Another day, another angry presidential tweet. This Thursday, when Congress had been set to reconvene and as the federal government continues to languish under the weight of a shutdown over a lack of approved funding, President Donald Trump did what’s among the only things he can be counted on for and posted some angry tweets.
He again blamed Democrats for the lack of government funding, treating the border wall he’s long sought as a divine ordinance and those who would dare oppose it as ruthless obstructionists putting the entire world’s security in the balance.
Of course, that’s nonsense, and real issues continue to unfold across the world and at home in the United States, but Trump just keeps tweeting about his wall like he wants to marry it or something.
Addressing past negotiations over immigration policy that hinged on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals — or DACA — program and the wall, he ranted:
‘The reason the DACA for Wall deal didn’t get done was that a ridiculous court decision from the 9th Circuit allowed DACA to remain, thereby setting up a Supreme Court case. After ruling, Dems dropped deal – and that’s where we are today, Democrat obstruction of the needed Wall.’
It is true that at one point earlier this year — also concurrent to a shutdown — Democratic leaders put forth the idea that they’d support at least some funding for a wall. That deal was gone as quickly as it arrived, though, as the realities of the situation fell further into place and in the time since, Democrats have insisted the border wall is a “non-starter” for negotiations.
The border wall is not “needed,” with Trump’s often cited price tag of hundreds of billions of dollars a year inflicted on the United States via undocumented immigration remaining nothing but make-believe, plain and simple.
He refuses to acknowledge the concept that perhaps reality is more nuanced than he’ll acknowledge. His refusal to sign any government spending without provisions for the wall is the reason for “where we are today.” His mental gymnastics won’t erase that, even while we’re left counting on him to get himself together for long enough to keep the U.S. from hanging even further off the edge.
He further ranted Thursday about supposed record Democratic obstruction of his nominees, despite the fact that there’s little evidence for his claim of monumentally record delays.
He whined:
‘The Democrats OBSTRUCTION of the desperately needed Wall, where they almost all recently agreed it should be built, is exceeded only by their OBSTRUCTION of 350 great people wanting & expecting to come into Government after being delayed for more than two years, a U.S. record!’
Who knows where he got those numbers. He lied just the other day about approving a contract for over 100 miles of border wall — a very specific claim! — that just wasn’t happening.
Maybe if he wants Congress to approve his nominees — and plans — faster, he should tether them closer to reality instead of just expecting things to go his way because he says so.
Featured Image via YouTube screenshot
