I listened the other day to Donald Trump taking claim for the latest “jobs numbers” and the low unemployment numbers – yes, this is the same Donald Trump who blasted these numbers as being phony when President Obama was in office – but, now he’s (Trump) supposedly the reason why our economy is moving upward.  However, if you actually look at the statistics the economy is moving – and has been moving – in almost a straight line up since the Obama administration – with the help of a democratic Congress (I believe there may have been a couple republicans voting with them, one being Susan Collins) passed a “stimulus bill” that was barely enough to pull the United States out of the “Great Recession” caused by the previous republican administration’s lenient regulatory policies toward financial institutions.  I believe, since then, the country’s GDP has averaged an increase of somewhere between 2 and 2.5% which Trump characterizes as anemic. (Of course, he hasn’t commented on the FACT the GDP is no better today than it was then)

Before I delve into the sheer hypocrisy of Trump’s most recent claims (hypocrisy could be a code word in defining Trump and his “administration”) I have to say I pointed out, at the beginning of Trump’s term (however long that may be – Mike Pense is already planning to be the president) that, as with all presidents, he’s operating the first year (at least, I believe, until September when the new “budget” – which they can’t seem to pass – takes effect) on the policies of the Obama administration.  You’re correct, I’m no expert economist, I’ve just read this from multiple sources and observed it many times over the course of my life.  The reality is that Trump will have to wait until 2018 to do his boasting – every “boast” he makes now is, in reality, a claim supporting the policies of Barack Obama and the democrats.

From a recent historical perspective – it took Bush/Cheney about six months to destroy the tax surpluses they inherited from Clinton/Gore – which were reducing the national debt by 250 BILLION dollars per year – and, by year two turning them into a near TRILLION dollar deficit (if you count the wars they were “putting on a credit card.”  It took President Obama several years to reduce the deficits he “inherited” by over 50% and it will be interesting, to say the least, what Trump does with what he inherited.  There are many “budget hawks” in the House – at least while a democrat is president, we’ll see as Trump proposes a budget if they still believe in “balancing the budget” while they’re proposing BILLIONS in tax cuts for the wealthy.

It’s true that via executive orders the president can have a minor impact on “the ship of state” but he can’t turn it in a different direction without legislative support.  So, in effect, Trump is now claiming credit for the same policies he lambasted President Obama over while running for office – and, of course, with the help of Fox “news,” Rush Limbaugh, and the other right wing “water carriers” he’ll get away with this as far as his “base” (the low information voters) is concerned.  Trump has ZERO major legislative accomplishments to this point so whatever he’s done has been “under the radar.”

Here’s some of what Trump has “accomplished”:  Coal companies can now dump their sludge in the rivers and streams around their coal mines AND there’s a reported 800 jobs created due to the support of Trump and his pulling the U.S. out of the Paris climate Accords (we now stand with Nicaragua and Syria as the only countries in the WORLD not part of that agreement).  I want to say that’s like taking one step forward and five steps backward, but, I’m having trouble saying anything to suggest support of the dying coal industry is a step forward – especially, allowing the dumping of the sludge into rivers and streams again. (those 800 jobs represent a fraction of 1% of the jobs created just in the last month) Additionally, Trump is surreptitiously rolling back financial regulations which benefit those in the swamp he’s supposed to be “draining.”

All the moves Trump is making “under the radar” will play out in the years to come.  As I’ve said, starting in 2018 he’ll be able to legitimately start taking claim for any rise in the economy or BLAME if it goes “south.”  Many, like myself, feel there’s another “bubble” in the making and, while it doesn’t take an expert to figure this out, at some point a “bubble” will “burst.”  I’m not sure about you, but I have NO sense of confidence that Trump will be able to figure out what to do in the case of another financial meltdown.  Trump has shown himself to be a pathological LIAR and he’s filled his cabinet and inner circle with people of the same “ilk” or people who are willing to LIE if ordered to do so.

It’s been reported many times that Trump watches the cable TV shows that are reporting on the investigation of the “Russia thing,” along with other aspects of the Trump administration to the point where he’s supposedly yelling at the TV while watching it.  Supposedly, Trump’s surrogates who are sent out to defend him on television are always “playing to an audience of one.”  Meaning, they’ve got to defend Trump’s LIES in order to keep their jobs.  I believe, for example, Sean Spicer – who recently resigned as press secretary – damaged his career by LYING repeatedly for Trump.  This stuff is on TV, it’s recorded, and you have to live with it if you’re willing to do it.  Sarah Huckabee Sanders is rapidly putting herself in the same spot.  I have to say, I can only hope this LYING about virtually EVERYTHING is not going to be an acceptable norm in America going forward.

As I wrote in a previous post I asked a friend of mine – who watches Fox “news,” especially Hannity – and says he’s a conservative (which he can’t define) and voted for Trump for “moral” reasons – if he still supports Trump for “moral” reasons.  (He had been programmed to actually HATE Hillary Clinton)  When he said “yes,” I asked him how he was processing all the LIES and his response was: “you’re not going to change my mind.”  (I told him I was only trying to understand his reasoning)  I guess one of my major frustrations is with Christians who continue to support Trump despite the CONSTANT LYING.

