OP-ED: Past few weeks momentous for president
The past few weeks have been momentous for the president and for our country.
President Trump’s party has lost control of the U.S. House, close to 40 seats turning blue, the greatest number lost by a Republican president since the Watergate era, yet Trump and his lackey, Vice President Mike Pence, consider it to have been “near total victory” because the party increased its margin in the Senate by two.
After firing the embattled and disgraced attorney general who, to Trump’s dismay refused to act as his personal lawyer and protector, he has installed a Trump loyalist and stooge in the position, attempting to convince us that he was unaware of Matt Whitaker’s contempt for the Mueller probe which he is now in a position to derail or cripple.
The president failed to attend a commemoration of the end of World War I because it was raining and declined to continue the tradition of visiting Arlington National Cemetery on a Veterans Day on which he had no public events on his calendar.
Respected, esteemed retired Admiral William McRaven dared to condemn the president’s reckless and dangerous war on the media and for it, he was falsely tarred by Trump as a Hillary Clinton supporter who failed to capture Osama Bin Laden quickly enough. Oh, yes, Mr. President. I am sure that if you had not dodged military service and had been on the team which pursued Bin Laden, you surely would have fearlessly and valiantly apprehended Bin Laden immediately! If only the man who knows more than the generals had been leading us at that time!
The “moral leader” of our nation engaged in his usual infantile Tweet-storm name-calling against prominent Democratic House member Adam Schiff, referring to him as “Little,” and went a step further this time, turning Schiff’s name into profanity. I wonder how his evangelical supporters digest this and how they explain to their children that it is acceptable for a United States president to act as a thug.
We have seen how Trump denigrates Democrats, military members, women, democratic allies, those with disabilities, and immigrants illegal and legal. Is there any group he has not insulted? How durable is his popularity given that he is loyal to no one and seeks to demolish anyone who does not toe his line?
The Electoral College Trump victory in 2016 was made possible by winning Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan by the slimmest of margins, something that appears increasingly unlikely for a 2020 contest if the Democrats nominate a strong candidate. I wonder what Trump will do if he loses. What conspiracies would he allege to have occurred and what unlawful steps would he take to remain in office?
It will take a great deal of time for the stain of the past two years to be erased even if this presidency mercifully ends on Jan. 20, 2021.
Oren Spiegler is a resident of South Strabane Township.