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Edward Norton blasts Trump's bluff to get 'Nixon-style deal', Internet says his analysis 'better than Pelosi'

In a viral tweet thread, actor Edward Norton also called Trump a 'whiny, sulky, petulant, Grinchy, vindictive little 10-ply-super-soft bitch'

In a viral tweet thread, actor Edward Norton has warned America that all that Donald Trump is attempting to do right now is get a "Nixon-style deal" with his delay tactics. Norton tweeted: "His contemptible, treasonous, seditious assault on the stability of our political compact isn’t about 2024, personal enrichment or anything else other than trying to use chaos & threat to the foundation of the system as leverage to trade for a safe exit. Call. His. Bluff." He also got a little personal, calling Donald Trump, a "whiny, sulky, petulant, Grinchy, vindictive little 10-ply-super-soft bitch" who was throwing a "wicked pout fest & trying to give a tiny-hand middle finger to the whole country" - a reference to Trump's smaller than average hands.   

Preempting any criticism of him talking about something he didn't know as a celebrity and an actor, he started the tweet thread with this disclaimer: "I'm no political pundit but I grew up w a dad who was a federal prosecutor & he taught me a lot & I’ve also sat a fair amount of poker w serious players..." His father, Edward Mower Norton Jr, was an environmental lawyer and conservationist. Norton explained Trump's strategy in terms of a poker bluff in his tweet thread and added that Trump wanted to "create enough chaos & anxiety about [a] peaceful transfer of power, & [the] fear of irreparable damage to the system, [so] that he can cut a Nixon-style deal in exchange for finally conceding". 

His cutting remarks had his name trending on Twitter as Twitter users commented on how incisive his political analysis was. Matt Browner Hamlin, head of strategy, Systems & Insights at Greenpeace International tweeted: "Edward Norton out here with a better political analysis than Nancy Pelosi". While political scientist Miranda Yaver wrote: "I didn't have nuanced, insightful political analysis from Edward Norton on my 2020 bingo. And yet..."

Comedian Steve Hofstetter tweeted: "A fantastic, well-written thread by Edward Norton, the son of a federal prosecutor. Read the whole thing. This is why everyone who tells celebrities to stick to acting or signing or comedy can fuck right off. We need people with reach like this to speak up." Edward Norton's comments come a day after Kurt Russell told The New York Times that actors should stay apolitical as they are "court jesters".  

David Weissman, an army vet and former Republican tweeted: "I really do understand why Trump supporters hate celebrities, they are out of touch with the world outside of their bubble and play victim when celebrities speak for those who don’t have a platform. This is an excellent thread from Edward Norton." Weissman was once a Trump supporter who became a Democrat after engaging with comedian Sarah Silverman in a civil debate on Twitter about their differing takes on the Trump presidency. 

Other users also commended Norton, bringing in pop culture references and memes to celebrate his viral tweet thread. NYT culture reporter, Dave Itzkoff, tweeted: "Brad Pitt should just tweet the same thread as Edward Norton, word for word, give no explanation," referencing 'Fight Club's plot twist. Another tweet said: "Edward Norton watching the Trump Administration crumble," accompanied with a gif of the iconic scene from "Fight Club' where the buildings come crashing down, while another user commented: "Edward Norton just hulked out on trump and it's perfect"