Like a closeted gay man, Trump lives in fear of what David Pecker knows about him

Back in the day, if you were deep in the closet, and someone found out you were gay, you were extraordinarily hostile to that person, or you ignored them altogether. Case in point, when I worked on Capitol Hill, a staffer who worked across the hall from our office saw me come out of a gay bar late at night. He was ostensibly with his girlfriend. I was freaked out, mainly because he was an absolute jerk.

I lived in fear of him for years. He was snarky, obnoxiously narcissistic (admittedly, he was very good-looking), and belligerently belittling. I was convinced that he was going to stroll over to our office one day and spill the goods on me. I kept my head down in my cubicle when I’d hear his voice outside the office.

I remember if I had to use the restroom in the hallway, and I’d see him go in, I would wait 15 minutes to make sure it was all clear. And I can tell you one thing, I never went back to that particular gay bar again. I had some warped imagining that he was hiding across the street with a camera, ready to take a picture of me.

Unless you live under a rock, you know that David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, has been on the witness stand this week testifying against his friend and former co-conspirator Donald Trump. Some pundits have said that Pecker has been an impressive witness, appearing grandfatherly, laughing and smiling, while he continually throws Trump under the bus.

Those in the courtroom have also pointed out that Trump seems resigned as Pecker blabs, with his arms crossed and for the most part listening intently. He’s even been laughing along with Pecker at times. Pecker said yesterday that he still considers Trump a friend.

Does that friendship go both ways?

Pecker has been validating all the accusations of crime against Trump. Pecker has talked about Trump’s unwieldy temper and his fixation on Playboy model Karen McDougal. Pecker also said Trump never concerned himself with his wife, Melania – not even once. And Pecker completely screwed over Trump by referring to him as a micromanager.

Trump likes to position himself, falsely, as being above the fray, above the nitty-gritty. You don’t need to take David Pecker’s word for it that Trump hovers over everything obsessively — just spend a day watching the posts on his Truth Social. If you so much as sneeze in Trump’s direction, he picks, picks, picks, picks, picks; and while Pecker picks at Trump (I recognize the pun, but it’s unavoidable), Trump keeps his head down in a proverbial cubicle.

Why won’t Trump pick at Pecker?

Well, I don’t have to explain the reason to you. Pecker testified that he was invited to a meeting by Trump, in Trump Tower, that included, among others, Reince Priebus, Sean Spicer, Mike Pompeo, and FBI Director James Comey. Pecker said Trump made a remark to the effect that Pecker knew more than anyone else in the room. And that obviously included all the dirt Pecker has on Trump.

Like I did with the jackass across the hall, Trump is probably being deferential to Pecker because the former National Enquirer publisher most likely knows where all the bodies around Trump are buried. If Pecker knew all the secrets around Stormy Daniels, McDougal, and the Trump Tower doorman’s claim of a child out of wedlock, imagine what else he knows about Donald J. Trump.

Trump always says the quiet parts out loud, except when he doesn’t. His silence about Pecker speaks volumes. We all know by now that Trump is all about Trump — and protecting the quintessential narcissist that is Trump. One wrong move against Pecker, by Trump, could likely unleash a hailstorm of tattletale hell.

You might say, “Well, Michael Cohen knew the goods on Trump, and Trump tore him to shreds, so your theory doesn’t stand.” And I’d say that Cohen was a lackey, berneath the dominant and hot-tempered Trump, who Cohen referred to repeatedly as “the boss.” Trump has always had the upper hand with Cohen, and Trump knew that Cohen knew what Trump knew.

On the other hand, Pecker was in control of the relationship with Trump. Pecker called the shots because he controlled the stories and the headlines – something that had to agitate the obsessively controlling Trump. During his testimony, Pecker said that he hasn’t spoken to Trump in quite some time. Just imagine all the dirt that has accumulated in the meantime.

For example, dare I say if anyone knows about a golden shower in Russia, it would be Pecker (apparently Trump is still obsessed with this). Knowing this, if Trump was anything like me, he’d be wise not to follow Pecker into the restroom.

Trump has no idea what secrets Pecker has been privy to. Pecker might have cut his association with the Enquirer, but an addiction to gossip never goes away — and neither do the sources who supply the gossip. And especially sources with gossip about a president of the United States.

In ignoring Pecker’s backstabbing by not picking at Pecker, Trump proves yet again how easy he is to read and how he’s loath to read something salacious about him in the lite read that is the Enquirer.

John Casey is a senior editor at The Advocate.

Views expressed in The Advocate’s opinion articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the views of The Advocate or our parent company, equalpride.