I tried to finish this one, but it’s just gotten to be too much work. If the only alternative to the really short puzzles is this, give us back our short puzzles, please! I still prefer the middle puzzles.

Let’s take a look at yesterday’s misses before saying some good things about today’s awfulness.

FACTOTUM: This is a word I hadn’t known until today. I’m happy I learned it because it’s a fun word. It means an employee who does all kinds of work. (Bob Honey, perhaps?) But Johannes factotum means jack of all trades–from the 1500s!
AUTOMATA: Another word for automaton.
COACT: I’ve missed this before.
TOCCATA: I’ve missed this before as well.
TOMCAT: Dang!

Now back to today.

There were some very Trump-sounding words in today’s grid.

CRITIC, DICTATOR, DIRT, IDIOT, IDIOTIC, IRRITATOR, RIOT, TRAITOR

The inclusion of ADROIT makes me feel like it was the New York Times but with an Op-Ed by Rudy Giuliani.

Ultimately I got within three dozen of the genius minimum before calling it quits.

Final score: 43 words for 222 points
Genius minimum: 253(!)
Amazing minimum: 181(!)
Pangrams: DICTATOR, CAROTID
Omissions: IDITAROD, DORITO, TITRATOR