Bearing Witness to Trump Week 5

Week of February 19 – 25, 2017

The White House apparently asked the Justice Department, more specifically the FBI, to dispute media reports about Russian influence.  Oh, how impeachable that would be if a President Obama or Clinton had done this.

Trump says the military will receive massive spending increases and that expanding our nuclear arsenal is a priority. Yes, Evangelicals who supported Trump, this must be the teachings of Jesus.

The administration shows its disrespect of the Constitution and hatred of the free media by barring select media from a press briefing. Can it be any more clear that between creating endless conflict and fear mongering, deporting immigrants without due justice, attacking the news media, claiming authority above the courts, demanding total authority to work for the administration, appealing to authoritarianism, installing family members as advisers, appointing the military to the highest civilian posts, attacking the courts, running the White House like it was just one of many of the King’s palaces, the constant lying and bullying, threatening to deconstruct government, blaming everyone for everything and so much more…..where this is all going? Can you imagine the loss of liberty that will occur in a state of emergency concocted by this administration?

Trump says the deportations of illegal immigrants will be a military operation. Later the same day his Homeland Security Director says it will not be a military operation. Who is lying this time?

Administration Strategist Steve Bannon declares his mission is in part to deconstruct the administrative state. Yes, folks, there we have it, their plan for us. An act of sedition if not treason that what we have really experienced is a coup where revolutionaries want to demolish the U.S. government as we know it. He also promotes a version of muscular nationalism, distrust of immigrants who are not like us, and hatred of the media. Hum, what horrific regime from history does this remind us of?

Mass deportations continue across America. Court hearings are no longer required as ICE has the authority to deport upon demand. Show me your papers. No papers? We make you go away from our sights. What tragedy of the past does this remind us of?

It seems President Trump played golf 6 of the first 31 days he was in office. I guess that means he lied about what he really thought of presidents playing golf when he constantly criticized Obama for his occasional game. Oh I forgot, Obama was not our real president because he was not born in America or an American citizen; more Trump propaganda from recent years.

Trump delivers a respectful message on antisemitism we can all agree on after a rise in hate crimes. Yet this was right after filing revised executive orders restricting travel from the Muslim world that many see as being anti-Muslim. And on this same day the administration announces the hiring of 10,000 border agents to help enforce new immediate deportation orders that many see as being anti-immigrant. Does he not see the irony and what is fueling an America afraid of anyone who is not of a white Christian class?

On President’s day, thousand of Americans around the country protest that “Trump is not my president”. Trump extends his holiday weekend at the Mar-a-Lago Resort as the first family continues to ask taxpayers to fund three different White Houses. Trump has spent 11 of his first 33 days in office at Mar-a-Lago. If the man did not want to honor his country and live and work in the White House, then dammit he should not have run for this office. Where are all the patriot conservatives? The travel ban we need is for Trump.

Over the weekend the President launched into his 2020 election with a campaign rally. Not to leave any lies behind, he warned his followers of all the terror crimes happening in countries like Sweden. Not. No such thing occurred. He made it up. That’s ok with his supporters; the truth and facts simply don’t matter.

It’s so clear this man thinks he is above the law or norms of his office. He refuses to release his tax returns. He says ethics laws don’t apply to the President. He surrounds himself with family members who enrich themselves privately in business while giving him advice. He says the executive branch is not limited by the judiciary. And the list goes on and on. And we are only into the second month of his presidency.

The above news items have been taken from a number of international, national, regional, and local news media sources, both print and digital. Additional editorial opinions and comments about these news items are those of this author.