GUEST COLUMN, J. Basil Dannebohm
A little over a year ago, a slim majority of voters elected Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States. Some of those voters now find themselves experiencing buyer’s remorse.
As for the rest?
They’re either lying, delusional, stupid, or a combination of the three.
Mr. Trump’s supporters adopted “Make America Great Again” as their slogan. If denial equated to greatness, history would revere them as exceedingly triumphant.
But it doesn’t, and history won’t look fondly on Mr. Trump or those who brought about his return to power.
Other than a bizarre fixation with magnets, sharks, and windmills, Trump 2.0 has offered little more than lies, retribution, chaos, and ill-contrived deflections. His base takes the bait every time, rushing to his defense as he tosses America further down the rabbit hole.
The President’s modus operandi thus far has been to wreck things, let Americans fester in the wreckage, return things as they were, and demand credit for what he believes is some sort of accomplishment. His behavior bears all the hallmarks of a thin skinned, spoiled brat who is completely out of touch with the everyman’s reality – and the Republican everyman lets him get away with it.
The President repackaged Biden's proposed Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire agreement and called it his own. He likewise rebranded Obama’s Iran nuclear deal and took the credit.
As for Mr. Trump’s efforts to lower the cost of insulin?
You guessed it – also repackaged Biden material.
It’s no wonder the man hired a ghostwriter to pen his book, “The Art of the Deal.”
The so-called “dealmaker” doesn’t have a single original idea.
It’s a safe bet that whatever healthcare package he puts forth – after 10 years of repeatedly saying he was only weeks away from announcing one — will be little more than a copy of Obamacare.
The President wreaked havoc on farmers by imposing baseless tariffs, only to return to their original amount after the damage was done. He continues to peddle the false assertion that tariffs are paid by the other country. The mainstream media enables him by referring to the taxes as “tariff revenue.” Meanwhile, Americans are feeling the strain. Yet even though grocery prices are higher now than they were a year ago, Mr. Trump and his mindless base maintain that higher prices are either “fake news” or the fault of former President Joe Biden.
Both are worn out excuses they offer for every subject, every time.
The only non-repackaged success Mr. Trump has achieved thus far has been to roll a turd in powdered sugar and convince his followers that it’s a jelly donut as they mindlessly grin, consuming every bite.
One of his latest scams is a 50-year mortgage proposition. In fact, Americans wouldn’t require a half century to pay off a home if Trump's oligarch friends would simply pay a living wage. Nevertheless, lower class, lower IQ MAGA types will applaud the idea as Trump once again pads the pockets of his billionaire buddies.
Another scam his base has eaten up in spades is an announcement that every American will receive a check in the amount of $2,000 thanks to “tariff revenue.”
His own Treasury Secretary tossed cold water on the proposition because the math didn’t add up. It would require double the amount of revenue from tariff taxes for every American to receive $2,000.
Back in March, Mr. Trump and Elon Musk said every American would receive a $5,000 rebate check from DOGE savings. If you’re keeping track, that’s $7,000 dollars that you’ll never see in your bank account. But even if you do, it was your money to begin with, so it’s not really a gain; it’s a return.
Trump supporters fall into one of two categories: Billionaires or idiots. Their bank accounts determine which one.
Perhaps it’s time we press them on the matter?
I can’t think of a more appropriate moment to raise the question than around the holiday table.
Let’s be honest: Neither the President, nor the conservative majority in Congress, are the cause of our problems – they are the symptoms. Our nation’s leaders would be rendered powerless were they not aided and abetted by the voters who gave them power in the first place – including those with buyer’s remorse.
Therefore, if you are angry with the direction our country has taken, consider focusing your frustration on family, friends, and neighbors who voted for this regime. Evidently, they enjoy drama, so why not bring it into their homes by serving up some jelly donuts a la Trump this Thanksgiving?
