Congress has reached a bipartisan deal to avert a second government shutdown. Trump signaled unhappiness with the compromise but declined to answer whether or not he will sign the legislation when it’s passed. Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity, both of whom have an alarming amount of influence over the president, expressed their disgust with the deal. Stay tuned.
TRUMP, TIRED AND BORING.
After two years of corruption, racism, and false promises, President Trump is throwing off the constraints of executive time and heading back to the campaign trail. Last night in El Paso we got a first glimpse, and it was the same shtick America has grown completely exhausted by.
Let’s compare some of Trump’s key 2016 campaign behaviors with last night’s rally:
- Lying about crowd size? Check. Trump flagrantly lied about his own crowd size and the size of Beto O’Rourke’s more popular rally nearby.
- Lying about the media? You bet. Trump railed against the “fake news media.” Then, one of his supporters physically assaulted a BBC cameraman.
- Lying about the nonexistent crisis at the border? Shocker: The wall is still one of Trump’s main rally tropes.
- Basking in chants of “lock her up”? Of course.
- Involvement from his corrupt sons? Donald Trump, Jr. also took to the stage in order to insult America’s “loser teachers.”
This is the same Donald Trump who ran in 2016, and it’s the same blueprint we’ll see heading into 2020. His only goals are sowing division, stroking his own ego, and spreading hatred in this country. His base continues to believe every word he says—and those beliefs continue to translate into vitriol and violence. As Vox’s Aaron Rupar wrote today, “this rhetoric has consequences,” and we’ve been suffering those consequences for two years.
However, one key thing is different: Democrats now control the House of Representatives. The era of accountability and oversight is here, and Trump is scared.