“ Nobody realizes that some people expend

tremendous energy merely to be normal.”

-Albert Camus

Some people have to work harder at being relevant than others. To some it’s just hand in glove. For others, it’s a scramble. For most Americans in a country bound by the rule of law, getting treated like a celebrity has no relevancy at all.

Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani and Chris Christie, all three of whom seemed to have personally and irresponsibly broken pandemic rules back when the pandemic was in a rage and, with their so-called relevancy on full display, managed to get “celebrity treatment“ (Rudy’s words) when stricken with Covid-19.

In large measure, those who actually followed the well-established protocols of mask wearing, hand washing and social distancing (bordering on isolation) didn’t get flown in, driven up to or checked in to a first-class hospital like it was a 5-star hotel and then given monoclonal antibody treatments for coronavirus.

President Trump’s treatment and his access to a dexamethasone steroid and regeneron at Walter Reed Hospital in D.C. was, of course, a matter of national security. And, subsequent to his release, he even suggested that his treatment was a “cure.”

While bathed in floodlights on the White House balcony, Trump (on steroids) proclaimed that in just a few short days after treatment he felt better than ever. It was his way of demonstrating he was special.

What he didn’t say was: ‘we should all go out and get some steroids and antibody treatments and be sure to wear a mask’.

Instead, already injected with a monoclonal cocktail, he ripped off his mask for his millions-of-viewers in TV land and defiantly exhorted his audience “to not let the virus control our lives.”

As for Giuliani, when feeling better, he was still counting votes in the Electoral College when his client Mr. Trump, with the death toll heading north to a million Covid-19 casualties, headed south to exile at his tropical Mar-a-Lago beach resort.

But, for all the rewards attached to his bad behavior, Rudy got his “celebrity” treatment and medicinal cocktails.

So did Chris Christie. He knew better, violated the rules, and after it finally fell apart for him, he did his mea culpa tour and a series of ‘redemptive’ TV ads extolling the virtues of wearing a mask.

But, as one NJ.com columnist noted at the time, “forgive me if I don’t throw rose petals at him.” He, too, got his celebrity treatment and a monoclonal antibody cocktail.

At the height of the pandemic, as it turns out, such treatments were “sitting unused in hospital refrigerators around the country just when they could have done the most to help patients, and relieve overburdened hospitals as deaths surged to record levels.” Front line workers, heroes all, out of the spotlight, stepped up to save America.

Conditions have changed, of course.  Improvements in vaccination, booster availability and prescription drugs (Paxlovid comes to mind) have been successful and widespread.

But the more things change, the more they remain the same. Celebrity and relevancy being two constants.

Giuliani and Christie seem to have lowered their ‘celebrity’ profiles for the time being. Giuliani had his forced appearances in grand jury proceedings and Christie, well, he’s taking a more measured approach to Republican antics and his self- perceived relevancy.

Not Trump, though. A recent mail solicitation from him included a banner heading  that read: Save America.

It was largely him moaning about his mistreatment by the FBI with a warning that if they can violate his (Palm Beach seaside mansion) home, lord, think what they can do to yours.

He went on to promise to fight against the ‘Witch Hunt’ and for the people. He claims to need every American patriot to step up at this moment which of course includes rushing a donation to his cause.

It is a grift. It’s what grifter do and aside from his narcissistic impulse to draw attention to himself, his relevancy and his needs, he’s appealing to his American ‘patriots’ to help finance a fraud, a cover-up of what could be the most unpatriotic act of all: the harboring of classified files and information vital to the security of the United States.

The fact that he gets to do all that and expects to get away with it two years after being soundly and decisively defeated for re-election means there is a serious need to question how the rule of law applies to everyone, equally.

I get his medical treatment. After all, when he was President, his illness was a matter of national security.  But it must work both ways. Concealing nuclear secrets at his beach house is a major concern for national and international security.

If this is Trump’s continuous way of claiming special celebrity status or displaying his hand-in-glove relevancy, then I suggest his argument has no relevancy at all.