Donald Trump’s own-goal
=Donald Trump and his Project 2025 thugs are planning to seal off the US-Mexican border by invoking public health emergency powers, the New York Times has reported. In their zeal to “own the libs,” MAGA fanatics in Trump’s circle will abandon some of their toad-god’s major campaign promises to bring more jobs and reduce consumer costs. A border closure will have the opposite effect. Trump’s ghouls have spent the last several months casting around for a disease that will give them the pretext to close the border under Title 42.
A Title 42 expulsion is the removal by the US government of a person who has been suspected of carrying a communicable disease. The extent of authority for contagion-related expulsions is set out by law in Title 42 United States Code section 265. Title 42 was invoked during the Covid-19 pandemic by both the Trump and Biden administrations. Joe Biden cancelled the order when it was determined that it was safe to do so. Trump plans to reinvoke it as a permanent anti-immigrant weapon.
Trump has members of his team examining tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases as potential justification for border closures. Once Trump’s minions have settled on a pretext, Trump will announce an “emergency” and proceed to shut down exits to and from America’s southern neighbour.
A border closure would be economically devastating to American businesses, supply chains and the cost of produce. American automobile industries, for example, depend heavily on parts from Mexico. Half the vegetables and 40% of the fruit that is consumed by Americans are grown in Mexico. A sudden shortage will drive these prices up.
Canada’s border will remain open, largely because Canadians are perceived as white and English-speaking. Mexicans are perceived as brown and Spanish-speaking. Such a move will create the illusion in the minds of many mentally deficient people that Trump is a “strong man” who takes decisive action for white people. It’s an unbelievably idiotic move, but one that Trump believes will burnish his image and stroke his stupid, contemptible ego.
It is believed that Stephen Miller is behind this plan. Miller, who is Trump’s answer to Joseph Goebbels, will return as Trump’s deputy chief of staff. Miller previously pushed for Title 42 powers before the Covid-19 pandemic struck in early 2020. Title 42 will be used as Miller’s means to punish immigrants, the people hates the most.
It’s unclear whether or not anyone in the incoming Trump gang of thugs is aware that a border closure will hurt ordinary Americans and American businesses. It’s possible that they don’t care. Trump will take office as a lame duck president, and as such he will have little incentive to worry about his approval ratings.
Whatever damage Trump and his clown car of buffoons do to the American economy as a result of this boneheaded border closure plan, you can be as certain as the sunrises tomorrow that they will blame Democrats for any economic backlash. And in the weaker minds of the dumbest Americans, they will probably get away with it.
Robert Harrington is an American expat living in Britain. He is a portrait painter.