A few observations on the launch of Trump II
The barrage of executive orders created the impression of an action president hitting the ground running, but of course they were written in advance, teed up and ready to go; all Trump had to do was sign them. Don't expect anything like this apparent level of activity to persist.
Actually, the word "written" may not quite be applicable here -- many of the executive orders contain weird typos and bungled formatting which suggest they were created using "AI". These errors could lead to problems later when interpreting or citing them. They also imply that the people Trump employed to write these orders are as lazy and inept as he is, entrusting the drafting of such important texts to a technology known to be absolute crap. Combined with his determination to fill most of his cabinet with sex offenders and crackpots unqualified for their posts, this does not foreshadow a very effective administration.
The executive orders themselves are all over the map, ranging from pointless idiocy like trying to rename the Gulf of Mexico, to common-sense actions such as repudiating racial discrimination ("DEI") and the trans nonsense, to outrageous attacks on fundamental rights and the Constitution itself.
Among the latter, one standout is the attempt to abolish birthright citizenship as it was established by the Fourteenth Amendment. Here is some of the legal history of birthright citizenship, showing why it would be virtually impossible for the Supreme Court to find this order constitutional -- and the attorneys general of over a dozen states are already gearing up to challenge it. If the Court does uphold it, that will sweep away any remaining pretense that it is anything more than a mere utensil of partisan politics.
Aside from the executive orders, Trump or his team have taken other actions -- the HHS website has been scrubbed of useful information on abortion, for example. Most infuriating is his sweeping pardon of the January 6 insurrectionists. Many had hoped he would at least exclude those found guilty of violent attacks on police, but he did not. The move has been condemned by some Republican senators and by NRO, and by police unions which had endorsed Trump before the election, though they were fully aware that he was promising to do this when they endorsed him. The pardons will put hundreds of very dangerous people back on the streets, and send a signal that Trump's followers can commit violence with impunity in the name of causes he approves. This flagrant coddling of violent criminals is a frontal attack on law and order -- showing how far Trumpism has dragged the Republican party away from the values it used to claim.
Speaking of pardons, Biden left office on a praiseworthy note by issuing pre-emptive pardons to several individuals who were under threat of politically-motivated persecution under Trump -- notably Dr Fauci, who has become the target of the most batshit-insane right-wing covid conspiratardia of all.
Then there was Elon Musk's already-notorious salute during his speech after the inauguration. In case you haven't seen this, here it is:
We've already seen the predictable attempts to claim that this was not what it very obviously was. Don't be fooled. Neo-Nazis around the world are responding with enthusiasm; they know perfectly well what they saw. As an aside, I consider this similarly suspicious. There has been too much of this shit infesting our country lately.
Of course, who knows how long Musk will remain part of Trump's cabal -- Trump is reportedly getting tired of him throwing his weight around. Ramaswamy already seems to be on the way out.
Finally, remember that things are not all bad. Support for populism and hostility to billionaires is very widespread among the US public. Robert Reich offers the hope that Trump's second term will shock the American people into greater awareness of the power of the billionaire oligarchy, provoking a backlash. Bernie Sanders points out that some of Trump's campaign promises were actually positives, and calls on Democrats to hold him to them. And the new American awakening will continue, on the right as well as the left. We missed the chance of a much better four years, but I have plenty of hope.
10 Comments:
For has horrific as we are anticipating this second term to go, I think his first term will prove to be far worse. He had guard rails that allowed is ineptitude to maintain momentum before ultimately crashing into the cement wall. In this second term… those guard rails are gone, and consequently, he’s firmly driven his golf cart from one ditch to another, and he’s not even out of week one. In his first term, it felt like there were more people willing to help the “newbie” along for the sake of his administration and the country, even with the eye rolls during press conferences. This time… those guides are gone. He has who? Elmo and a cadre of self-serving billionaires, and Steven Miller? And the butt-kissing sycophants transplanted from Mar a Lago into the West Wing with nary a brain cell between them.
