It is hard to keep up with the US president’s insults and shock policy decisions yet the Republican Party is sticking with him. He has labeled Mexicans as rapists. He did his best to enact a Muslim entry ban. He gleefully threw rolls of paper towels at traumatised Puerto Ricans, many without food, water and shelter in the aftermath of a hurricane. He insisted a crowd of white supremacist protesters in Charlottesville included good people.
He has even succeeded in creating a tense atmosphere between the US and the EU as well as America’s traditional allies Germany and the UK. His relations with Chancellor Merkel are frayed and British PM Theresa May has been widely condemned for inviting him on a state visit.
He is aware that he cannot expect a warm welcome in the British capital, as evidenced by his recent cancellation of a working visit to London to open a new state-of-the-art embassy. Despite his tweeted pretext, he has probably been deterred by the mayor of London’s promise to galvanise large protests or he could be miffed that while former US president Barack Obama has received an informal invitation to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, he is unlikely to get one.
Donald Trump, who once complained climate change was a Chinese hoax, startled the community of nations with his country’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord, significant when the US is one of the planet’s biggest polluters.
His virtual gifting of occupied East Jerusalem to Israel, his threats to cut UNWRA’s funding and to countries that don’t toe the line caused an international uproar. And last month the US announced cuts to its United Nations budget; a body the school ma’am-like US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has blasted as being anti-Israel.
His recent tweet boasting his nuclear button was bigger than that of the North Korean leader’s, reminiscent of kindergarten-speak, was swiftly followed by “I probably have a very good relationship with Kim Jong-un.” But the worst was yet to come.
During a meeting in the Oval Office with US senators to discuss immigration, Trump consigned Haiti, El Salvador and the entire continent of Africa to the rubbish bin in the most offensive terms and expressed a desire for Norwegian immigrants.
Why he imagined that Norwegians would be queuing at US borders is anyone’s guess. Norway tops the World Happiness ranking, comes second in gender equality and outperforms the US in terms of education, crime, life expectancy and per capita GDP.
Trump’s denials sound empty when at least two senators, one Democrat and the other Republican, have confirmed they witnessed his obnoxious un-presidential depictions that have angered many of America’s partners and allies. A few Republican senators have come out swinging. Several have made lightly critical statements; others consider silence is golden.
The 55-member African Union has issued a statement calling his comments “clearly racist.” The spokesman for the United Nations Commission on Human Rights has echoed that sentiment. A growing number of leaders are summoning American ambassadors to register their protest.
The vast majority of Americans I know are embarrassed by their president. His approval rating hovers around the mid-30s, the lowest for any Oval Office incumbent at this stage of their presidency. Furthermore his approval rating “has slipped significantly among white voters, including blue-collar whites who make up much of his base,” according to Newsweek.
Now the president finds himself in the centre of a scandal widely reported in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and on CNN to the effect that in 2016 his lawyer arranged to pay an adult-movie actress US$130,000 to maintain silence on her alleged relationship with Trump that ended more than a decade ago.
Nevertheless, Republicans in Congress, including some members of bipartisan committees investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, are content with emitting the occasional tut-tut, seemingly oblivious to the damage being done to America’s global standing. Why is this?
It’s the economy, stupid. The stock market is experiencing record highs, unemployment is down and a US$1.5 trillion tax cut offers a mega bonanza to the wealthy and major corporations. The hated Obamacare is dying a death and House Speaker Paul Ryan is urging the president to reduce spending on Medicare and welfare programmes to diminish the deficit. Government spending is also due to be slashed.
What goes up must come down and financial experts are expecting a stock market correction at some point this year. Mid-term elections are scheduled for November when voters will translate their views on Trump at the ballot boxes. You know what they say about rats and sinking ships!
Who next after the Trump fiasco is over is over in three years. Oprah Winfrey’s name is being touted. Celebs are pushing politicians aside. Heaven help us all!
Linda S. Heard is an award-winning British specialist writer on Middle East affairs. She welcomes feedback and can be contacted by email at heardonthegrapevines@yahoo.co.uk.
