Black Star News Editorial
Photos: YouTube Screenshots
America, Donald Trump, the so-called expert of the “art of the deal,” has engineered yet another government shutdown. This is the fourth shutdown America will endure under the MAGA president—including the longest shutdown in American history.
The Don’s latest shutdown somewhat resembles a mafia-styled shakedown.
Trump, and the Republicans, true to form, are blaming the Democrats for their take-it-or-leave-it shutdown. Hopefully, the Democrats don’t wimp out by giving in to the vindictive bullying, and actions of Trump and Republicans.
Trump has already moved to withhold funds from Blue states, and Black-run cities, for things like infrastructure projects. In New York, he has frozen $18 billion in funding for the building of a new rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey, and for the renovation of New York City’s Second Avenue subway. Trump has also blocked $2.1 billion for infrastructure developments in Chicago.
And, Politico is reporting that Trump is targeting several states, to penalize them, in this shutdown fight, for voting for former Vice-President Kamala Harris, in last year’s election.
Aren’t these dastardly dictatorial tactics reminiscent of how the mafia enforced shakedowns against merchant businesses to extract bribes for continuation of their operations? It should also remind us of Trump’s FCC Chair Brendon Carr, whose now infamous “We can do this the easy way or the hard way” warning scared ABC into suspending Jimmy Kimmel for his critical comments against Trump, in the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk killing.
Trump has employed similar shakedown-type tactics before against colleges, law firms—and even news and social media companies, some of whom have buckled before this braggadocios bully instead of fighting him.
And if taking infrastructure money wasn’t enough, Trump is threatening to fire more federal workers, if he doesn’t get his way. Keep in mind, over 300,000 thousand Black women have lost their jobs since January already, many of these Black women have been pushed out of their jobs. Given Trump’s misogyny, and particularly his fearful hatred for Black women, this is not a surprise.
Trump, who made the phrase “you’re fired” famous, has also promised to fire staff people from “Democrat agencies,” if Democrats don’t bow to his demands.
Despite the punishing pain that Trump is saying he will impose there are federal workers calling on Democrats to “hold the line” and not back down from his intimidation.
There are many questions here regarding how this shutdown will affect Trump’s failing economy which was already giving Americans higher prices because of his tariff tyranny.
How long will Trump’s shutdown drag on? Will it be as long as his 2018-19 shutdown? Will Democrats be able to make him relent as he did then?
Donald Trump claimed to be a populist for the people, but his main political policy concerns are unmistakably tailored to further enriching the filthy rich, like himself. The big beautiful bill is lovely for the wealthy. But how does it help Americans when it cuts programs that are popular across the political spectrum? This really ugly bill is extremely harmful for social welfare programs like SNAP and Medicaid—and takes away food assistance from hungry children, the homeless, and even veterans.
Many Americans know this disastrous tax bill is for the benefit of the well-to-do, not for them. Hopefully, Democrats will be encouraged by the fact that most Americans are not blaming them for Trump’s shutdown.
Trump, and Republicans, are betting on the fact that Democrats will fold first and give in to their inhumane agenda of cutting needed social services for America’s most vulnerable, while they continue to give more money to America’s richest and greediest.
Americans must ask themselves isn’t it full time we politically block and take down shakedown president Don?
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