The Accidental President
Six months later, amidst NFL tweets and a speech at the UN against Iran and North Korea, which sounded a bit like it was written by a speechwriter from Iran or North Korea, it still doesn’t feel quite like reality.
Even so, and although I’m not even sure it’s part of some brilliant plan anymore, there are two things that may have made this a time for a president that seems completely willing to descend into chaos: DACA and North Korea. I understand that raises some eyebrows, but hear me out.
Despite what the President said over and over before the election on DACA, and as scary as it is to be on the train right now, I’m not certain he hasn’t done the dreamers a favor. Press even Chuck Schumer or Dianne Feinstein to explain the legality of President Obama’s DACA program and they are hard pressed. They know it’s not legal, and they know it’s their own Congress that’s being usurped by executive order. They’re also extremely uncomfortable with letting the precedent of executive privilege sit with any president- but especially this one. If these attorney generals took their case to this Supreme Court, defended by this solicitor general, DACA likely would be overturned. Despite the rhetoric, the six-month delay to give Congress time to fix it (ie- demand they fix it) seems likely to have the votes it would need to clear, and if the President really is willing to sign it (looks very much like he is), this could be a constitutional crisis averted. President Obama did DACA by executive order because he had to. If Trump makes this law, it will be one point on the board for America as partial compensation for the pain of watching TV every day.
The other may be North Korea. Now- I’m not certain that we won’t be engaged in armed conflict – possibly nuclear-armed conflict – with North Korea in the coming two years. That said, for ten years they have been swearing that they will kill all of us in a sea of fire and building their nuclear arsenal and missile capability while president after president said “don’t do that or else…” and they keep going, and there’s no “or else” that seems to matter. It could well be that there was no way for this to end well for the US, that eventually this conflict was coming, and waiting for them to catch up to full nuclear capability would make it worse, not better. If that’s true, maybe it’s prudent to end this 50-year standoff before the DPRK truly does bring a nuclear ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) system online. And I’m not sure a traditional, prudent president in the mold of anyone since Eisenhower would have been willing to take the personal risk of a preemptive strike (which is likely to have horrible repercussions in the best of circumstances)- even though that same president may know it’s the most prudent course of action for the World.
I still can’t watch news live. It hurts. But if in 2 years’ time, DACA is law and the DPRK is no longer a threat to the World, this president will have a legacy that might look better to history than it looks on Twitter.
White Athlete Denounces Trump, Discusses Human Emotion
President Trump’s recent comments about NFL and NBA players have caused an uproar and sparked much conversation around our nation. The majority of professional athletes in the NFL and NBA are African-American, and many have been vocal about their support of Colin Kaepernick and why they’ve chosen to kneel as well.
During the Philadelphia 76ers media day, JJ Redick, an 11 year NBA Veteran, unequivocally denounced President Trump as well. In less than 60 seconds, JJ touched on oppression, human emotion, being anti-Trump, his daily breakfast, and protesting.
“How often do you go through a day and not be offended by the guy?” – JJ Redick, 76ers Shooting Guard
Should other white professional athletes speak up in support of their teammates and denounce Trump?
Does their support matter?
NFL Owners Respond To Trump: “We’re Proud of Our Players”
In a recent rally in Alabama (9/22/17), President Trump used the term “son of a bitch” to refer to NFL players who’ve decided to take a knee in peaceful protest. Professional athletes, The NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the NFL players union (NFLPA), and several others immediately denounced his statements. Yet, many people were calling on NFL owners to make individual statements, and now they’re coming in…
“Comments like we heard last night from the president are inappropriate, offensive and divisive. We are proud of our players, the vast majority of whom use their NFL platform to make a positive difference in our society.” – Co-owners of the New York Giants, John Mara and Steve Tisch
“The callous and offensive comments made by the President are contradictory to what this great country stands for. Our players have exercised their rights as United States citizens in order to spark conversation and action to address social injustice. We will continue to support them in their peaceful pursuit of positive change in our country and around the world. The San Francisco 49ers will continue to work toward bringing communities, and those who serve them, closer together.” – San Fransisco 49er’s CEO Jed York
The New York Giants are considered a class organization and one of the best in the league. Their statement should prompt other owners to speak up in defense of their players and their decision to let them peacefully protest, despite many of them disagreeing with the way they’ve chosen to protest and others like the president suggesting they fire (cut or release) these specific players.
