By: Fernando Méndez
What is emanating from the White House regarding 4000 terrorists coming to this country through our southern border is propaganda. The president is committed to building The Wall with Mexico and he and his minions will say anything to create a sense of urgency and sow fear. Trump’s lies and exaggerations are being supported by Vice President Mike Pence, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.
Trump has never been a deal maker. He developed his business profile as a brand name phenomenon mostly because he promoted himself through his connections in the media. According to those who knew him in the Real Estate business in New York, he was never considered a serious competitor. There is at least one famous instance in which he lost a to a high profile competitor. He vied with Merv Griffin for one of the first casinos in Atlantic City, Resorts International, Merv, who invented Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune for television, bought the casino from Trump in a deal that favored Griffin. The New York Times headline of April 15, 1988 tells the story: Griffin Wins Resorts In Deal With Trump. We have seen headlines describing how Trump’s moribund brand was revived by Mark Burnett, who created The Apprentice, giving Trump’s bombastic declarations a national platform. He became identified as the host of the program with the catch phrase “You are fired,” that enabled him to have a national following that took him all the way to the White House.
The budget impasse that has shut down the government, causing great pain to millions of Americans, is another example of Trump’s inability to do what he claims is his strength. He cannot make a deal with Congress. Now, in order to impose his will, he has created a “crisis” at the border. There is no crisis, there is negative flow of immigrants at the souther border and there are no 4000 terrorists coming into the country from any side. It is all disinformation, fake news. Trump has asked to address the nation to declare that we have a national emergency that will enable him to use an Emergency Order and bypass Congress. There is a bipartisan bill that he won’t sign until he gets the funds he wants to build his Wall.
Mike Pence appeared on MSNBC to announce in advance that Trump will declare an emergency, while pinning the blame for the shut down on Senator Chuck Schumer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Federal workers deprived of their paychecks will suffer long term consequences in terms of having to dip into savings and 401-K funds to stay afloat. Mitch McConnell and the GOP have to regain their self respect, find their souls, and stop the demagoguery. For the good of the country both sides must set politics aside. We can see clearly that there is no crisis at the border and Trump is not entitled to create facts. He and his people mus stop the campaign of misinformation.
