A 2nd LOOK AT TRUMP’S FIRST 30 DAYS

…The infamous “Border Wall” that is now up to $21 billion.

 

The cost of the Trump family’s security and travel for one month, is equal to a full year of Obama costs for the same.

 

So beside the first 30 days being a virtual corporate takeover, where are we with Trump’s policies after those first 30 days of President Donald Trump?

 

First, because Trump has shown such simplistic shortsightedness on overseas policy, he already has deepened the foreign threats we face. Pulling out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership is sending hard-earned, low cost, Pacific Rim manufacturers and allies flying from our embrace into China’s arms.

 

Trade wars are now in the works from China to Mexico, and these will raise our consumer prices, not reduce them.

 

Signaling Trump's weaker support for NATO nations in Europe, while coddling Russian President Vladimir Putin, this could eventually increase Russian aggression against those Western-leaning democratic nations.

 

Ridiculous insults against our long-established allies could discourage them from joining any American campaigns when we need them down the line.  And what about Trump’s still-likely Muslim travel ban? As an ISIS recruiting tool, it’s “God’s Gift to all the Terrorists”.

 

Domestically, with the regulation’s that Trump’s executive orders have repealed, we already are on course to be more poorly protected from industrial pollution, financial manipulation, religious discrimination and maybe even racial injustice.

 

Trump has undermined the basic independence of the judiciary and demonized the role of the real media, (but not his favorite, Fox News). His autocratic approach to jobs ultimately might make US industry even more automated while still being less competitive. The infamous “Wall”, according to Homeland Security, is now up to $21 billion, and now we’re the ones who’ll pay for it. And so far, at least the millions of Americans who finally have health insurance, they face a return to the ranks of the uninsured, especially those Americans with pre-existing conditions.

 

Already, after just 30 days, this has all become the president’s legacy. As he himself might tweet, that’s “SAD”!. 

 

And on top of all this, the cost of travel and security for the new first family, especially since the president returns to Mara Lago on the weekends, his first 30 days has cost the same as a whole year of security and travel for the Obama family.

 

But the problems with this president goes well beyond his costs and bogus policies. Far beyond. They go directly to the man’s personality.

 

He promised he’d be presidential. That, too, has proven to be an empty pledge. He is still a petulant, pugnacious, and petty individual.  Yes, for this president of the United States, his truth is a lie and his lies are his truths.

 

As to his promise to release those tax returns to see if he really is the benefactor he claims to be?  Now he says, it’s not gonna happen.

 

As for separating himself from the fate of his family’s fortune?  I give you one word: Nordstrom’s.

 

And for his showing his support for federal law? According to President Trump, Michael Flynn speaking about sanctions with the Russian ambassador before Trump even took office, “that wasn’t wrong.” Yes it was Donald!

 

And Trump now claims: “This administration is running like a fine-tuned machine.”

 

If that’s true, what about the scary warning by the general running our military’s Special Ops Command that the government is in “unbelievable turmoil.”  Our reality-TV president is divorced from that reality.

 

How about when his Muslim ban was rebuffed by four federal judges, and then he had to fire his national security adviser for lying to the Vice President.   And when his preferred successor for national security adviser turned him down because of concern about the president always changing his mind or even his beliefs. 

 

Then he couldn’t get the votes to confirm his labor secretary, as he resorted again to Twitter to trash many of the American intelligence agencies.

 

That’s some “fine-tuned machine”.

 

And let’s not forget “Team Trump”.  Oh, I’m nor referring to Kellyanne Conway’s “alternative facts”, or Stephen Bannon’s demand that the media “keep its mouth shut and just listen”.

 

I’m referring to the whopper that the senior adviser Stephen Miller’s proclaimed on “Face the Nation”.  He declared that “the powers of the president … will not be questioned.” Or as comedian Seth Meyers observed, “The only way that statement could be more terrifying is if he yelled it in German.”

 

After this first 30 days, we now know for sure that our president uses his ego-fed feelings in place of the facts.  And he’s a president that still goes ballistic over small slights against anything he says.  And finally a president that loves to shake things up without knowing or caring where the pieces will fall.

 

If the United States under Trump ever finds itself in a real crisis and if we must rely on this president’s word and judgment, how will we know that he even has an ability to get it right the first time?

 

Based on what we’ve seen so far, there are many political followers that don’t think Trump can survive one full year.  And that was made very definite after only 30 days.

 

Copyright G.Ater  2017