As we reach the first full year of this nightmarish administration, I recently wondered whether or not I may finally become numb to the constant chaos caused by the crude charlatan currently wasting space in the White House.
Because he is so tiring. So very, very tiring.
And yet, on Thursday, I was reminded that Donald Trump is a dullard and a demagogue with an insatiable need for attention — meaning my exhaustion (nor yours) matters much because he’s going to keep saying things to irritate the ever-living hell out of you regardless. The first instance was another one of his casual displays of utter stupidity: he nearly sabotaged a vote on the FISA ACT by tweeting disparaging remarks about it following a segment that aired on Fox & Friends, contradicting a statement issued by his White House the night before (two hours later, he tweeted his support). While his ignorance can be of use in terms of comical fodder, what made news later that day was not amusing in the least.
In “Trump attacks protections for immigrants from ‘shithole’ countries,” Washington Post reporter Josh Dawsey revealed that Bankruptcy Batista lashed out at lawmakers that “floated restoring protections for immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and African countries as part of a bipartisan immigration deal.”
Referring to immigrants from African countries and Haiti, Trump reportedly said, “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” After that, he was said to have suggested that the United States instead bring in people from countries like Norway. Apparently, said lawmakers were “taken aback” by the comments. Why, yes, one imagines that the President of the United States referring to countries with majorly Black populations as “shitholes” and suggesting that they instead bring in white folks from European nations is quite alarming.
This report comes on the heels of the administration announcing this week that it was removing the protection for citizens of El Salvador, impacting some 200,000 people. Not to mention, it was only last month that the New York Times reported that Trump used similar language to dismiss immigrants from Afghanistan as a “terrorist haven.” He also said of Haitian immigrants, “all have AIDS,” and of Nigerian immigrants, claimed that once they had seen the U.S., they would never “go back to their huts” in Africa. Back then, the White House denied Trump used “AIDS” or “huts.”
This time, though, the White House is not bothering to offer a denial. That largely has to do with the fact that there were Democrats present, which would negate whatever attempts at covers suckers like Senator Lindsey Graham, who was present at the meeting, may have provided. Additionally, NBC News has independently confirmed the “shithole” remarks.
In a statement issued after the Washington Post report, spokesman Raj Shah said: “Certain Washington politicians choose to fight for foreign countries, but President Trump will always fight for the American people. Like other nations that have merit-based immigration, President Trump is fighting for permanent solutions that make our country stronger by welcoming those who can contribute to our society, grow our economy and assimilate into our great nation.”
There you have it: needless confirmation that the President of the United States of America is an unabashed racist. In fact, as CNN’s Kaitlan Collins explained on CNN’s The Situation Room, the White House believes this will help him with his base, comparing it to his remarks about NFL players who peacefully protested state-sanctioned violence against Black people during the National Anthem. All I hear right now is Hillary Clinton’s speech about Trump and his basket of deplorables.
How pathetic is that miscreant posing as a man?
As infuriating as this latest incendiary remark from Trump is, though, what mostly vexes me is that nearly every damn day this monster says something that should be the most despicable moment of his presidency and then…we just move on to the next day. It is a demoralizing cycle. Much of that has to do with a lot of media continuing to feign objectivity.
To the credit of some, they’ve at least made it perfectly plain. It would be even better if members of the press would educate viewers and readers on the role the United States has played in countries like Haiti and El Salvador, but at the bare minimum, more need to call this man what he is and apply the same to those who continue to support him.
I’ve already seen some coverage sanitizing his remarks. Sure, calling him an asshole may be too much, but labeling him racist shouldn’t be. It’s what he is. He is the biggest pile of shit to ever occupy the White House and not nearly enough is being down to make that abundantly clear.