Disaster in the making:
It’s interesting to see how many people vote against their own interests. Many of the very people who voted for Donald Trump would be better off voting Democratic, but they don’t. Does anyone ever wonder why? In his opinion for the Hill, Jesse Ferguson points to this phenomenon. Ferguson is really writing about how Democrats can win back voters, but he also discusses how Trump plans to quash the very things his voters most need. Ferguson mentioned: “higher costs on everyday goods, to tax breaks for his billionaire buddies, to health care ripped away from young families with kids and seniors in assisted living is not the agenda that his voters actually want.” Think about that. He wants to cut Medicaid, which is likely predominantly used by the very people who voted him into office. What happens if Republicans do end Medicaid? What will these people do? Did it ever cross their minds that this might happen, or did they think Trump was just going to wave a magic wand and make them happy, healthy, and rich? It’s a very interesting conundrum. Then, there are the tariffs.
According to Bloomberg, when Trump enacted tariffs in his first term, it hurt stocks and the economy. Since he plans to do so again, perhaps in even more epic proportions, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York examined the effects of the first tariffs. According to that report, during 2018 and 2019, the U.S. levied tariffs of 10 to 50 percent on over $300 billion Chinese imports. China, of course, retaliated by levying high tariffs on U.S. exports. FRBNY said those tariffs caused “a negative effect on the U.S. economy that is substantially larger than past estimates.” Trump’s tariffs caused many economic problems before, and there is no reason to think they won’t again. Everything about Trump and his incoming administration is rather frightening, especially his cabinet picks.
Trump has nominated yet another criminal to his cabinet, Peter Navarro, who served prison time for contempt of Congress. To Trump, however, this is a “badge of honor.” Speaking to the RNC following his short stint in prison, Navarro said: “In Trump’s America you didn’t have to worry about being locked up for disagreeing with the government. I went to prison so you won’t have to. I’m your wake-up call.” Whatever, dude. He’s trying to sound like some sort of hero when he could have merely honored the Congressional subpoena. All they wanted was the truth, but Trump is allergic to the truth and so are his cronies.
Trump continues with his quest to fill his cabinet with as many “yes men” as possible because he believes they will be loyal to him. They may be, but the bulk of them are also incompetent, like his most recent choice of Billy Long for IRS commissioner. According to Raw Story, Long’s claim to fame is being an avid poker player and auctioneer, though Trump claims he is a tax advisor. This ragtag bunch of choices spell disaster, and if they all make it past the Senate, Trump will have no one to stop him from doing anything stupid or criminal.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years