TRUMP’S MOTTO: “WHEN IN DOUBT: DECLARE VICTORY”

…MERCK was one of 10 US drug companies that raised their prices

Trump declares “Drug companies will lower prices”:  then 10 US companies raised drug prices.

For any president other than Donald Trump, they would have never looked at a district in Ohio that the Republicans had held for 35 years, that Trump won by 11 points and Romney 10 points, but only Trump would call the latest 0.9 point win “a great victory”.

This marginal win, that may become a loss, after the absentee ballots and the provisional ballots are counted 10 days later.  It was an election that also had a late Trump rally and vast amounts of spent Republican dollars.

“Congratulations to Troy Balderson on a great win in Ohio,” Trump proclaimed, even though the race could not officially be called until those other ballots are counted. Trump further declared it a “very special” race.

As it always is with Trump, when in doubt: just declare victory!

The reality is, that this was a seat that has been a virtually guaranteed GOP seat for decades, but is only now a competitive seat due to President Trump’s unpopularity.  A seat that could eventually go to the Democrats.

In fact, this was not a primary, it was a special election that, if it stays Republican, that will only be for 3 months.  Then it will be up for election again in November.  The locals may just put the Democrat that almost won to be their real winner after all.

But as for the president, he is just acting as usual in always declaring victory, regardless of the truth.

As more examples of hypocrisy, Trump has announced: “Tariffs are working big time,” though his tariffs have provoked layoffs and plant closures and forced Trump to announce $12 billion in emergency aid to farmers.  But what about those others affected by his tariffs?

“Because of tariffs we will be able to start paying down large amounts of the $21 Trillion in debt,” added Trump, which is a bunch of B.S.  The truth is, he is actually celebrating a major increase in the  US debt.

For another declared victory, after the meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, Trump declared that there “there is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea.” He said Americans can “sleep well tonight.”

Sorry folks, due to our US spy satellites, they have confirmed that North Korea is still creating nuclear materials and expanding their ICBM missile capability.  If successful, that will allow North Korea to deliver a nuclear device to the east coast of the United States.  As Trump’s own national security adviser, John Bolton, has admitted, “[Kim] has not taken the steps we feel are necessary to denuclearize.”

But Trump still declares that his meeting with Kim in Singapore was successful…..?

Want some more Trump victories?

After his meeting with our NATO partners in Brussels, Trump said it “was an acknowledged triumph” and “everyone has agreed to substantially up their commitment.”  That’s just more B.S..  The NATO member nations had not offered to increase their defense spending commitment beyond the current 2% of gross domestic product.  And they are sticking with meeting that goal by 2024, which they had already pledged to meet back in 2014.  Emmanuel Macron, the French president made it clear that the leaders’ agreement merely, “confirms the goal of 2% by 2024. That’s all.”

In talking down at our NATO allies, Trump repeated his lies about NATO spending, and he said “it [NATO] is better for Europe than for the US.”   It's good for all NATO members.

Back in May, Trump had said that US drug companies would soon “announce voluntary massive drops in prices.” Instead, they announced increases.

Trump then attacked Pfizer for their increase, and Pfizer backed down and agreed to postpone the increase until the end of the year.  (Not lower prices, just postpone.)

Trump of course, again declared victory: “Great news for the American people!”  He declared a big win!  Never mind that Pfizer prices will not gone down, and, as Bloomberg News reported, at least 10 other drug-makers went ahead and raised prices while Trump was celebrating his Pfizer win.

Here are a few more Trump victories:

“Mission accomplished,” Trump declared after his strike on Syria, yet the war continues and the Assad regime endures.

“The end of the ISIS caliphate is in sight,” Trump stated, however, the latest reports refer to a resurgence by ISIS in Iraq.

“The Summit with Russia was a great success,” Trump declared, But the meeting met with overall criticism.

“We just opened up Europe for you farmers,”  Trump told supporters in Iowa, though the actual agreement he reached with the European Union had only a vague statement for “working to reduce barriers.”

“Big win in the House,” Trump had announced during the Republicans’ failed attempt to repeal Obamacare.

“Perhaps one of the biggest wins,” Trump said, is a “$52 billion” drop in the trade deficit in the second quarter of 2018. But it was more like $20 billion, and maybe even less.

As the Washington Post’s Dana Milbank wrote: “At best, the presidential victory decrees are premature. The equivalent of giving the coach a Gatorade shower when you’re down three touchdowns at halftime. “We’re going to win so much you’re going to get tired of winning,” Trump used to promise. But will people tire of Trump saying we’re winning when the scoreboard indicates otherwise?”

I would not be surprised, since actual success is not required for the president to declare victory, what he will eventually do is claim that he has already, “Made America Great Again”.

Why let a little thing like actual achievements get in the way!

If Trump makes it through whatever comes from the Robert Mueller investigations, you’d better be prepared for Trump’s 2020 campaign slogan to be: “Let’s Keep America Great!”

Copyright G.Ater  2018