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Scandal-ridden Trump crosses red lines unchallenged
Posted on January 16, 2018 by Linda S. Heard
It is hard to keep up with the US president’s insults and shock policy decisions yet the Republican Party is sticking with him. He has labeled Mexicans as rapists. He did his best to enact a Muslim entry ban. He gleefully threw rolls of paper towels at traumatised Puerto Ricans, many without food, water and shelter in the aftermath of a hurricane. He insisted a crowd of white supremacist protesters in Charlottesville included good people.
He has even succeeded in creating a tense atmosphere between the US and the EU as well as America’s traditional allies Germany and the UK. His relations with Chancellor Merkel are frayed and British PM Theresa May has been widely condemned for inviting him on a state visit.
He is aware that he cannot expect a warm welcome in the British capital, as evidenced by his recent cancellation of a working visit to London to open a new state-of-the-art embassy. Despite his tweeted pretext, he has probably been deterred by the mayor of London’s promise to galvanise large protests or he could be miffed that while former US president Barack Obama has received an informal invitation to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, he is unlikely to get one.
Donald Trump, who once complained climate change was a Chinese hoax, startled the community of nations with his country’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord, significant when the US is one of the planet’s biggest polluters.
His virtual gifting of occupied East Jerusalem to Israel, his threats to cut UNWRA’s funding and to countries that don’t toe the line caused an international uproar. And last month the US announced cuts to its United Nations budget; a body the school ma’am-like US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has blasted as being anti-Israel.
His recent tweet boasting his nuclear button was bigger than that of the North Korean leader’s, reminiscent of kindergarten-speak, was swiftly followed by “I probably have a very good relationship with Kim Jong-un.” But the worst was yet to come.
During a meeting in the Oval Office with US senators to discuss immigration, Trump consigned Haiti, El Salvador and the entire continent of Africa to the rubbish bin in the most offensive terms and expressed a desire for Norwegian immigrants.
Why he imagined that Norwegians would be queuing at US borders is anyone’s guess. Norway tops the World Happiness ranking, comes second in gender equality and outperforms the US in terms of education, crime, life expectancy and per capita GDP.
Trump’s denials sound empty when at least two senators, one Democrat and the other Republican, have confirmed they witnessed his obnoxious un-presidential depictions that have angered many of America’s partners and allies. A few Republican senators have come out swinging. Several have made lightly critical statements; others consider silence is golden.
The 55-member African Union has issued a statement calling his comments “clearly racist.” The spokesman for the United Nations Commission on Human Rights has echoed that sentiment. A growing number of leaders are summoning American ambassadors to register their protest.
The vast majority of Americans I know are embarrassed by their president. His approval rating hovers around the mid-30s, the lowest for any Oval Office incumbent at this stage of their presidency. Furthermore his approval rating “has slipped significantly among white voters, including blue-collar whites who make up much of his base,” according to Newsweek.
Now the president finds himself in the centre of a scandal widely reported in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and on CNN to the effect that in 2016 his lawyer arranged to pay an adult-movie actress US$130,000 to maintain silence on her alleged relationship with Trump that ended more than a decade ago.
Nevertheless, Republicans in Congress, including some members of bipartisan committees investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, are content with emitting the occasional tut-tut, seemingly oblivious to the damage being done to America’s global standing. Why is this?
It’s the economy, stupid. The stock market is experiencing record highs, unemployment is down and a US$1.5 trillion tax cut offers a mega bonanza to the wealthy and major corporations. The hated Obamacare is dying a death and House Speaker Paul Ryan is urging the president to reduce spending on Medicare and welfare programmes to diminish the deficit. Government spending is also due to be slashed.
What goes up must come down and financial experts are expecting a stock market correction at some point this year. Mid-term elections are scheduled for November when voters will translate their views on Trump at the ballot boxes. You know what they say about rats and sinking ships!
Who next after the Trump fiasco is over is over in three years. Oprah Winfrey’s name is being touted. Celebs are pushing politicians aside. Heaven help us all!
Linda S. Heard is an award-winning British specialist writer on Middle East affairs. She welcomes feedback and can be contacted by email at heardonthegrapevines@yahoo.co.uk.