in a column in today’s Washington Post titled Trump’s border-wall fantasy is crumbling.
After reminding us of Trump’s recent words on one of his two (along with the now-barred by the courts Muslim ban) strongest commitments,
“Eventually, but at a later date so we can get started early, Mexico will be paying, in some form, for the badly needed border wall.”
Robinson is about as blunt as you can get:
To put those weasel words in context, let me ask a question of all you small-business owners out there. If a customer brings some merchandise to the cash register and promises that one of his neighbors will pay you for it “eventually . . . at a later date . . . in some form,” what are your odds of ever seeing that money? How likely is it that “in some form” means cash? Do you let him walk out with the goods, or do you remind him you weren’t born yesterday?
Or to deal with many of Trump’s statements succinctly, as we approach the 100 day makr
he is desperate not to have to acknowledge that his outrageous, ridiculous, impossible campaign promises were, in fact, outrageous, ridiculous and impossible.
There is lot that is rich in this pointed column, including the fact that some of those whose land would have to be seized by eminent domain to build the wall are 5th generation ranchers, the type of person who would otherwise be strong supporters of Trump but who do not supporting him on this monstrosity.
Robinson remind us of the terrain, of the billions necessary in environmentally damaging roads in harsh environments to get construction equipment to the site.
But it is his final three paragraphs that forcefully slam Trump on an idea that was ridiculous from the beginning, and puts it as well in the context of Trump’s many failures on his campaign commitments. Here are the first two of those final three grafs:
Someone should remind the president that Republicans control both chambers of Congress; he should be threatening Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell, not Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. Someone should also inform Trump that he runs the executive branch now — and if he chooses to sabotage the ACA, he’s welcome to the blame.
Trump also promised a Muslim immigration ban, which the courts haven’t let him deliver. He said NATO was obsolete but now says it’s not. He promised health insurance “for everybody” but supports a bid by House Republicans to snatch it away from 24 million people. He promised to “drain the swamp” but refuses to address his own and his Cabinet members’ many conflicts of interest.
Of course, it is up to the media to forcefully remind the American public of where the responsibility lies, and how Trump’s failure on the wall is part of the larger picture of his failed campaign promises.
And then there are Robinson’s final words, which take Trump’s attacks on the media and turn his words back where they truly belong:
He lied to us, repeatedly and shamelessly. His supporters may not care — yet — but history is unforgiving. Yelling “fake news” cannot mask a fake presidency.
History IS unforgiving.
My only criticism of the column is the last three words — a fake presidency — do not fully describe what we are experiencing, which is the ultimate distortion of public goods and office for private benefit. But they will do for now.
Yes indeed: a fake presidency!