As the Trump Titanic finally plummets beneath the waves – with the needless deaths of 400,000 innocent souls, with democracy’s detritus spread far and wide – indeed, as our hour of liberation finally beckons, perhaps the most useful way to measure the chasm separating promise from performance is to revisit his victory rhetoric on election night 2016.

I’m compelled to point out that no previous president has left office with a majority of Americans demanding that he be criminally charged for inciting violence, and that he be barred from ever running for office again. That historic fact aside, his Top Ten election night remarks need only minimal annotations.

Item #1:

“Now it is time for America to bind the wounds of division, have to get together, to all Republicans and Democrats and independents across this nation I say it is time for us to come together as one united people. It’s time. I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all of Americans, and this is so important to me. For those who have chosen not to support me…I’m reaching out to you for your guidance and your help so that we can work together and unify our great country.”

Item #2:

MAGA “is a movement comprised of Americans from all races, religions, backgrounds and beliefs who want our government to serve the people, and serve the people it will.”

Item #3:

“We are going to fix our inner cities and rebuild our highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, schools, hospitals. We’re going to rebuild our infrastructure, which will become, by the way, second to none, and we will put millions of our people to work as we rebuild it.”

Item #4:

“I will harness the creative talents of our people and we will call upon the best and brightest to leverage their tremendous talent for the benefit of all. It is going to happen.”

Item #5:

“We will get along with all other nations willing to get along with us. We will be. We will have great relationships. We expect to have great, great relationships. I want to tell the world community that…we will deal fairly with everyone, with everyone. All people and all other nations. We will seek common ground, not hostility; partnership, not conflict.”

Item #6:

“We have got tremendously talented people up here, and I want to tell you it’s been very, very special. I want to give a very special thanks to our former mayor, Rudy Giuliani. He’s unbelievable. Unbelievable. Rudy never changes.”

Item #7:

“The first senator, first major, major politician (to endorse MAGA) – let me tell you, he is highly respected in Washington because he is as smart as you get – Senator Jeff Sessions. Where is Jeff? A great man. Another great man.” (Sessions, the first attorney general, was fired two years later, in a tweet.)

Item #8:

Reince Priebus “is an unbelievable star. Let me tell you about Reince. Reince is a superstar, but I said they can’t call you a superstar, Reince, unless we win…But I will tell you Reince is really a star. And he is the hardest working guy. Get up here, Reince. Get over here, Reince. Boy oh boy. Amazing guy.” (Priebus, the first chief of staff, was fired nine months later, in a tweet.)

Item #9:

“I want to thank law enforcement…They’re here tonight. These are spectacular people, sometimes underappreciated unfortunately, but we appreciate them. We know what they go through.”

And, best of all, Item #10:

“I promise you that I will not let you down. We will do a great job. We will do a great job…It is going to be a beautiful thing.”