I think the current situation with Mexico explains the Trump presidency in a nutshell. Here’s why:
First, it shows the failure of government today to do right for the country.
Second, it illustrates the sorry state of politics and why disagreement doesn’t end at the water’s edge.
Third, it shows the thing we have long written about, the President has no party loyalty.
The Situation:
The President announces he is imposing a 5% tariff on Mexican goods into the country because our congress has failed to act on the border crisis. Even after admitting there is a crisis now they still refuse to act. They refuse to give the President any victory, so rather than do that, they allow the border to remain porous.
Thus, the President comes up with a tariff on Mexico to try and force them to do what they should be doing anyway, protect their border.
The Issues:
Mexico does not want the tariffs imposed and decide to send a delegate to Washington today (Wednesday) to discuss. The first reaction is “Hey this is positive, maybe we can get some help”, right?
But yesterday the House leader Nancy Pelosi met with that delegate and had a private meeting. If you think she met to support the President, you can stop reading now, because you are living in another world.
So now Mexico knows the Democrats are on their side.
Then the Republican Senate Leader Mitch O’Connell meets the press with his leadership team and what does he say? “Senate Republicans told senior White House officials that they are prepared to resist tariffs on Mexico if President Trump pushes forward”.
So the Republicans are not backing their President. Proving what we have long maintained, the President does not have a party behind him.
Please note that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is backing the President. He said, “the House Republicans will sustain a veto-proof majority for Trump’s tariffs”. So, as long as McCarthy and House Republicans have the president’s back, the Senate can gripe.
The other issue is this. Do you think the President told McConnell and others he was going to impose this tariff before he did it? He didn’t. With no loyalty back to them, they feel no loyalty to support ideas not discussed. It goes both ways.
With All That:
The questions do remain.
Why would congress undercut the administration the day before the meeting? Does that make sense?
Mexico was worried enough to send someone immediately and you undercut the U.S. position? Whose side are they on?
Why don’t you in congress stop what you are doing and actually solve the crisis you now admit exists?
Having encouraged Mexico to stand tall the day before they meet with VP Pence and Secretary Pompeo, what do they expect now? You undercut our negotiation.
Don’t you in congress think Mexico has failed to control their own borders and drug traffic? If so, why would you side with them a day before this meeting?
And, Mr President, doesn’t this tell you to work with congressional leaders before announcing polices? Why can’t you learn that if you are so smart?
What a mess as the meeting happens today.
Parkland
Seeing Scot Peterson, the former Broward County sheriff’s deputy, facing charges of neglect in the Parkland shooting adds another element to that whole situation. Peterson is charged with failure to do his job and they are saying he could have saved lives if he had done it right.
The lesson here is that, the lesson is multi faceted. The mental illness of the shooter and failure to act is one part. The failure of security assigned for just such a situation is another. Guns are just another element. All areas must be addressed.