Burn It Down

The COVID-19 “relief” bill was shot down by Donald Trump, and sent back. Ostentatiously, Trump wanted “more money for Americans”, but this is part of the grift he’s planning. The House has now shot down the notion that the $2000 “stimulus checks” would be acceptable. So the bill is dead. But what is really going on here is the U.S. Government now threatens to shut down as its own funding was also tied to the bill.

Trump had hoped to bribe Americans with an additional $1400 (up from $600) with this apparent government gift. But Trump has never given two shits about Americans. Everything has always been about Trump and his money, and besides, it’s not his money he’s given away, it’s his money he’s trying to keep, and how much more money he can grift from supporters. Trump owes around a billion dollars and the slush fund he’s building from loyalist and donations is his, as he continually claims he’s still fighting for the 2020 Election results to be illegally overturned. There is NO LEGAL pathway for that to happen – but a coup is still a possibility. And before I forget – REMEMBER JANUARY 6TH.

So the longer Trump can make his bogus claims about the election, now replete with promise of bribery to every American – the more money he’s going to be pocketing. It’s hundreds of millions of dollars already and still growing. But money without power is kind of useless when you are facing prison terms for the many crimes committed, so the end game here is to force Republicans to support Trump’s bid to hang on to the Presidency. He’s already made threatening calls to State’s that had voted against him. The current one-week extension to keep the U.S. Government open expires midnight Tuesday (December 29th).

So now Trump is holding the ENTIRE U.S. GOVERNMENT HOSTAGE. Pretty nifty, right? It’s downright diabolical.

This is his end-game: either Trump gets his way (or as much as he possibly can) or the U.S. Government shuts down, which makes it impossible for a COVID relief bill to pass. Even vaccine distribution could be effected.

You and I aren’t even really in the equation and never were in Trump’s mind. $2k is peanuts after 10 months of this pandemic that he is largely responsible for through malfeasance, denials and inaction. Trump doesn’t give a shit about COVID or its hundreds of thousands of victims or how many people are now suffering economically because of it, he never has and STILL denies most of this. He’s had ample opportunity to actually lead, but since the Election, he’s utterly ignored this global crisis.

I don’t know what will happen, but given Trump’s extremely poor track record (examine who he just pardoned), he’s likely to cause even more chaos. I would not bet against Trump here because it is in his power to do the wrong thing from the highest office in the land, something he definitely has an affinity for.

Of the 65 pardons and commutations that Mr. Trump had granted before Wednesday, 60 have gone to petitioners who had a personal tie to Mr. Trump or who helped his political aims, according to a tabulation by the Harvard Law School professor Jack Goldsmith.

Next week could be truly appalling. Trump is just as likely to burn it all down in his man-child way.