Trump’s agenda

Re: Presidential ‘phenomenon’, Conrad Black; June 23

In claiming that Donald Trump is faithful to his campaign promises, Conrad Black simply imitates Trump’s relationship with the truth. And we only need one example out of the thousands to demonstrate the nature of that relationship: One day, Trump says that he has no control over whether or not families seeking refuge in the U.S. will be separated from one another when they cross the border. The next day, he orders that policy to be changed.

As for Trump’s campaign promises, he ran on four major ones.

First, he said he would build a wall across the entire Mexican-American border and make Mexico pay for the whole thing. Not happening.

Secondly, Trump promised a tax cut that would benefit all Americans equally. Instead, Congress passed a tax cut that heavily favoured the rich.

Thirdly, Trump promised to get Congress to repeal Obamacare and replace it with a program that would be better for everyone. Instead, Congress simply reduced the number of people eligible for government health care support.

Fourthly, and perhaps most importantly, Trump promised to make America great again. He then proceeded to tell Americans that their fear, prejudice, and xenophobia are virtues. By his words and actions, he legitimizes their cruelest and most selfish impulses. He makes decisions that demonstrate a belief that empathy is weakness. And he praises some of the worst dictators in the world while making chaos of U.S. relations with its closest neighbours and allies. There is no way to construe such behaviour as a path to greatness.

When Trump calls the media “the enemy of the people” simply because they accurately report on his lies, his failures, and his fundamental weakness as a man and a leader, he is aligning himself with all the fascists and totalitarians throughout history.