Many NFL analysists and other pundits have stated that Trump’s comments will only cause more players to protest. If they’re right this issue only gets bigger, which is the last thing the NFL wants to see happen.
Trump’s initial statement regarding NFL players and their protesting:
Trump: “Get That ‘Son of a Bitch’ Off the Field Right Now!”
Amongst a raucous crowd in Alabama, President Trump went off script as he usually does and decided to render his opinion on the peaceful yet controversial NFL kneeling protests.
“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out. He’s fired. He’s fired!‘ You know, some owner is gonna do that. He’s gonna say, ‘That guy that disrespects our flag, he’s fired.’ And that owner, they don’t know it. They don’t know it. They’re friends of mine, many of them. They don’t know it. They’ll be the most popular person, for a week. They’ll be the most popular person in this country.” – President Trump
NFL ratings are down and the Colin Kaepernick ordeal is not fading away. The president’s comments bring even more attention to the NFL and current players who’ve decided to follow Kaepernick’s lead and continue to protest.
Should Roger Goodell and/or NFL team owners denounce Trump’s statements?
Should the NFLPA make a statement?
With everything going on… Healthcare, hurricane relief, DACA, North Korea… Should the president really be discussing NFL protests?
Updated (9/23/17)
Roger Goodell quickly released a statement in response to Trump:
Similar content:
Trump is NOT a Racist… He’s Worse
Trump might NOT be a Racist… He could be something worse.
Trump appears to be a megalomaniac who unconditionally supports whatever group or individual who supports him.
So far, he has targeted the most fanatical and unwavering groups of voters:
-Pro-Gun
-Anti-Immigrant
-Pro-Religious Freedom
-Anti-LGBTQ
-Pro-Police (Regardless of Brutality)
-Anti-Black Lives Matter
-Pro-Military Expansion
-Anti-Globalism
-Pro-Big Business
-Anti-Government Programs
-Pro-Birth
-Anti-Planned Parenthood
-Anti-Tax the Rich
-Anti-Universal Health Care
He targets these people because he knows that:
1. They will never waver in their support for him, regardless of his egregious mistakes.
2. They are very disciplined voters.
Only 58% of Americans voted in 2016. That means Trump only needs 29.1% of the country to support him and actually vote. Trump does not care if 70.8% of the country is for or against an issue, so long as his positions line up with the 29.1% of people who will definitely vote for him (his base).
But to think that Trump is a racist because he supports the Alt-Right or other blatantly racist organizations is a mistake. Trump supports anyone or anything that supports HIM.
If everyone in the Black Lives Matter movement supported Trump and voted for him unconditionally, he’d say (and at least pretend to do) whatever they wanted him to. As it were, Trump does not see this group as obtainable, loyal to him, or worth pursuing so he goes after the lower hanging fruit: the fanatical, simplistic White Nationalists who don’t require much persuading to gain full support (just some coded, “dog whistle” type statements that they hear loud and clear as supporting their cause while everyone else is skeptical of the true meaning).
If Trump knew that he’d be unconditionally backed by:
-Pro-Gun Law Reform
-Pro-Immigrant
-Anti-Religious Infiltration of Public Institutions
-Pro-LGBTQ
-Anti-Police Brutality/Discrimination
-Pro-Black Lives Matter
-Anti-Military Imperialism
-Pro-Globalism
-Anti-Big Business Monopolies/Deregulation
-Pro-Government Programs
-Pro-Planned Parenthood
-Pro-Taxing the Rich
-Pro-Universal Health Care
He’d support THOSE groups instead… (in other words, he’d be Hillary Clinton: another megalomaniac who definitely could have been the subject of this writing had SHE won).
