BORN TO RERUN - TRUMP & CALIGULA/

Years ago I posited a "Born To Rerun" theory that Dr. Bob Hartley of 'The Bob Newhart Show' was the reincarnation of Emperor Claudius from 'I, Claudius'.

And now it appears another TV character has the makings of a reincarnation for another alumnus of the 'I, Claudius' cast.

President Donald Trump is a TV character.  Puttiing 'The Apprentice' and acting portrayals aside, he  has a fictional televersion as part of the League of Themselves.  The tele-Trump has appeared in 'The Job', 'The Nanny', 'Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air' and 'The Drew Carey Show' among others.  (He was inducted in the 10th anniversary of the TVXOHOF as one of the April Fool entries.)

So Trump is open to being a candidate for reincarnation in the TV Universe.  And which 'I, Claudius' alumnus do I think could be one of the past lives of Trump's televersion?

The Little Boot, Caligula.

It's purely subjective, based on my perspective.  But based on his own words, Trump would like to be a dictator just as Caligula was.  And there are times when we might question his sanity, and we know Caligula was batbleep crazy.

So what triggered this idea in my head?  It was this headline that came out today from Trump's favorite network:

And that's what reminded me of 'I, Claudius'.

From Wikipedia:

Tiberius Julius Caesar Nero Gemellus, known as Tiberius Gemellus (10 October AD 19–37/38) was the son of Drusus and Livilla, the grandson of the Emperor Tiberius, and the second cousin of the Emperor Caligula. Gemellus is a nickname meaning "the twin". His twin brother, Tiberius Claudius Caesar Germanicus II Gemellus, died while still an infant in 23. His father and older cousins died, and are suspected by contemporary sources as having been systematically eliminated by the powerful praetorian prefect Sejanus. Their removal allowed Gemellus and Caligula to be named joint-heirs by Tiberius in 35, a decision that ultimately resulted in Caligula assuming power and having Gemellus killed, or by forcing him to kill himself, in late 37 or early 38.

Following an illness by Caligula, Gemellus was put to death in late 37 or early 38.  Suetonius says that Gemellus took medicine for a chronic cough and that the smell was detected, leading to accusations of taking an antidote for poison. He was ordered by Caligula to commit suicide for which soldiers gave him a sword, and had to help him because he is said to have not known how to kill himself with it.

Gemellus is played by Douglas Melbourne in the episode "Zeus, by Jove!" of the 1976 BBC TV series 'I, Claudius'.  

It was in that miniseries that Caligula had Gemullus' head cut off in order to "cure" that cough.  So the President's Chief of Staff Mulvaney probably got off lightly by being forced out of the room by Trump.

Hmmmm.... Now that I think of it, Caligula made his horse a senator. And Trump has suggested Sarah Sanders should become governor.

And both have expressed an interest in women in their families.

Just sayin' is all.....