Many Republican politicians and conservative media types argue that whatever Donald Trump wants ought to be enacted because that’s what Americans voted for. Typical of this thinking is Sen Tom Cotton, who in commenting on immigration said this:
“Look, we had an election in 2016. Two members of the ‘Gang of Eight’ ran for president. The American people didn’t want (their) style of immigration reform … Donald Trump won.”
Let’s dispose of this nonsense. Trump may have won, but the American people voted for someone else. The only people who wanted Trump’s style of immigration reform were the minority who voted for him. And even they didn’t vote for what Trump is lobbying for today.
The candidate promised a border-long wall — a big, beautiful concrete wall — that Mexico would pay for. What he is now proposing is not a border-long wall, may not even be a wall, and whatever it is will definitely not be paid for by Mexico.
It was the same with healthcare. Trump didn’t run on repealing Obamacare. He ran on replacing it with a better, cheaper, universal alternative. What happened to that?
On trade, he didn’t run on just tearing up deals. He ran on being a superior negotiator who could replace them with something so much better. Now he’s lucky if he can find someone to talk to him. He can’t even risk going to the UK.
On taxes, he ran on a tax reform that would hurt people like him and shower benefits on the middle class. Well, ‘people like him’ will do great and the benefits to the middle class are tenuous and temporary. And as for a simplified tax code, accountants are going to have a banner year trying to work out what the hell is in the bill.
He ran on investing in infrastructure. Which so far seems to have consisted of the construction of a helipad at Mar-a-Lago.
The American people have made it repeatedly clear that they are massively opposed to what the Republicans have done. They hate the GOP’s tax and healthcare moves. And on immigration, they are overwhelmingly for DACA — even self-professed Republicans.
Trump’s approval rating is south of 40%. And in a recent Quinnipiac poll, Americans held a dim view of his personal characteristics. Here’s the breakdown:
President Trump's grades on most character traits are down significantly since his first post-inaugural poll January 26, 2017, as voters say:
- 63 - 34 percent that he is not honest;
- 59 - 39 percent that he does not have good leadership skills;
- 59 - 38 percent, that he does not care about average Americans;
- 59 - 39 percent that he is a strong person;
- 65 - 32 percent that he does not share their values.
And even though 66% say the economy is ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ — 49% to 40% give credit to Obama over Trump.
Trump zealots may claim that Americans are behind Trump. But saying it, doesn’t make it so. Unless by Americans they mean the KKK, neo-Nazis, white nationalists and the folks who haven’t been paying attention.