This recent DACA flip-flop is remarkable evidence of Trump’s neglect for any real values and gravitation towards whatever he thinks will make him appear more favorable. Perhaps he doesn’t feel supported by the anti-Dreamers in the GOP as they have not helped him create any meaningful legislation since taking office. Consequently, Trump sees a victory for himself as siding with the Democrats who support DACA because together they might create the first success of his tenure in office (even if he completely trashes a hallmark value of his campaign and Presidency: getting undocumented immigrants out of the country).
But this is the dangerous thing about power and politics. These men and women don’t necessarily believe in anything. They just want your vote, your money, your supportive social media posts, and your shaming and harassing of the people who oppose them. Maybe integrity, honesty, and consistency should rank above policy when choosing the next leader of our country.
Want to read similar content from the Left, Center, Right? SUBSCRIBE for only $2/month.
Trump Strikes Another Deal with Dems… DACA Protection?
Surprisingly, or maybe not… Schumer and Pelosi released a joint statement last night suggesting that they struck another deal with President Trump.
“We agreed to enshrine the protections of DACA into law quickly, and to work out a package of border security, excluding the wall, that’s acceptable to both sides.” – Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi
This statement is interesting considering Trump’s campaign promise to build the wall. The White House immediately pushed back in a statement saying that they discussed tax reform, border security, and DACA; however, the wall was certainly not agreed to.
Just last week Trump struck a deal with Dems to extend the debt ceiling (for only 3 months) and pass $8 billion in Hurricane Harvey relief. Paul Ryan and other Republicans were caught completely off guard considering they were hoping to push the debt ceiling fight into 2018.
UPDATE: In a series of tweets (9/14/17) Trump denies that a DACA deal was reached…
Trump denies the DACA deal, but then goes on to sympathize with Dreamers about why they deserve to stay. Whether or not they struck a deal last night, I think it’s safe to say that Trump wants Congress to write a bill that would allow Dreamers to stay.
If this second deal is true, will Trump’s base lose respect for him?
How will House Republicans respond?
Trump used to be a Democrat… should anyone be surprised that he’s striking deals with Dems?
Want to read similar content from the Left, Center, Right? SUBSCRIBE for only $2/month.
Independent Responds to Conservative… Transgenger Ban Revisited
On August 29, 2017, LCR Contributor Right Army Veteran published an article about Trump’s decision to ban transgender service members. He suggested that both administrations (Obama and Trump) dropped the ball regarding the policy implementation and ban. He also mentioned costs as a driving factor for the ban.
“Military service members retire after 20 years and then collect benefits for a lifetime. That’s an expensive investment- especially if 2 years may make them non-deployable for surgery at a minimum, and for years after they continue with guaranteed medical needs and lifetime complications (and sanitary requirements) that may be difficult to ensure in the filthy, harsh business of war in dark places.”– Right Army Veteran
His full article can be viewed here: Transgender in the Military – A Case in Political Hijackings by Democrats and Republicans
I disagree…
This is a farce of epic proportions. Using medical costs as a reason to exclude a person from serving in the military is a coverup for bigotry and hate against a group of people too many are unwilling to fully understand. The medical costs excuse is a smokescreen. If the military really wanted to curb or prevent medical costs they wouldn’t allow our presidents to get us involved in unjust wars. Iraq and Afghanistan are already costing us $1 trillion, that’s with a T, in medical costs. And most veterans from those two wars aren’t even 40 years old yet. If it’s really about costs, then why not completely cut medical benefits after retirement? Find me a profession in the private sector in which merely retiring at any level provides healthcare benefits for you, your spouse, and family, until death. So let’s be honest, it’s probably not about the costs. Becuase if it was then the military wouldn’t spend $41.6 million annually on Viagra alone, which according to the Military Times analysis that figure is five times the estimated spend on transgender transition-related care.
