Eight months into his presidency and the president has not worked with the Democratic leadership to pass his agenda, because he expected to get his policies across the finish line with just his own party. This mindset did not make sense because Republicans were disorganized, dysfunctional, and not a unified party.
As a result of Republicans being disorganized, President Trump has decided to work with the Democratic leadership who appear to have control of the members in their party. With the first major bipartisan bill passed in Trump’s administration, it seemed that another deal was being brokered by the Democratic leadership, and the president.
But somehow the lines of communication became confusing, and the Democratic leadership was saying one thing, and Trump had a totally different interpretation of what was discussed. This comes as no surprise to most Democrats because Trump is famous for changing his stories.
From the very first day when Sean Spicer’s’ claim that Trump’s inauguration crowd was the largest in American history was a fabrication, people knew what to expect. After that claim, fabricated stories never ended and citizens could not believe anything the president said.
Despite the many lies the president has told, many Trump supporters still believe him.
On a hot microphone, Sen. Chuck Schumer, the head of the minority party in the Senate is caught saying that Trumps likes him. That is like telling someone that my good friend was caught taking the knife out of my back, but he still likes me immensely.
Trump and his administration has violated the rule of law so many times that people from his own party are starting to ask the question ”Why has he not been impeached?”
Finally, it was time for the truth to be told about racism and President Trump. A series of tweets by ESPN reporter Jemele Hill last week calling out Donald Trump’s White supremacist behavior, has the president and his administration upset.
Sarah Huckabee-Sanders, the White House Press Secretary, is calling the veteran journalist actions “inappropriate and offensive.” She is also asking for an apology and asking ESPN to fire Ms. Hill for her statements.
Ms. Hill has not issued an apology for her tweets, and made it clear that raising social issues on her public platform is not off-limits. President Trump has a record of discriminating against Black people in New York in his rental properties, and his treatment and statements of other people of color has been racist and mean.
On a Sports Illustrated Media Panel last month, Ms. Hill asserted, “I know there are sports fans looking for me to provide them with an escape, but as a woman and a person of color, I have no escape from the fact that there are people in charge who seem to be either sickened by my existence or are intent on erasing my dignity in every possible way.”
When Blacks in positions of public influence speak truth to power, they are denigrated in a derogatory manner, and forced to apologize. Many times their position is eliminated or their role is diminished.
On the other hand, when a White reporter says the exact same thing, they are considered an aggressive investigative ground breaking reporter who exposes the truth. Racism is a subject that more White people are starting to talk about more, and America needs a national conversation.
“White supremacy is about maintaining power through the politics of division and oppression – and it impacts everyone, Black, Brown, or White” says Rev. Barber – The Poor People’s Campaign. America must dig deeper to address structural racism, and understand why Trump openly used White rage, racism, and hatred to get elected.
The Democratic leadership must continue to resist Trump’s policies, and remember a snake is always getting ready to attack, even when it appears to be your friend.