What Did You Think Would Happen?
By
Leonard Zwelling
Today, on the streets of many American cities, masked federal agents with guns and clubs descend upon workplaces where they suspect illegal immigrants may be employed in an effort to arrest and deport them. In the process, these agents are terrorizing many American citizens who happen to have dark skin and speak Spanish. The agents, ICE and others, have jailed them despite their being legal American citizens.
In the Caribbean Sea, the United States military is blowing up small vessels the President claims are transporting drugs. These vessels have not been boarded by the Navy or Coast Guard. There is no confirmation that they contain drugs and if they do contain drugs and they are really from Venezuela, their cargo is unlikely to be the fentanyl Trump claims to be after. That comes from Mexico.
Just as examples, neither the current FBI Director, nor his assistant nor the Secretary of Defense are even minimally qualified for their jobs. That’s a lot of fire power in the hands of the incompetent. Yesterday, a judge dismissed charges against James Comey and Letitia James because the attorney prosecuting them was probably not legally confirmed nor in the least bit competent. After all, this was her first real appearance before a grand jury.
A strong ally of President Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene, comes out in favor of releasing the Epstein files, something Trump promised during the campaign last year. All of sudden, Trump brands her a “traitor.” She’s not my favorite member of Congress, but I give her credit for at least working with her colleagues across the aisle for a good cause. She’s no traitor. She is doing what her constituents sent her to Washington to do and now she is resigning. It sounds like she has been disillusioned by Trump’s turning on her. I actually believe that she has a plan. Will she be the next Governor of Georgia? Senator? President? She says no, but…
A man responsible for the murder of a journalist working for an American newspaper (according to our own intelligence agencies) is welcomed with open arms into the Oval Office so he can invest a trillion dollars in the United States in exchange for F-35 aircraft and other considerations. He leads a nation where women still struggle for their rights as people.
The entire infrastructure of America’s leadership role in science and medicine is being undermined, first by DOGE, now by budget cuts not to mention malarkey on the CDC web site about autism and vaccines. The new second in command at the CDC is a vaccine denier. The HHS Secretary, the leader of these agencies, has displayed erratic behavior and conspiratorial beliefs. He, too, has no business being in his job.
The President of the United States has encouraged the Governor of Texas to draw a new congressional districting map that favors Republicans. In response, the Governor of California does the same to help the Democrats. Other states may jump into the mix. This is supposed to happen once every ten years after a census, not occur at the whim of the President or any Governor.
I could go on, but why bother.
For all of my friends and neighbors out there who voted for Donald Trump, and surely for those who voted for Trump simply because he was not Kamala Harris, enjoy your country.
I know there are many of you out there who point to Trump’s success closing the border as illustrative of Biden’s incompetence. On that issue, you will get no argument from me. However, that Trump success does not offset what is happening to the psyche of the country. The promised economic improvements are nowhere to be found. In fact, Trump’s tariffs have made things worse. Gas prices are not down as Trump claims they are. Food prices are slightly up, but surely not down. Are you better off than you were a year ago? I doubt it.
And has the country seen this much bigotry and hatred since the Civil Rights movement days of the 1960s or so much division and strife since Vietnam? I think not.
The secret to understanding Mr. Trump is there for the world to see every day.
He has to be the center of attention and he is.
He has to put on a show and he does.
He will say anything at any time for any reason and will do so in an inconsistent way. His reversal on the Epstein file release is just the latest example of a Trump flip-flop. His threat to kill six members of Congress, all of whom had distinguished military careers, because the members are reminding their brethren currently in the military that America’s armed forces are not supposed to follow illegal orders This is a clear example that Trump is not only unhinged, but also endangering the lives of members of Congress. One of these members has already had over 1000 death threats, probably from members of the MAGA legion.
For most rational people, none of this is a surprise. If you voted for Trump and are satisfied with what you got, great. If you voted for Trump and are unhappy with the way it went since, do what New Jersey and Virginia did (and not what New York City did). Reward middle of the road candidates from either party with whatever offices they pursue.
The United States needs to get back to sanity, sobriety, and seriousness. Trump is none of those things except maybe serious about enriching himself and his family at the expense of the American people.
This American autocrat has gone just about far enough for most of the country. Turn out the Republican majorities in the House and Senate in 2026 and then let’s have two wide open primaries for the presidency in 2028 and hopefully get two moderate candidates from which to choose.
Can you imagine?
