I've resisted commenting lately because you have to wonder what more you can say about the Donald Trump presidency, which is essentially destroying the concept of what America represents. I distinguish between the concept of America and the country that is the United States of America.
Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney outlined a budget that increases defense, law enforcement, immigration enforcement, and support for veterans. Sure, easy to agree with veteran support, but nothing else in it makes sense given the fact that it cuts many programs that would benefit the president's base of supporters. Every time I hear Mr. Mulvaney speak, it more strongly confirms my
thought that if left to him, his budget would tank this country
financially.
President Trump sold his supporters empty promises and nothing more.
Chuck Todd thinks the Healthcare vote this week will be the biggest story, among many big stories to come this week. Paul Ryan's healthcare bill will pass the House, but the Senate, probably not. Fourteen million people are going to be taken off of the Medicaid expansion, and no matter how you twist that rhetorically, people are really going to negatively feel that. The tax credit plan in its replacement along with block grants to the states isn't going to work out. Conservative state governors will eventually eliminate from their budgets, states like South Carolina where Mick Mulvaney was a Congressman.
It comes down to whether you think healthcare is a right that Americans should have or not. Government is always going to be involved in healthcare in some way. Today's conservative philosophy (Paul Ryan's) is that government should not be responsible for providing it and that extends to Medicaid and Medicare. Speaker Ryan wants to phase these programs out, starting with the Medicaid expansion enacted through the Affordable Care Act.
I suspect that FBI Director James Comey will confirm some things tomorrow that we already know, namely Donald Trump's lie about the wire tapping, an embarrassment exacerbated by our dumbass President repeating it at the podium with the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel. George Will insight that Chancellor Merkel grew up in East Germany where being spied on by secret police was a way of life. That would never have even occurred as a remote thought to our president.
Honestly, commenting is so difficult when you have no evidence that this president can be trusted in any serious matter; 50 days in and our relationships with all of our allies are evaporating before our eyes and domestically he only plays into people's fears and blames someone else. Tell me why I'd want to tell my kid that I'd want him to grow up and be like this president. I'm still trying to figure that out.
America was the goal for every country in the world that aspired to have more freedom, opportunity and prosperity, and now with Donald Trump as president we've essentially surrendered that position. He does want America to lead the world any more. In voting for him, this is direction we've decided to go.
In the meantime, get ready for another week of high political theater.
Panel: George Will, The Washington Post; Yamiche Alcindor, The New York Times; Robert Costa, The Washington Post; Katty Kay, BBC News
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