TOPICS – Page 60 – * Failed Pols

Donald Trump has officially kicked off his campaign for re-election. Though he announced his intention to run for re-election at an Orlando, Florida, rally on June 18, 2019, Trump had actually filed his re-election campaign with the Federal Election Commission on the day he was inaugurated in 2016.

Trump has gotten a lot of campaign mileage out of fear-mongering, voicing grievances, and inciting distrust and resentment of otherness (Anyone deviating from the general demographic of his base is fair game).

Democrats, Trump told his fans at the Florida kickoff rally, “want to destroy you and they want to destroy our country as we know it.”

“A vote for any Democrat in 2020,” he continued, “is a vote for the rise of radical socialism and the destruction of the American dream.”

In his efforts to portray an economically thriving America, Trump has attempted to redefine what constitutes poverty, thus reducing the number of Americans — even working Americans — who would qualify for assistance. And though many Trump supporters themselves are not faring well economically, they remain on the Trump bandwagon, as evidenced by the enthusiasm at the Florida kickoff rally for Trump’s re-election slogan, “Keep America Great.”

And despite (or because of) Robert Mueller’s reported findings related to Trump’s possible obstruction of justice in the Russia investigation; despite Trump’s ties to corporations; and despite Trump’s now more than 10,000 documented lies or misrepresentations since taking office, Trump’s base remain steadfast in their support.

Meanwhile, 20 Democrats prepare for the first 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary Debate, running on platforms that actually could contribute to America’s greatness — climate change, the opioid crisis, health care. But “greatness,” as seen by Trump’s supporters, appears to be defined by exclusion, divisiveness, and a narrow world-view.

As the Democratic candidates debate each other and put forth their platforms, it seems that most agree on what they see as the most important issue, no matter who gets the Democratic nomination: to beat Donald Trump and prevent his re-election.

Where does President Trump stand as he kicks off his 2020 reelection bid? | Fox News [2019-06-22]

Donald Trump launches 2020 re-election bid | Times News
[2019-06-19]

Sarah Huckabee Sanders has announced that she will be leaving her role as White House Press Secretary at the end of June. Her 2-1/2-year tenure was one of the longest for a member of the Trump Administration. Sanders cited spending more time with her kids as one of her reasons for stepping down.

“I am blessed and forever grateful to @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to serve and proud of everything he’s accomplished. I love the President and my job,” Sanders tweeted on June 13. “The most important job I’ll ever have is being a mom to my kids and it’s time for us to go home. Thank you Mr. President!”

When her departure was announced, she said at the podium, “It’s truly the most special experience. The only one that I could think could top it is the fact that I’m a mom.”

As Donald Trump’s apologist, Sanders was sometimes also Trump’s scapegoat. A large part of Sarah Sanders’ White House legacy will indeed be her lies on behalf of Trump. One wonders, then, how she will frame this fact as she goes home to her kids to do what she says is “the most important job,” since an important part of that job is to be an example.

Sarah Sanders’ big, bold, globally publicized lies include her lie about how “countless members of the FBI” were “thankful and grateful” for FBI Director James Comey’s firing, and that they had lost faith in him as a leader. Sanders later tried to walk this lie back by calling it at one time “a slip of the tongue,” and at another time, a remark made “in the heat of the moment.”

Other well-known Sanders lies include the one about Trump’s lack of knowledge of his personal attorney’s hush money payments to women who allegedly had affairs with Trump (Trump knew); Trump’s “never having encouraged violence at MAGA rallies” (Trump frequently did just that with his verbal commentary); and the one where she said that 4,000 suspected or known terrorists had tried to enter the U.S. at its southern boarder (in reality, the count is a mere six).

And then there was the altered video Sarah Sanders tweeted, showing CNN journalist Jim Acosta appearing to accost an intern. Sanders claimed that the video documented Acosta’s “inappropriate behavior,” which was the reason for the temporary revocation of his press pass. The original, unaltered video showed that Acosta did not accost the intern.

One assumes that for most parents, honesty is an important trait to pass to one’s children. It would be interesting to see how Sarah Sanders handles the teaching of this lesson. Any of the lies her children might tell, though, such as “I came home late because I ran out of gas,” or “I was at Brittany’s house all night,” or “I don’t know how that bottle of Seagram’s got to be empty,” will likely pale in comparison to the very public, very far-reaching whoppers that Sarah Sanders has told.

Sarah Sanders to leave White House at end of June | Associated Press
[2019-06-13]

Did Sarah Sanders live up to her own standard? | Washington Post
[2019-06-14]

Category: TOPICS

Donald Trump Kicks Off Re-election Campaign

Sarah Sanders Leaving White House; Continues Legacy at Home