Trump’s waging war.. on us
WE RETURN TO TOWN FAILED BY BROKEN PROMISES
The US president won office vowing to wage war on poverty and fight for jobs. But four years on in one of America’s poorest towns, a former miner says..
Four years ago, with a confident businessman and TV star in the running to become US president, the residents of Beattyville, Kentucky, were filled with hope.
In one of America’s most impoverished towns, locals were buoyed by the 280 enticing campaign promises made by then-candidate Donald Trump.
Folks on an average household income of £11,633 a year were desperate for better access to healthcare and jobs.
Ahead of the 2016 election, the Mirror went to Beattyville to speak with voters.
In the most impoverished majoritywhite town in the States, we found locals too broke to afford the bus fare to vote
They were drinking in Trump’s promises of better times to come.
A huge 81% of residents voted to put the US Apprentice star in the White House, so this year we went back to see what had changed.
One thing is clear: Beattyville is no longer in thrall to the showman.
One of those we spoke with, in 2016 and this week, was former coal miner Clyde Silcox, who hadn’t worked since 1994 – though not for want of trying.
The 71-year-old told how he spends his days looking after great-grandchildren Eli, four, and Adia Noel, two.
He had hoped the president would follow through with his “jobs, jobs, jobs” promise for all Americans.
Trump promised to revive the coal industry and bring back lost mining jobs.
Instead, the industry has lost jobs as clean energy becomes cheaper.
Summing up Trump’s achievements, Clyde says: “Nothing. If anything it’s much worse. Trump promises to put the beat back into the hearts of towns like Beattyville, but all he has done is look after the rich while the poor still suffer.
“He doesn’t seem to be waging war on poverty, but he’s waging war on us poor people it seems.
“Promises Made, Promises Kept? It’s more like Promises Fade, Promises Suspect.”
“Promises Made, Promises Kept,” was the theme of last month’s Republican convention, which aimed to portray the president as fearless in the pursuit of delivering on his pledges.
He bragged at the four-day event: “I didn’t back down from my promises – and I’ve kept every single one.”
But from health to wealth, Black Lives Matter to global relationships, there are few successes to point to.
In September 2015, Trump vowed to deliver universal health care if elected.
He said: “I am going to take care of everybody. I don’t care if it costs me votes or not.”
In reality he did the opposite, championing the Republicanled legislation in 2017 that wou ld have undone Obamacare and left an estimated 23 million more people uninsured.
The bill failed in the Senate, but the President has kept up his fight to repeal the Affordable Care Act. In Trump’s America, around 26 million – 8% of the population – still lack health coverage.
His handling of the coronavirus has left more than 215,000 Americans dead and 7.7 million infected. More than 60million have sought unemployment assistance for the first time.
But the only statistics Trump seems to care about are the viewing figures for his White House briefings. Yesterday Trump made his fourth public appeares ance in as many days as he continues to recover from coronavirus.
Doctors have questioned the speed of Trump’s return to the campaign trail so soon after being diagnosed with Covid.
However, as he continues to lose ground on rival Joe Biden in the polls ahead of the November 3 election, he has been desperate to be seen out.
At a rally in Greenville, North Carolina, Trump downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic and said patronisingly of leading expert Dr Anthony Fauci: “He’s a nice guy, so I keep him around.”
But Trump lied about Fauci’s statements on the virus, suggesting he once said “do not wear a mask under any circumstances,” which he never did.
Before being elected, Trump also promised no tax cuts for his wealthy friends, adding: “I do very well, I don’t mind paying some taxes.”
But last month it
emerged the 74- year- old paid zero income taxes for 11 of the past 18 years, and £575 for his first 12 months in office.
Despite promises to “drain the swamp”, he filled his cabinet with 19 multi-millionaires and one billionaire.
He promised to boost the wages of an average American family by £3,000 but wages for most have been flat.
Corporate profits have soared, and the rich have become far richer. But the gains have not trickled down – a sore point with retired Beattyville resident Jerry Pepper, 68.
He told the Mirror: “People here live hand- to- mouth. Trump has done anything but drain the swamp, he just drained our pockets more. All this while he pays diddly in taxes.”
As for his vow to cut America’s £20.5trillion national debt by £14.5trn “fairly quickly”, it was an absurd claim.
Instead, it looks like he will have added £6.4trn by the end of his term.
He promised to keep jobs in America and crack down on companies that move jobs to overseas locations.
Instead, his tax law has created financial incentives for corporations to expand their operations abroad. Trump’s trade wars have also encouraged companies including American icon Harley Davidson to flee abroad.
He bragged last month: “After the last administration nearly killed the US auto industry, I saved the US auto industry. We brought you a lot of car plants.”
He went on to say he forced a promise from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that Japanese companies would expand their manufacturing operations in the US.
“The next day they announced five car companies are coming to Michigan,” Trump told a delighted crowd.
But Japan did not announce five companies were coming to Michigan.
He did not bring a multitude of car plants to the state – the most he can claim is one. Others have shut down.
“Four years ago we all thought Trump could be a saviour,” said Clyde.
“We should have known better. A sinner does not become a saint.”
He adds that Trump “continues to make even more lurid promises” but that he hopes this time around people will not be “stupid” enough to buy them.
An embittered Clyde finished: “I’ll vote for Biden – if I can get to vote.”