After blathering on for a few days that, by golly, he was going to get the citizenship question on the census form somehow despite the US Supreme Court ruling that he could not, and that he would announce the method today, he said that he was giving up on the effort and the forms would be printed without asking the question. To save face, he said that he would get the information by other means.
I expected this reversal because I have now got a little sense of Trump’s weird mind. He hates to be defied or lose and when it does happen, he will bluster and bluster that he will win somehow until there is a moment when there is some other news to take attention away so that he can concede a loss and media does not focus exclusively on his failure.
The tell that this capitulation by him was going to happen was his announcement earlier today that immigration authorities would begin a sweeping round up of all undocumented immigrants on Sunday prior to deporting them
There was no need to announce this. In fact, there was every reason to not do so because it removes the element of surprise and enables all those who fear being rounded up to take preventive action. The only reason I could think for him doing this was because he had other bad news to reveal and he hoped the media would jump on the round up story so that his bad news would get less play. And so his later announcement was not unexpected. His base that wants undocumented immigrants to suffer would now be able to celebrate news of the round up to compensate for their hero’s capitulation on the citizenship question. He has given them some of the red meat xenophobia they need to chew on so that they won’t turn on him.
And so it goes, with the man-child who is the US president.
I’m glad someone else saw this. I don’t often pay attention to the things he says, or does, especially when its being reported on heavily by the media. I know that often his announcements and tweets are a distraction from some other boondoggle he created.
I think that your assumption that Trump is caving underestimates how craven and lawless Trump is and how desperate the GOP is to seize any advantage now with an eye on hanging on as an apartheid party for as long as possible when the demographic shift runs completely against their interests.
The Whitehouse has already planted the seeds to their convenient lie. They claimed they were going to ‘study the form used’. Look for multiple proposed forms to be shuttled between the concerned offices and the printer.
This is going to be the setup for the convenient excuse as to why the form used will have the forbidden citizenship question. You see --puppy dog eyes-- what with all that paperwork moving around and discussion we simply miscommunicated and/or sent the wrong one to the printer. Whhooopsie.
It isn’t as if there will be any consequences. Loyal GOP operatives run law enforcement, the courts, most of the press, and the Senate. As long as there is a fig leaf to make it somewhat less of a blatant finger in the face and allow the Trump loyalists some nominally plausible excuse, and there is no legal risk that might drag it out like Benghazi, the crime will quickly be forgotten.
It isn’t as if the Democrats, controlling only the House, can do anything more effective than making louse noises and waving their arms. It isn’t as if they have any way of enforcing their will.
I really think this is how it is going to go. If I was a Republican, and a flaming asshole, it is what I would imaging I would do. Nothing brings more joy to the conservative heart than waving their dick in our face and laughing as we have to take it. It is the nature of power in the hands of vulgarians.
lorn:
But, you repeat yourself.