Enough?

Spectator

By Stephen Tuttle | April 7, 2018

Had enough, yet? No?

According to FactCheck.org, the President of the United States has told 2,500 lies since taking office. That seems to be quite a few, even for a Washington politician. He has other issues, as well. Let's review.

As this is being written, at least 21 high-level White House staffers, agency heads, and at least one national security advisor have been fired or resigned. That's a record for such a short time in office, but if the rumors are true, more will soon be leaving, voluntarily or not. 

There are at least three investigations currently underway concerning the possibility of collusion between the Trump presidential campaign and the Russians, who meddled in that election. Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe has now expanded to include the president’s — and his son-in-law's — various business entanglements with the Russians.

Trump, who has still not definitively acknowledged the Russian meddling, despite every United States intelligence agency saying it absolutely did happen, has called the Mueller investigation a “witch hunt.”

As a bonus, the president consistently denigrates our FBI and its leadership, as well as the CIA and other agencies who have conclusively proven the Russians did meddle. They know who, when, and from where the attacks were generated, but the president has been assured, by no less than his good friend Vladimir Putin, the Russians were not involved. 

Enough? No?

The president, to the apparent surprise of his own cabinet and Congress, slapped tariffs on imports of Chinese aluminum and steel. He actually said he believes trade wars are “good.” The Chinese, in retaliation, have now imposed tariffs on 128 items, $3 billion worth of American imports, including berries, apples, and pork. That won't be good for Michigan.

The president is now attacking Amazon, claiming the company isn’t paying state sales taxes and is somehow hurting the United States Postal Service. Actually, Amazon pays state taxes on first-party sales in all 45 states requiring them. And according to the number crunchers at the USPS, Amazon parcel deliveries have been a significant boon to the USPS since its first-class-letter income continues to decline dramatically. 

It's likely the president's actual target isn't Amazon at all since his campaign spent $150,000 using Amazon, but rather, its founder, Jeff Bezos. Bezos just happens to own The Washington Post. At the same time, Trump claims our economy is in the best shape it has ever been. The stock market hasn't been so great, though, losing 11 percent of its value from its high point just a few weeks ago.

Trump has now taken six different positions on immigration and an equal number on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Last week he claimed a “caravan” of illegal immigrants from Central America were heading here to cross the border illegally to take advantage of the DACA program. 

But those folks intend to arrive at a  U.S. border checkpoint and ask for asylum. And to qualify for the DACA program, you had to be in this country before 2007. Nobody who enters the country now will qualify. Ending DACA, as the president now wishes to do, will put more than 600,000 people who were brought here as children at risk of deportation. 

The “great wall” for which we were promised the Mexican government would pay has been excluded from next year's budget. Now the president says our military should foot the bill, and they are definitely not the government of Mexico. Repairs and extensions of the existing wall were planned before the president was elected.

Stormy Daniels, Karen McDougal, and the Mooch.

Still not enough?

There are 17 accusations of sexual harassment and what would be considered sexual assault against the president. He endorsed a U.S. Senate candidate despite accusations of sexual improprieties with a 14-year-old girl and praised an aide accused of physical abuse by both his ex-wives.

The administration has rolled back or intends to roll back 67 environmental rules and regulations, the latest of which would allow auto manufacturers to skip new emission  requirements. Add that to the elimination of restrictions on arsenic, lead, and mercury polluters not to mention loosening the restrictions on coal burning power plant emissions. 

The president has now surrounded himself with hawkish advisers who continue to rattle sabers regarding both Iran and North Korea. Iran is especially interesting since independent inspectors claim Iran is abiding by the agreements leaders signed during the Obama years. 

Trump's nominee as his national security advisor is a man who was unable to be confirmed as ambassador to the United Nations during the George W. Bush administration. The president's senior advisors include his daughter and son-in-law, the latter of which recently lost his top secret security clearance. He just nominated his personal physician to lead the Veterans Administration and its 370,000 employees. 

Still not enough? Then when will enough be enough?