pays someone to find the last of some dying breed of cat and ties it to a peg before taking it out, the only thing between Van Jones and the White House would be the primary. If he got the nomination, Officer Yanez would be competitive with Trump. Heck, in the Republican primaries, assuming no one else ran, Al Sharpton might be able to defeat the sitting President. etc. etc. etc.

    Those sorts of “hunts” are very much frowned on by the gun community too. Sure, they happen, but there is much shame involved.

    I might be willing to accept them in the case of a President insofar as they would be used to manage potential risks.

    • #14
  15. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Arahant (View Comment):
    Punt guns were made for dinosaur hunting. Great things.

    Industrial waterfowl hunting. As I recall, the record was 122 ducks with one discharge.

    • #15
  16. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Percival (View Comment):
    Industrial waterfowl hunting.

    That’s what I said. Dinosaur hunting. Whole flocks of dinosaurs at once.

    • #16
  17. Fake John/Jane Galt Coolidge
    Fake John/Jane Galt
    @FakeJohnJaneGalt

    If you really want to stir the political pot have Trump do tactical close contact engagements in urban combat environments.  Have the target silhouettes be various ultra liberal fake news reporters and do the scoring based on accuracy, quantity and speed of the simulation.  Have the innocent silhouettes be various GOP congress people.  They are going to tear him up and impeach him no matter what he does so he should go ahead and troll them.

    • #17
  18. Guruforhire Inactive
    Guruforhire
    @Guruforhire

    There is a bowling alley in the white house.

    He should pick a random red state tourist from the white house and play a bowling game with them, and put on the white house web site.

    • #18
  19. She Member
    She
    @She

    Judge Mental (View Comment):
    He just needs the right gun.

    No.  He needs the best gun.

     

    • #19
  20. Stina Member
    Stina
    @CM

    Ivory causes more problems than gold ;)

    I absolutely love the look of etched bone on guns. But chiseled and polished wood is nice, too.

    • #20
  21. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    He could take up stamp collecting like FDR did.  It’s perhaps too sedentary and less interesting than in the old days, but the reason would be to test the creativity of the left in coming up with reasons to criticize him for it.   Maybe there are other hobbies that could serve a similar purpose.

    Guns seem too easy.  Lefts already know how to criticize that one.  He should do that one, too, of course.

    • #21
  22. MLH Inactive
    MLH
    @MLH

    The Reticulator (View Comment):
    He could take up stamp collecting like FDR did. It’s perhaps too sedentary and less interesting than in the old days, but the reason would be to test the creativity of the left in coming up with reasons to criticize him for it. Maybe there are other hobbies that could serve a similar purpose.

    Guns seem too easy. Lefts already know how to criticize that one. He should do that one, too, of course.

    Saving stamps in the age of electronic communication: how archaic; how. . .. c o n s e r v a t i v e

    • #22
  23. MJBubba Member
    MJBubba
    @

     

    sporting clays

     

    • #23
  24. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    MLH (View Comment):
    Saving stamps in the age of electronic communication: how archaic; how. . .. c o n s e r v a t i v e

    That’s the idea.

    I suppose any collecting hobby could be criticized for revealing bourgeois, patriarchal values. Wives, stamps, sports cars, etc. Private “ownership” of anything could be used for that one.

    Here is a wikipedia list of hobbies.  The challenge is to be the quickest to come up with left/progressive criticism of Trump for each one of them.

    • #24
  25. Umbra Fractus Inactive
    Umbra Fractus
    @UmbraFractus

    Serious question: How feasible is shooting as a hobby for a President? I know there are no written rules, but I’d imagine the Secret Service wouldn’t be too thrilled about it.

    • #25
  26. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    She (View Comment):

    Judge Mental (View Comment):
    He just needs the right gun.

    No. He needs the best gun.

    A punt gun is the best gun.  It’s yuuuggge.

    • #26
  27. MLH Inactive
    MLH
    @MLH

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    MLH (View Comment):
    Saving stamps in the age of electronic communication: how archaic; how. . .. c o n s e r v a t i v e

    That’s the idea.

    I suppose any collecting hobby could be criticized for revealing bourgeois, patriarchal values. Wives, stamps, sports cars, etc. Private “ownership” of anything could be used for that one.

    Here is a wikipedia list of hobbies. The challenge is to be the quickest to come up with left/progressive criticism of Trump for each one of them.

    Knife making with American steel and a coal fired forge

    World building using the Constitution as the basis for the gov’t and abundant food for all (due year round farming due to the perfect, warm climate).

    • #27
  28. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    Umbra Fractus (View Comment):
    Serious question: How feasible is shooting as a hobby for a President? I know there are no written rules, but I’d imagine the Secret Service wouldn’t be too thrilled about it.

    We know Dick Cheney hunted.  Pretty sure I heard something about that.

    • #28
  29. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    MJBubba (View Comment):
    sporting clays

    Punt gun… unsporting clays.

    • #29
  30. MLH Inactive
    MLH
    @MLH

    Umbra Fractus (View Comment):
    Serious question: How feasible is shooting as a hobby for a President? I know there are no written rules, but I’d imagine the Secret Service wouldn’t be too thrilled about it.

    https://aboutcampdavid.blogspot.com/2010/08/skeet-range.html

    and this may just be borrowing the place name or something

    • #30
Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.