I could accept a policy of not covering active service members who wanted to have the elective surgery; however, this ban is a universal ban – no matter what, if you identify as transgender you’re not eligible for military service.
If this ban stays in place, the irony would be noteworthy… We’d be the world’s freest nation, yet not everyone would be free to serve and defend it.
Want to read similar content from the Left, Center, Right? SUBSCRIBE for only $2/month.
No Hate, No Walls… Are DREAMers Here to Stay?
I come from an immigrant family.
My mother lived in Montreal, Canada before she decided to come to the United States to build a better life for her family. I was one of the lucky ones who had a parent whose situation allowed her to go through the proper channels to come here. She could have easily been a refugee coming from a war-torn nation or a country that had no positive outlook for her and her family. But again, we were lucky and now I have the full rights and liberties as any other citizen of this great nation. It is because of that freedom that I express in absolute rage and disgust of Trumps new plan to scrap DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).
What is DACA:
- DACA is a program that started in June 2012.
- It allows young illegal immigrants to register with the federal government and obtain a work permit as well as receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation.
- Most of the youth in this program came to the United States when they were babies, and toddlers and did not know they were illegal immigrants until they attempted to apply for a driver’s license or to go to college.
- The program does not provide lawful status or a path to citizenship, nor does it provide eligibility for federal welfare or student aid.
DACA eligibility:
- You cannot have a criminal record, which includes a felony, or misdemeanor.
- You must be enrolled in school, have a graduate degree, or be an honorable veteran.
- You must arrive in the U.S. before the age of 16.
- Be under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012.
To show proof of qualification, all applicants must submit three forms –
- I-821D: Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
- I-765: Application for Employment Authorization
- I-765WS: Worksheet
This policy was created after acknowledging that the youth that came here at such tender ages were “low priority” for immigration enforcement to pursue considering their good behavior, which is why the act of terminating it is so ridiculous. Freedom… the ability to choose how to live your life, in the way you wish to live it, free from tyranny, and prosecution, should not be of question for these young people who have done everything required of them.
Earlier this week (9/5/17) I spent most of my evening at the DACA rally in Foley SQ Park, NY trying to understand the sentiment of the people and how they are handling the latest jab to our nation’s identity, and I can proudly say that I was not disappointed.
I saw people from all walks of life holding up signs such as:
- No Hate, No Fear, Democracy is here
- F*&^ Trump
- Immigrants BELONG here
- Build Bridges NOT WALLS
It was amazing to see everyone come together and stand against a common threat to what makes this country great… Immigrants.
We are all immigrants in the U.S., and watching our leaders fail again and again is the main reason our country is so divided. It isn’t the Republicans versus the Democrats, or Christians against Muslims, or anything else that is being thrown around in the media. It’s a truth that is ingrained in our very history that is being ignored, and that truth is that we all came here to make our lives, and those we care about, better. If we can’t do that, what does it even mean to be an American?
More on DACA? Trump Ends DACA, America’s Top Universities Respond
Trump Strikes Deal with Dems
Despite (R) Paul Ryan publicly scolding Democrats and calling them “shameful” for playing politics with the debt ceiling, just hours later Trump struck a deal with (D) Chuck Schumer and (D) Nancy Pelosi. They agreed to extend the debt ceiling for 3 months as well as pass $8 billion in Hurricane Harvey relief. Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell were hoping to push the debt ceiling fight into 2018, but Trump sided with Dems instead and agreed to only fund the government through December 15th. Paul Ryan has to be pretty upset considering the president decided to cut a deal with Democrats, who don’t control the House or Senate. Most Republicans were shocked by Trump’s closed door agreement with Dems; yet, this move shouldn’t shock too many as Trump has been known to do what he wants… when he wants… how we wants.
Will Trump continue to cut deals with Democrats?
Does this deal give Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi leverage in future negotiations with Trump?
Want to read similar content from the Left, Center, Right? SUBSCRIBE for only $2/month.