Trumpery, a Tally of Sorts

Drawing by Nathaniel St. Clair

Many families will have members who are Trump supporters (myself included). Now that Trump has less than a month left in office, some family members are resorting to social media to tout “the good things he’s done”.

In the interest of balance, here are some other things Trump did:

+ Children are taken from their parents and incarcerated.

+ Saw photographic evidence his policies separated families at border; denied policies separated families at border; then contradicted himself by stating, “You have to take the children away”.

+ Signed order to build wall between Mexico and United States that he claimed Mexico would pay for—Mexico has not paid.

+ Squeezed the budget for cybersecurity in order to pay for the wall (according to Frank Figliuzzi, former FBI deputy director for counterintelligence)

+ Told FBI director “I hope you can let this go” about investigation into national security adviser lying about communication with Russian ambassador.

+ Said he would speak under oath about conversations with fired FBI director. Did not speak under oath about conversations with FBI director.

+ Heard Puerto Rico mayor beg for hurricane assistance; attacked mayor, saying hurricane not “real catastrophe”.

+ Called Puerto Rico hurricane death-toll a Democratic hoax.

+ Said the same about the Democrats and the Covid pandemic.

+ Cut pandemic early warning program.

+ Tweeted deadly global pandemic was “very much under control,” like flu.

+ Said country would be “raring to go by Easter [2020],” learned of half-million cases by Easter.

+ Said he would not assist states with pandemic efforts if governors did not appreciate him.

+ Described deadly global pandemic as very mild, and 99% of cases “totally harmless”.

+ Mused whether injecting or ingesting cleaning products could cure virus; then denied responsibility for subsequent lethal abuses of cleaning products by his followers.

+ His repeated coronavirus misinformation.

+ Withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement.

+ Trashed environmental standards and regulations.

+ Approved large-scale mining projects on federal and tribal lands.

+ Chose former industry executives and lobbyists to run major federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and the Interior Department.

+ Told widow that dead soldier husband “knew what he signed up for”.

+ Called veterans “losers”.

+ Mocked the tremors of a journalist with a cerebral condition who asked him a question.

+ Said Saudi Arabia is fighting “barbaric criminals”.

+ Helps the Saudis cover-up the murder of a Saudi-American citizen.

+ Saudi Arabia has spent $270,000 on rooms, meals and parking at Trump’s hotel in Washington.

+ Forbes estimates China paid Trump at least $5.4 Million since he took office, via mysterious Trump Tower lease.

+ In spite of his “America First” policy, Trump’s MAGA caps and clothing lines are made in Asia.

+ Offered his golf resort as next G7 summit venue, for a price.

+ Used State Department website to advertise Mar-a-Lago resort.

+ Says: “I have the absolute right to pardon myself”.

+ Dispatched lawyer to claim presidents “cannot obstruct justice”.

+ Gave thanks for himself on Thanksgiving.

+ Congratulated Chinese president for eliminating term limits, announced “maybe we’ll give that a shot someday”.

+ Noted when North Korean dictator speaks, “his people sit up at attention.” Said, “I want my people to do the same”.

+ Referred to Senator Warren as “Pocahontas,” NFL as “weak and out of control”, retweeted anti-Muslim videos.

+ Suggested a critical journalist be investigated for murder.

+ Requested attorney general investigates author of op-ed criticizing him.

+ Declared free press “the enemy of the American people”.

+ Cheated on all his 3 wives.

+ Was accused of sexual assault yet again, said this one “not my type”.

+ Said “is it wrong to be more sexually attracted to your own daughter than your wife?”.

+ Appointed this daughter and her husband Jared as “senior advisers” even though they did not receive security clearances.

+ Allowed “perhaps I’d be dating her” daughter to sit in on meeting with German Chancellor.

+ Did not release tax returns (despite saying he would).

+ Swindled hundreds of small contractors who worked for him.

+ Has filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy for his companies 6 times.

+ His businesses settled at least 13 employment-related lawsuits between 1990 and 2014 (apropos the myth that Trump “never settles”).

+ Settled 3 fraud lawsuits linked to now-defunct Trump University for $25 million (apropos the myth that Trump “never settles”).

+ For decades Trump has been off limits to major US banks because he defaults on loans.

+ Called critical Black congresswoman “extraordinarily low IQ person,” critical former Black staff woman “dog,” critical Black interviewer “stupid”.

+ At a rally, said “Look at my African-American over there”.

+ Pardoned racist Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio.

+ In breach of international law, pardoned Blackwater mercenaries who massacred unarmed civilians in Iraq.

+ In Trump’s last month in office, pardoned a string of Republican convicts who had provided him with “services”.

+ Under Trump’s administration, America’s National Debt has increased by nearly $7 trillion.

+ Tried to steal the 2020 presidential election by appointing a crony to head the USPS, tasking him with dismantling sorting machines so mail-in ballots wouldn’t be delivered on time.

+ So far raised $207m to support his bogus “electoral fraud” claims.

Kenneth Surin teaches at Duke University, North Carolina.  He lives in Blacksburg, Virginia.