heads in the sand
Analysis by Ben Everidge for Thomas
AN ANXIOUS REALITY …
Donald Trump’s presidential address to the joint session of Congress and the Democrats’ predictable reaction are unnerving to political independents who voted last November to break the status quo in Washington and improve our collective lot in life.
What we all got from both political parties, who have their heads buried even deeper in the political sand than ever before, was nonsensical theater, intentionally misleading falsehoods, and outrageous exaggerations. All to justify an end to the means courtesy of our two major-party-dominated government that will do precious little to improve the fortunes of average American families across this nation.
For his part, trying to convince a skeptical public, Mr. Trump trumpeted, “America’s momentum is back.” He said, “Our spirit is back, our pride is back, our confidence is back. And the American Dream is surging bigger and better than ever before.”
Is it, though? Are we back full of pride and confidence when consumer confidence fell dramatically since Inauguration Day just six weeks ago and the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 670 points on the day of Trump’s Presidential Address?
The President’s choice to dramatically and controversially change how the federal government operates is his prerogative. He won the 2024 election, defeating Kamala Harris and the Democrats and taking control of the United States Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. Provided, of course, that President Trump respects the United States Constitution and the Rule of Law in America while doing so.
Putting hardcore partisan politics and blame aside, it is safe to say that how Mr. Trump is making that change to our federal government is what makes political independents anxious. Few know what to expect or how to plan for it. No modern president has strained the boundaries of the United States Constitution more or threatened to do so in his bid to be the unitarian power in America.
Trump 47 Administration Change
The President and his Administration have undertaken disconcerting change for political independents that includes:
Empowering the wealthiest man in the world to slash and burn the federal workforce and access Americans’ sensitive private data, including their tax returns, banking records, and healthcare accounts that we know about today. Elon Musk is a South African immigrant performing his role as head of the U.S. Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) Service as an unelected bureaucrat without guardrails governed by a congressionally approved portfolio. He is also the recipient of more than $38 billion in federal grants for programs that are clearly in conflict with the very agencies that he is a contractor for including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA), the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), the U.S. Department of Labor, and more.
Indiscriminate widespread federal workforce firings undermining critical services impacting food and workplace safety, pediatric cancer and other medical research, air traffic control effectiveness, hurricane and forest fire preparedness, nuclear weaponry and regulation, foreign aid, and more. These federal workforce reductions have already regretfully impacted more than 6,000 United States veterans who have honorably served their nation in times of war and conflict, including at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Punitive tariffs on trusted allies like Canada, Mexico, and the European Union that will prove inflationary to the American economy and painfully expensive to U.S. households.
Siding with Russia, Iran, and North Korea at the United Nations against our European allies refusing to condemn Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine without actual provocation and wrongfully alleging that Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the dictator and war cause instead.
Extending tax benefits for the wealthy at the expense of working-class Americans, Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries, Medicaid recipients, and the federal deficit.
Executive Orders that excite the Make America Great Again (MAGA) political base but are generating a mountain of legal challenges and are, in too many cases, not constitutionally sound.
Launching investigations and dismissing senior executive leaders in a manner that is clearly weaponizing the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) against political opponents in retribution for perceived slights and policy disagreements.
What Political Independents Want
Political independents are straightforward and focused on what they want from their government and the Trump 47 Administration:
Strengthen and preserve our American democracy, not evade or deconstruct the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Embrace a federal government that delivers better, more effective services for our citizens through sound institutions and a responsive rule of law.
Put more money and resources in the pockets of average American households by encouraging the creation of better-paying jobs, more affordable housing and healthcare, and empowering education and job training.
Ensure safer neighborhoods and manage our open borders to curtail the tide of illegal immigration, drug running, and human trafficking.
Preserve the Social Security and Medicare benefits Americans have paid for and earned throughout their careers.
Control America’s spiraling deficit spending and reduce the soaring national debt through responsible spending and a fair tax code that treats all Americans and business enterprises equally.
Work collaboratively with the rational political right and rational political left for the benefit of the American people.
