President Trump has begun his second term with a number of bold but divisive actions that could threaten his standing with the public.
He is a very different president than he was when he began his first term in 2017. Afterwards, he seemed happy just being in the oval office, not knowing how to use his powers. Now he's locked and loaded and ready to kick some progressive ass.
Trump has already been convicted of 34 counts of felony fraud. Can he escape the consequences of the mass amnesty of the accused on January 6th and avoid the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants? I want to know the heart that asks questions.
Amnesty for those who looted the Capitol is clearly unpopular. In a recent national poll by Marist College6 in 10 oppose amnesty and only 1 in 3 support them.
The pardon is an insult to the brave police officers who were injured and lost their lives as a result of January 6th. Remember the former metropolitan police officer? michael fannonewho suffered cardiac arrest and traumatic brain injury After being harassed by one of his pardoned perpetrators, Daniel Rodriguez.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) invited the Freed Angry Mob on a reunion tour of the Capitol to celebrate the brutal and bloody invasion of people's homes. This is the most ridiculous idea I've encountered in decades in politics. house minority leader Hakeem Jeffries got it right when he said“We celebrate the pardon issued to the bloodthirsty mob that violently assaulted police officers on January 6, 2021. What happened to supporting the blue?”
Then there's Trump's proposal for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. there was already Ice raid at Newark factoryand the same thing quickly follows. marist Surveys show deportation is less popular than mass amnesty, but it is divisive.
The public is split down the middle on ideas that reflect the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. Will the creation of large-scale camps for migrants reduce support for large-scale arrests? I'd like to think so, but I'm not sure.
Trump even had the audacity to criticize Bishop Marian Edgar Badet, who prayed for mercy to be shown to immigrants. Republican members of Congress doubled down on Trump's derogatory comments when they said the bishop should be deported for her statements. The threat of deporting a person simply for her political views is a clear threat to democracy and an invitation to fascism.
Can Trump get away with his indifference to public opinion? Of course he can. He got away with just about every dumb, stupid thing he ever did. Democrats and progressives can stop him if they are willing to take risks and bold steps.
Is there a way to Trump's extremist madness? Here's what he and his henchmen are expecting:
Most Americans focus on broad theme strokes rather than positions on specific issues. His attempts to eliminate amnesty and deportation, and the birthright of immigrant children, may not be popular or constitutional, but they will be happy that voters rejected them in 2024. Dramatic enough to convince people that you're not happy with what you're not doing. The key word here is “mass.” Mass pardons and mass deportations signal the sweeping actions the president wants to take to move the country forward.
The blizzard of executive orders also obscures the ugly details of his dastard acts. Each action is simply a small broken branch in a thick forest of trees. This is Trump's version of shock and awe, an attempt to overwhelm the media and the public with movement.
Finally, this action appeals to Trump's base, which has proven more useful and durable than the Democratic bloc in presidential election outcomes. Trump has learned that he can count on his hardcore acolytes. Can Democrats rely on them?
What should Democrats and progressives learn from all this? Their lesson should be the urgent need for bold action to show voters that we are angry about the state of our country.
The least popular thing a new president has ever done is Eliminate prescription drug price caps For Medicare and Medicaid recipients. Democrats in Congress must support more than restoring these gains. We must support expanding the program to cover all Americans and use our advocacy to rail against Big Pharma. Democrats must argue, as Rep. Rokanna (D-Calif.) has, that the health care system is “irreparably broken” and that major reforms are needed. It doesn't have to be.
Democrats must go far beyond rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. The health care system in this country is on life support. We must stand tall for comprehensive change in health care and other issue areas. Bold initiatives raise high expectations and sow disappointment if Trump doesn't deliver. Democrats on the other side are not in much danger by being big and bold.
blood bannon is a national democratic strategist and CEO of Bannon Communication Research, which polls Democrats, labor unions, and progressive issue groups. He hosts a popular progressive podcast about power, politics, and policy. Deadline DC with Brad Bannon.