I keep going back to the essay by Tom Nichols wrote in “The Atlantic” shortly after the election – "Paradoxically, however, Trump’s reckless venality is a reason for hope. Trump has the soul of a fascist but the mind of a disordered child. He will likely be surrounded by terrible but incompetent people. All of them can be beaten: in court, in Congress, in statehouses around the nation, and in the public arena. America is a federal republic, and the states—at least those in the union that will still care about democracy—have ways to protect their citizens from a rogue president. Nothing is inevitable, and democracy will not fall overnight."
The tide is turning and he’s not even through his first week in the office. I am proud that my State of Rhode Island is one of the many who have already begun suing his administration over the EO’s. Yes, there will be damage, but nothing that can’t be cleansed by a next administration. I wholly concur that we missed our chance in this past election (and we have GOT to stop looking for someone to blame, I mean, really? Stop it!), but I also have hope. I’m not listening to any of the bluster, the jingoism's. Not joining in on the knee-jerk reactions. Just… observing.
Good essay, Infidel. Nicely put.
Thanks. That's how I see it. During his first term I said that Trump isn't Hitler, he's the Gilderoy Lockhart version of Hitler. This time, it's Gilderoy Lockharts all the way down. Almost all the really capable people in government and law are working for the opposition.
Nichols has a good point about the value of our federal system. Trump would be able to do a lot more damage if we had a highly centralized government. The US actually required Germany to set up a decentralized federal system when it became independent again after World War II, as part of its constraints against fascism re-asserting itself.
Thank you for this thoughtful post. I've linked to it on my blog.
I, too, read Tom Nichols' essay in the Atlantic and felt a bit better after doing so.
I live in Boston, Massachusetts, so I'm somewhat safe from Trump's wild machinations -- so far.
Thank you for the link!
I think what state people live in is going to be very important for the next four years. I'm fortunate to live in Oregon -- some others are not so lucky.
He was full of grand promises about the future of the USA, but whether any or all of those promises will be fulfilled is anyone's guess. And he obviously yearns to do away with democracy and become a total autocrat.
Very well said. While a few Magats' are mad that their particular ox has been gored, the majority are all in. The hill I'll literally die on is the prescription drug pricing one. The number of them applauding the decision has my head spinning. "Insulin is impossible to get" "It all boils down to lifestyle. Good thing Kennedy is going to change that" etc. I'm going to start researching alternative medicine. I've read that consuming lead and mercury in tablet form can have a great effect on blood sugar. Same as eating a pound of rock salt dramatically reduces blood pressure. The possibilities are endless. PS. Clorox is down to 159.45 this morning. Time to load up over the counter health care stocks.
Nick: So far it's looking like a few promises will get sort-of fulfilled, though it's early yet to tell. Fortunately he's pretty lazy. For most of this stuff he'll probably go through the motions a bit, get maybe five or ten percent of what he promised done, declare victory, and head for the golf course.
Seafury: Thanks. I think some of them don't quite realize the price increase will apply to them, for whatever reason.
The kinds of garbage people will consume in the name of "alternative medicine" defy belief, not to mention the vaccine avoidance. Natural selection in action.
Excellent post Infidel. I appreciate the tone. I didn't know the police union had condemned Trump's pardon. Thanks goodness. Also, thanks for the link to Bernie's list of areas of common ground. Love that guy.
I quit watching the News the day before the inauguration. I just can't see or listen to the insanity playing out, I'm recovering from a Stroke and don't wanna risk another one this Administration would bring on. But, Blogger highlights are appreciated, Thank You. The Trumpanzees complained they couldn't afford Eggs, yet, they pay Thousands to stand outside in the Cold and NOT even see the Inauguration... things that make ya go humnnnnnn...
CAS: Thanks! Trump is getting a lot of pushback, and will get a lot more. Whatever some people think, he's nowhere near being a dictator.
Bohemian: I can certainly understand that. Strokes are serious; you need to focus on whatever helps you recover and avoid another. I really need to take a break from this stuff myself, for the sake of sanity.
I don't think anyone actually voted for Trump just because of the price of eggs. I've never heard a Trump voter say that, although higher prices for gas and groceries in general were and are an issue. The egg thing seems to be just a left-wing mocking meme that "went viral" as they say.
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