You probably have not been able to keep up with the incessant news cycle that is the Trump presidency. I haven't been able to either.
Getting lost in the ridiculousness, the lies, the absurd tweets, the childish actions and the general sideshow that is the White House, are a number of important issues.
Understand that the president is an entertainer and professional advertiser who likes to see his name in headlines as often as possible. Any press is good press as far as he is concerned.
He is absolutely bereft of any understanding of how the policy process and government works. The lack of transparency from the administration, and the president's petty, rogue nature contribute to the trouble.
This leads the news media to constantly scramble to focus on different aspects of the Russia-Trump collusion investigation, the firing of the FBI director, and basically the complete and utter incompetence in the West Wing.
Exercise caution about wading too deep into these issues. Many people see the potential obstruction of justice just six months into his presidency as a ripe way to save our country.
I'm finding the need to constantly check myself from falling too deep into the rabbit hole of impeachment talks, scandal and outrage that this president elicits.
The facts will come out, but we cannot let it blur just how hollow his campaign promises were and still are.
President Trump has no guiding message. He hasn't drained any swamp, nor will he. He's appointed a bunch of rich, Goldman Sachs friends to critical administration positions. He's conducted the least transparent several months of a presidency since Richard Nixon. His healthcare plan (regardless of your feelings on Obamacare) does everything but help to lower cost and increase access, and acts as a $700 billion tax cut to the uber-wealthy. His budget proposes huge cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.
His scaling back of environmental regulations could have disastrous consequences on sustainability and combating climate change.
I'm not saying that we shouldn't continue to hold the President's feet to the fire over Russia, Comey, etc., because we absolutely should. But for the foreseeable future, he isn't going anywhere and we need to be realistic.
We have to keep our focus on asking Trump and the Republican Congress how their policies are helping the poor, the middle class and marginalized populations.
Because they have no answer.
Zachary T. Hands
Westminster
