Trump’s Congressional Enablers

Ever Since Donald Trump began his run for the Presidency back in 2015, there has existed a palpable friction between him and the more establishment members of GOP Congressional leadership. At various times, Speaker Ryan, Senate Majority Leader McConnell and the President have been at odds on a number of occasions – be it on the failed efforts at repeal/replacement of the Affordable Care Act, final passage of the more recent tax cut legislation or some of the more vitriolic public (via Twitter and otherwise) pronouncements of personal disgust at each others’ inability to sway enough votes to actually succeed on any of the goals each has set out to accomplish in their leadership roles.

Distractions arise on a regular basis – often prompted by outrageous public pronouncements by President Trump which both Congressional leaders and the general public take issue with. The wavering in supporting/not supporting Roy Moore in his quest to succeed Jeff Sessions in the US Senate is one case in point. Controversy concerning seeming tolerance on the part of the President toward white supremacist groups and the violence spawned at some of their protests has also hurt his personal popularity. On international diplomatic matters, his overt bellicosity, particularly in dealing with North Korea and the issues involved in that country’s nuclear weapons program, has seemed to many to be anything but diplomatic.

At times, both during the campaign and since his inauguration, the Candidate and then President Trump has seemingly invited criticism of some of his most outrageous comments. He never seems to tire of taking any opportunity to personally insult anyone bold enough to question the veracity of any of his pronouncements or differ from his assessment of what course of action needs to take place regarding any given issue. During the campaign, people who chose to spar with Trump over his insults invariably seemed to lose the battle. Obviously, they all lost out in the race for the GOP nomination. It seemed as if all the steps he took for which he was criticized by the media and various pundits at large made no difference at all or only proved to be slight bumps in the road which turned into his inexorable rise to power.

No criticism has seemed to have any sort of long term effect on either the President’s popularity (which has been polled at historically low levels ever since he assumed the office) or his subsequent behavior. Challenges from political rivals, either in or out of office, seem to wither away without any backing down or admission of imperfection on Donald Trump’s part. He seems to have pretty successfully taken over firm control of the Republican Party to the point where the only people in office who dare question his fitness for office or the wisdom of proposed directions for action are those who have decided they have nothing more to lose – they’ve either opted to retire or not to run for re-election. Regardless of their stated public opposition to the President on various issues, most seem to be remarkably loyal to him when push comes to shove and they actually have to vote for or against any given bill in the House or Senate. This includes such prominent critics (some of whom were early backers of Trump) as Bob Corker, Lindsay Graham, John McCain, Susan Collins and Marco Rubio. Enough voted against the faulty attempts at passing horrid health care legislation to kill that, but none ended up voting against the even worse tax cut trickle down legislation which spawned that nauseating GOP love fest of Trump adoration which occurred just before the Holiday recess upon passage by both houses of Congress.

Every time that Donald Trump gets his way on any issue in which he is taking a stand to augment his own power to act without restriction in the form of Constitutional checks and balances puts this country that much closer to authoritarian rule. His attacks on freedom of the press and speech, and hence, any form of organized dissent, tend to lead this society in the exact opposite direction of making great at all, let alone again. Increasing calls by members of Congress to attack the independent counsel appointed to investigate allegations of interference in the 2016 election fall into the category of organized political interference in providing the American people with information we deserve and need to know in order to make informed choices in future elections – particularly the 2018 midterm elections and the one Trump really cares about in 2020.

Partisan attacks on the independent counsel and attempts to halt Congressional inquiries into these matters smack strongly of obstruction of justice coming from members and Chairs of committees just as they do coming from the White House itself. Conspiracy in participating in such a potential cover-up is failing to live up to the sworn duty of these elected officials. Failing to challenge the President when he is acting contrary to his own Constitutional responsibilities does likewise. Either means these elected officials are acting contrary to the interests of the constituents who elected them in order to show blind allegiance to their party and its self-declared “leader”. Whether this is to retain their own position of power or augment their own bank accounts is irrelevant. We need them to perform the duties of the position to which we elected them to best of their ability.

So far, the record shows that President Trump is doing a far better job of serving the interests of those who have been best served by his party in the past – and enacting legislation which coincides much more directly with the agenda put forward in recent years by Speaker Ryan, Majority Leader McConnell and the other GOP leaders who have served the interests of corporations and wealthy individuals over those of most of the people they nominally represent. This is not the constituency that got Trump elected President and forms the base of his core support. In time, this will become apparent to increasing numbers of those who voted for him and his support will dip further. In the meantime, reporting on the enabling of Trump to continue on his current path of governance by those in Congress who are supposed to be protecting us from his excesses becomes increasingly important as the November elections approach. We need to elect a Congress (and State legislatures) that will ensure more equal treatment for us all, rather than excessive privilege for the few, which has been the long term goal of Trump, his opponents within the GOP and those in the Democratic party who have been catering to corporate and wealthy donors far in excess of what democracy for all demands for way too long.

Further Suggested Reading:

Trump’s Enablers:  A Leader This Malignant Stays in Power With a Lot of Help

House Republicans claim an annual salary of $450,000 is middle class

The Top-Sideways Revolt of the Anti-Trump Republicans

Trump’s Republican Collaborators by Nina L. Khrushcheva

“When it comes to Trump, Lindsey Graham has a kooky memory”

Sex lies and anarchy

GOP senator abandons his principles, flips to ‘yes’ on tax plan

Republicans Refuse to Continue Trump Investigation, Won’t Name New Witnesses in Probe

Who will challenge Trump’s enablers?

As Trump Has a Mental Meltdown, the Sycophants Around Him Doing Nothing Endanger Us All

Congressional Republicans Aren’t Going To Protect Mueller, They’re Gunning For Him

Rick Perlstein: The Trouble With Anti-Trump Republicans

The 22 women who have accused Trump of sexual misconduct

It’s Time To Change More Than Trump

“They know what is wrong with Donald Trump. They know why it’s dangerous.” @JamesFallows on Washington’s open secret

Our institutional crisis is upon us | E.J. Dionne Jr.

Opinion | Senate Republicans become Trump accomplices in manipulating the system

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