But, I digress.  Here’s some of the hypocrisy I mentioned above.  In the campaign Trump claimed he would never “touch” Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.  Well, that went out the “window” once his “health care” proposal – supposedly to repeal and replace “Obamacare” (ie The Affordable Care Act) became public knowledge.  Even when dealing with health care republicans can’t get out of the “tax cut for the wealthy” mode – “Trumpcare” would have cut almost a TRILLION dollars from Medicaid over the next 10 years – virtually cutting the legs from under the program (which insures more people than any other program in America) while giving tax cuts in the same amount to the wealthiest 2% of Americans.  Clearly, in the legislation both Social Security and Medicare were in the “cross-hairs” of republicans in Congress.  I don’t believe Trump even understands what is in the legislation republicans are (and will be) putting in front of him to sign.  Shortly after signing (and celebrating) the House version of “health care” he characterized it has being “MEAN.” Go Figure!

Trump claimed he would “drain the swamp.”  All you have to do is check out the “resume’s” of those he’s put in his cabinet and it becomes immediately apparent that he’s making the “swamp” DEEPER.  Most of them appear to have no idea how the government actually functions so they’re not getting much done – but, I fear, that may be the objective.  For example, Trump is threatening to withhold funds earmarked for the Affordable Care Act in order to cause it to “fail.”  I can only hope that won’t be an acceptable strategy of governing going forward.  Many department heads are held by people committed to destroying that department.

Here’s another tip:  when someone refers to someone else as being “crooked” take heed.  There’s an old saying, “The skunk smells his own hole first.”  I have to say, one of the greatest ironies (hypocrisy?), to me, is Trump using the term “Crooked Hillary” – which he’s still doing, by the way, in his attempt to deflect his “base” from learning the TRUTH about the “Russia thing” – and, the other stuff Robert Mueller will undoubtedly “uncover” in his investigation of the “Russia thing.”  Like everything else that comes out of Trump’s mouth, his claims about the Clintons are either exaggerations or just plain LIES, but his strategy is ALWAYS to DEFLECT whoever’s listening from his own transgressions.  The more Trump fights back on the investigation of the “Russia thing” the more I believe he’s got MAJOR problems when it concludes.

Trump claimed, almost EVERY day, during the campaign he was going to “build a wall” (between the U.S. and Mexico) and “MEXICO’S GOING TO PAY FOR IT.”  Of course, every American, except those who believe in Trump, knew that claim was preposterous from the git go.  Yet, he continued making the claim even after taking the oath of office.  Now, even Trump’s most ardent supporters know the truth about those claims due to the release of a phone transcript of Trump’s conversation with the president of Mexico – where Trump was PLEADING with his Mexican counterpart to at least publicly support the claim – even though Mexico  was NOT going to pay for ANY of the so-called “wall.”  So, if there’s a wall, “we the people” will pay for it whether we want it or not – remember Trump LOST the popular vote by around 3 MILLION votes – meaning MOST of us don’t want that wall! (and, if we voted again, I’m convinced he’d lose by a lot more than 3 MILLION)

All this suggests to me that when 2018 rolls around and Trump gets (has) to claim credit for the economy and the general direction of the “ship of state” he could be tempted to do even more LYING.  I actually hope things take a turn for the better.  For example, Trump’s incompetence could FORCE the Congress to find BIPARTISAN solutions to problems and return to what John McCain referred to as “regular order.”  I’m not one to hope our president “fails” as republicans not only hoped for under President Obama, but tried to facilitate – because if the president fails the country fails.  It’s just that if there’s any credit go give the economy at this point it’s mostly because of the leadership of President Obama.  Trump can legitimately start bragging about the economy in 2018.

Final thought:  I’ve mentioned Joseph Goebbels “Big Lie theory” many times on this site.  There’s no doubt in my mind that the republican party – in conjunction with the right wing media personnel – have been proponents of this theory for years.  The theory is based on the belief that if you tell a LIE over and over enough times, people will begin to believe it’s true.  This worked in Germany in the thirties and it’s worked for republicans since the days of Ronald Reagan.  I honestly don’t believe Trump is consciously even aware of this philosophy.  I believe his LYING is pathological.  I’m not sure which I find more disgusting – Trump as a pathological LIAR or people like Hannity, Limbaugh, and the others who do it as a “means to an end.”  Either way, it will work as long as “we the people” continue to “fall” for it in significant numbers.  I’ve yet to hear a media commentator even explain to their audience what the “Big Lie theory” is.  I discovered it in my reading and once aware of what’s going on it’s much easier to understand the inner workings of those who use it.  You’d think it would be the “conservatives” who’d be the most disgusted by all the LYING – but, instead, it appears they’re willing recipients of the LIES!