Bearing Witness to Trump Week 15

Week of April 30 – May 6, 2017

It comes out that as part of a recent attempt to repeal Obama’s ACA, members of Congress and their families can keep the essential basics of the ACA including coverage for preexisting conditions. But they make this life-saving coverage optional for the rest of us in states across America. In a TV interview Trump disputes this and lies about what is in the draft bill before Congress.

Late in the week the House begins the deconstruction of Obamacare with the American Healthcare Act, aka Trumpcareless. The President and House Republicans are found later celebrating in the Rose Garden at the White House. Yes, celebrate the millions that will lose insurance outright or be unable to pay for it with the loss of subsidies and the poor who will lose benefits in Medicaid coverage. And of course the wealthy who will pay less taxes in a $600B tax cut! Hooray for the oppressed wealthy who have been victims too long! Not.

In a very friendly conversation, Trump extends an invitation for Philippine’s strong man Duterte to visit the US. Duterte is another autocrat who has killed thousands of his own countrymen without judicial process.  This is the same Duterte who called Obama a “son of a whore” and told our former president to “go to hell.” Trump also says he would be “honored” to meet North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.  In an ever so revealing comment about his character and love of power, Trump says he is impressed that Kim Jong at an early age was able to claim power and keep it. The world’s new class of authoritarian leaders certainly like to respect and admire each other. Putin, Duterte, Kim, Erdogan, al-Assad, and Trump; what a collection of despots masquerading as saviors of their people promising to make each of their countries great again.

The Trump administration is reported to be looking at ways to enhance libel laws while they continue to attack the free press. We already know the President does not take criticism well and has no sense of humor, so this is no surprise.

Trump says that the U.S. needs a “good government shutdown.” We should call people who threaten to shutdown our government and deconstruct our institutions what they are, terrorists.

In an interview, Trump says the Civil War could have been avoided with some big deal negotiating. Yes, that’s how America seeks justice for the oppressed, just negotiate their lives away.

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.