According to reports Donald Trump is extremely unhappy with his inability to solve the immigration problem. It was the issue of immigration that brought him to the White House and he is willing to do anything to keep the focus on immigration. He will return to the border many times as he did last week with Secretary Nielsen. He fired her shortly after the visit and named Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan to replace her, but if he followed the rules the post would have gone to Undersecretary of management Claire Grady. Nielsen’s departure leaves DHS along with the Pentagon and even the White House staff without permanent heads.
Pundits are looking at these actions as proof that Stephen Miller has gained power and Trump’s moves seem to indicate he is listening to Miller. “President Obama separated children,” said Trump defensively from the Oval Office. He continues to dictate policy by Tweet and seems to want turmoil and confrontation at the border because that keeps his name in the headlines. He threatens economic retaliation on Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, instead of helping their economies to stem the flow of emigration. Perhaps the people who from his unmovable base will approve, sharing his inclination to bully the powerless. But the Democrats are making a mistake by focusing on immigration. Instead of following Trump’s lead in the discussion they should be asking this administration about healthcare. Trump and the Republicans do not want to hear about healthcare because they have just attempted once more to destroy Obamacare, another issue that Trump used during the campaign, but one that would not show his party in a good light at this point. Furthermore, the Democrats should stop talking impeachment. It would take too long, and even people who oppose Trump would become tired of a prolonged process.
The party of Lincoln is unrecognizable under Donald Trump, and he doesn’t represent the values of a majority of the people. He has undermined all our institutions, attacking the justice system, perhaps out of fear of his future before the courts. He detached us from our traditional allies like NATO and pursued the friendship of dictators, expressing admiration for Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. In the next few months as candidates vie for the nomination of the Democratic Party, Trump will hit the frontrunner with epithets, obnoxious and demeaning nicknames, and a smear campaign about their record or their reputations. Trump has increased his attacks on Robert Mueller, continuing to suggest that the whole investigation was brought on by unhappy Democrats who never wanted to admit defeat. He claims exoneration, but we know the truth, and our votes in 2020 will let him know that his charade is over. We may finally stop being ashamed that this man has ruled over us and represented our country before the world. Trump is a bully with an indefensible record, who represents the worst instincts of some among us, and we can put an end to this nightmare only by going to the polls.
Editorial