Shaub, who was the former Director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, is right of course. This is the mis-use of public funds and resources for political purposes.
Unfortunately, Trump and his cronies have discovered the fact that our corrective mechanisms move exceedingly slowly, and are vulnerable to pressure from the executive branch. They have abused this fact by ignoring and undermining every attempt to adjudicate their kleptocracy. That is why someone like Kellyanne Conway can flagrantly violate the Hatch Act for years, and then when this is finally noticed by a watchdog who cries foul, the President can simply choose to ignore it.
I’m also afraid to say that this July 4th pageant and the campaign ad it has been turned into will be terribly effective with many of our fellow Americans. In their subconscious minds, this slick made for TV spectacle makes Trump look “more presidential”. When he campaigns with Air Force One in the background, and TV coverage leaves it as the backdrop to his speeches, this will be reinforced.
2020 will be tougher to win than we expect. To beat Trump, we will need to work all out, at every level, definitely for the White House, but also for both houses of congress, and state legislatures as well (remember this is a re-districting year). We will need a candidate who can clearly explain to Americans the structural forces in our system that have allowed plutocrats like Trump to control our institutions and enrich themselves, while impoverishing and oppressing others.
Most importantly, we will need voter registration operations like we’ve never had before. We will need to expand the electorate and turn out the base.
— @subirgrewal