Here we go. Yet another article about Donald Trump...Before you close the tab, give me the benefit of the doubt. Now, I usually post and share satirical or humorous condemnations of Donald Trump, which I admit is a passive aggressive means of expressing my opinions. But the presidential elections are looming upon us, so I figured it was only appropriate to lay out precisely what it is that infuriates me about the mere fact that this man has come so close to the White House.
About a year ago, many of us laughed at the thought of Donald Trump running for president. I knew little about him other than the fact that he was a ridiculously rich TV icon and entrepreneurial tycoon. Unfortunately, the current state of American politics has created fertile soil for his rise to political eminence. Our fears have served as the watering can, our mistrust the fertilizer.
Of all the hateful ideas he spouts, we can never know which ones he believes and which he simply utters in order to incite emotion and gain publicity. Therefore, I am not so much angered by what he says than by the unwavering support he has to say those things. He is a representation of so many aspects of our nation that I am ashamed to be affiliated with. Xenophobia, racism, sexism, islamophobia, anti-semitism, homophobia, and countless other phobias/isms that go against everything this country claims to stand for. We are supposed to be a land of freedom, diversity, and innovation. Our very roots lie in immigrants who decided to set foot in a different continent and make their lives there. At the same time, our history is also littered with bloodshed. Is it too naive to hope that we can move forward as a society by learning from these atrocities, not striving to recreate them by “making America great again”? There is no past we can return to that could boast of more equality than the present And yet, we still have immense progress to make.
I am even more upset to learn that some highly educated peers of mine have lent their support to him. Their alliance highlights the fact that there is something inherently wrong in our society, where even the most intelligent people can get behind his embarrassment of a campaign. These people like to argue that he is a champion of free speech, that he spits in the face of political correctness. Choosing to not be P.C. is one thing, but actively spouting incredibly false, offensive and hateful attacks upon minorities goes beyond human decency. For example, he has nicknamed Senator Elizabeth Warren “Pocahontas” due to rumors that she has Native American ancestry. In response to an unfavorable ruling by Judge Gonzalo Curiel in a lawsuit concerning the fraudulent misleading promises of Trump University, Trump has insisted that the judge’s Mexican heritage should have precluded him from approaching this case without bias. In other words, he insinuated that because he is “building a wall,” (he says with certainty), an American judge of Mexican heritage is too biased to make a decision on a lawsuit that has absolutely nothing to do with Mexico.
There are a wealth of instances where Trump showed his true colors. I won’t waste your time by listing all the insults and ignorant arguments he has made. I will, though, use history to explain why the prospect of him becoming our president is potentially catastrophic.
Two years ago, I was lucky to be a member of Lincoln High School’s Constitution Team, which represented Oregon at the national competition in Washington, DC. Miraculously, we brought home the title of National Champions. I like to think that this experience puts me in a position to be able to see this presidential election from an educated standpoint. During the year that led up to those intense three days of congressional-style questioning, I studied American politics in immense depth. Among the 36 members, my unit of six was the one designated to learn everything about the three branches of government in preparation for competition. We read books about the war on terror, had many debates about the merits of a unitary executive, evaluated our party system, and much more.
We have over 200 years of our nation’s history at our disposal to examine the impact a president can have. Article II of our constitution outlines the limited powers of the executive branch. In all truth, there are few enumerated powers that enable the president to act without Congressional approval. Some people in favor of electing Trump like to point out that he wouldn’t be able to fulfill many of the promises *cough threats cough* he has made, because Congress wouldn’t allow him. I beg to differ.
Line item vetoes and signing statements are tactics the president may use to circumvent aspects of legislation he disagrees with, or to interpret law in a way that serves his goals. Also, the use of executive orders(actions directed with no legislative backing) has remained relatively high. They can be used for good, as Eisenhower issued executive orders to further desegregate schools after Brown v. Board of Education. Or they can be used for bad, as evident by notorious executive order 9066, which FDR signed to deport Japanese American citizens to internment camps. Similarly, history has shown us that the president can avoid seeking Congressional approval to declare war due to nuances in the text that serve as loopholes. As commander in chief, the president has some leeway in his direction of the military. President Obama has been deploying drones without Congressional consent since 2009. If Trump is clever and slimy enough to get this far, he will undoubtedly tap into the aforementioned wealth of manipulative actions to achieve his ends.
There are also unwritten powers the president yields merely due to his position of importance and high publicity. Being the figurative head of the United States, the president possesses such authority that the ideals and opinions he/she values have an unspeakable impact on the population. Also referred to as the “bully pulpit,” by merit of the amount of media attention and respect the president is afforded, he/she has a “terrific platform from which to advocate an agenda.” On one hand, the bully pulpit is a wonderful format for a president to depart wisdom and hope to the people in times of darkness, as FDR did during the Great Depression via his Fireside Chats on radio. But, frighteningly, it has the potential to aggravate existing social tensions into an atmosphere of hatred and mistrust. This is precisely what Donald Trump would accomplish in office. He has done an excellent job already of manifesting deeply rooted fears into violence.
Now, I recognize the sentiments some people have expressed, when they argue that a Trump presidency would point out the flaws of our electoral system to such a degree that we would be forced to rethink the whole setup. The electoral college is outdated, the two-party system breeds extreme partisan polarity, and the role of money in campaigning drowns out the voices of tens of millions of people. But putting into office a loudmouthed, empty-headed, fear-mongering, hypocritical imbecile will inflict irreversible damage on the republic. And perhaps start World War III if we’re not careful.
So, what do we do? I can say for myself that I still am guilty of laughing him off as a harmless caricature. It’s the only way to cover up how much fear, worry, and pain I feel at the thought of seeing this monster lead this country. SNL sketches, political cartoons, the Portland-based political action committee named “Trump Has Tiny Hands” are some examples of our attempts to belittle his power and distract ourselves from how unsettling this situation is. But at some point, we have to see that this situation is not a joke. It is a terrifying threat to every single person, regardless of race or privilege.
I am not the least bit surprised that Trump has accumulated so much power. Of course people are afraid of terrorism. Of course people fear another economic collapse. Of course they oppose change to the status quo. Our base animalistic tendencies make us point fingers and blindly turn minorities into scapegoats.
But! We are not our fears. I recently realized the relevance of a particular quote by FDR: “The only thing to fear is fear itself.” We must not let these fears divide us. We can come out stronger on the other side if we unite against the fear, instead of hiding behind it.
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In the meantime, just to make light of all your inner turmoil, I suggest you download the extension “Drumpfinator”, which turns every instance of the word “Trump” on your computer into “Drumpf.” If you didn’t know, John Oliver did a show where he revealed that the Trump family name was altered from its original form, Drumpf. It’s hard to be afraid of someone whose name sounds like the sound a baked potato makes when it tumbles down a staircase.