End the political drama, volatility, and unfounded partisan accusations that have created political gridlock in Washington and too many state capitals.
“Drain the swamp” by insisting on uncompromising ethics in Washington and not approving morally flawed individuals for leadership positions.
MAGA Heads in the Political Sand
Although rapid change did indeed come to Washington in the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election cycle, and the return engagement of Donald J. Trump to the White House, little has actually changed in how MAGA Republicans have conducted themselves so far, with the President doubling down on initiatives that are more of the reckless same to independent minds:
President Trump’s campaign pledge to bring down household expenses for the average American family has been deprioritized as consumer goods, food prices, energy costs, prescription drugs, housing, and more daily living expenses continue to rise, thanks to tariff promises that have created needless inflationary trade wars with our allies.
The pledge to shrink government has been unnerving window-dressing to date but is eliminating vital federal services Americans need in the meantime. Extending tax cuts for the wealthy will add a projected $4.5 trillion over 10 years to the federal budget when our national debt is already a crushing and dangerous $36 trillion. Mr. Trump added $7.8 trillion to the national debt during his first term in office and appears on his way to adding yet more in his second term.
The pledge to end war in Ukraine on day one, has been incited by openly abandoning Ukraine in its war with Russia unless they give up sovereign territory to the invader and mineral rights to the protector; threatening to end the U.S.-NATO alliance that has kept the peace in Europe for more than 80 years; informing Panama that the United States will take back the canal against its will; and pledging to Greenland and Canada that America wants to annex them. Wasn’t withholding Ukrainian security assistance approved by Congress, which resulted in President Trump 45 being impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives? Will Ukraine be Donald Trump’s Vietnam or Afghanistan?
Science-denying where the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Secretary contends that a troubling outbreak of once-eradicated measles in Texas can be treated with Vitamin A, which sounds like it’s shades of the Hydroxychloroquine and bleach cures for COVID-19.
Democrat Heads in the Sand
Despite their blistering loss of the White House and the United States Senate and their failure to regain the U.S. House of Representatives, the Democrats so far have doubled down, too, on what they did that lost them the 2024 elections:
Scratched their heads at the un-ceremonial and anti-democratic way in which President Joe Biden was replaced on the electoral ballot by his vice president even though Mr. Biden clearly appeared to be physically and mentally compromised in his final years in office in a manner that seemed covered up by his senior staff and campaign advisors.
Focused on cultural issues, what MAGA called “woke” issues instead of the family financial issues that caused voters to reject party candidates in November.
Failed to address the inflation that plagued American households during their White House tenure, which skyrocketed to 9% and eventually settled back to 3.4%. However, it was never entirely rationalized or explained in a way that voters could embrace.
Added $8.4 trillion to the national debt with spending that voters saw as giveaways to illegal immigrants and foreign assistance run amok to nations that were never seen as particularly friendly or strategically important to the United States.
Neglected to prosecute cases on a timely basis so that juries of their peers could judge guilt or innocence, not rancor partisan politics.
Botched the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan, a resolution to the Israel-Gaza War, the Russia-Ukraine War, and the management of terrorists such as the Houthis and Hezbollah.
Overstepped on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives (DEI) that made average Americans uncomfortable and feeling disadvantaged themselves as these programs flourished.
They lost their way with the working class representing their needs versus the needs of special interest groups.
The Perception Forward
Even though President Biden and his Administration resolved America’s coronavirus crisis, drove down inflation, and enjoyed relatively strong economic growth and low unemployment, most American voters have concluded in recent years that Democrats and Republicans both have America on the wrong path.
Political independents believe American democracy, security, and prosperity are imperiled because neither party is doing a reasonable job addressing and resolving the many challenges we face as a country.
Political independents want responsible change in Washington. They want a government that will work for them, not against them.
Political independents want predictable guardrails that will protect their privacy, safety, security, and success.
Neither major party has been predictable in recent years. Political independents can count on neither major party to watch over our nation appropriately.
Will Congress do its constitutional job in protecting our priorities in 2025, or will Congress place even more unfettered power into the hands of our chief executive, who relishes being a king rather than a president?