I spent the eight years of the Obama administration listening to republicans complaining about the deficit, taking us to the “brink” every time the issue of the debt ceiling would come up.  Republicans would threaten, each time, to shut the government down and/or take us into default.  Yet, the first year republicans have control of every part of the government, we’re looking at a “tax reform” that will take hundreds of BILLIONS from the working class of America and shift it to the “top 1%” – just as people like me predicted.  Unfortunately, we’re stuck with these people until at least 2018 and, possibly Trump until 2020 because republicans are coalescing around Trump in what appears to be a “firewall” to protect him from his past misdeeds – which are likely to be exposed soon by Robert Mueller.

When people understand what’s in the tax scam republicans are likely to get through Congress – more to prove they can do SOMETHING than to do something USEFUL – people who don’t like Trump and the republicans are going to be even angrier.  For example, when they fully understand that Trump’s claim he won’t benefit from the scam is ludicrous and that they are the ones not benefiting from the scam the anger will increase.  When the reality of the increased deficit shows its ugly “face” people will, or should, be angrier – at republicans.  They can’t pin this on democrats because the bill was written in the offices of Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell and MOST members will vote on it without reading it.  Trump is set to gain at least a BILLION dollars because of this tax scam.

Those of us who are in the working class should dislike this scam especially when we discover the “bottom line” is going down once we factor in the increase in our health care costs because of republicans repealing the “individual mandate” from the Affordable Care Act along with the increases already from Trump’s purposeful attempts to ruin our health care system.  Obviously, Trump hates anything with President Obama’s name attached to it.  I’m guessing that Trump’s actions are not only making the Affordable Care Act more popular, but Obama as well.  I keep thinking of the saying “how low can you go” when I think of Trump – and, he keeps proving he can go “lower.”  There appears to be no limits as to how low he can go.

Clearly, the best hope for those of us who don’t like having a LIAR, a narcissist (well, I suppose you could argue that being a narcissist to some level is required for someone who wants to be president – but Trump is in the stratosphere of narcissists!), a misogynist, a racist, and a Nazi as our president is Robert Mueller.  Despite the reality that Trump often seems STUPID in some of the things he does and says, he’s not to STUPID as to be unsuspecting as to what’s coming “down the pike” from Mueller.  Trump knows what he’s done and very likely feels it must be legal because he’s been getting away with it for years – but, Mueller is one of the BEST FBI investigators of our generation and Trump is in trouble – and he KNOWS it!

So, true to Trump’s “form” he fights back – and, in this instance he’s fighting back before the “you know what” hits the fan.  He’s ginning up his “base” to believe the FBI is “dishonest” (can you believe Trump – the man with almost 2000 CONFIRMED LIES since he took the OATH of office – claiming anyone is dishonest?  Especially Mueller and the FBI.  You’ve got to be kidding me.  He’s basing his claim on text messages from one person who was part of Mueller’s team that was anti Trump and, to a degree, pro Clinton.  Of course, as soon as Mueller discovered the text messages this person was removed from the investigation.  Apparently, the recipient of the texts had already left – either the Mueller team, or the FBI.  I’m not sure if Trump is trying to require FBI agents to “pledge loyalty” to him – as he attempted to get James Comey to do – but, think about what that would mean if it’s true.  (well, if you watch Fox “news” I doubt if you have the ability to think – this or anything else that’s not their propaganda through) There are those in Trump’s “circle” evidently claiming the FBI is planning a “coup de tat.”  Yikes!

Let me explain this if you don’t understand.  A coup de tat (most people just say “coup”) is the ILLEGAL overthrow of a “state” (country) by the military or “some other elite force.”  What Trump (and his supporters) clearly fear is the FINDING of the Mueller investigation.  Again, Trump is smart enough to KNOW what he did – whether it’s collusion with the Russians (he’s been on the phone with Putin pretty regular of late) OR the OBSTRUCTION which would relate to firing Comey AND his attempts to protect his son from clearly being STUPID.  I can see the argument that NONE in the Trump “circle” had any idea what they were getting into when the campaign started, but as the saying goes “ignorance of the law is no excuse.”

And MOST Americans as old as Trump know, from the Watergate years, “the coverup is worse than the crime.”  I’m still not sure what all the crimes were/are in this instance, but it’s clear Trump didn’t learn from Nixon.  His attempts to cover up whatever involvement he and those in his campaign had with the Russians has been, well – at best, SLOPPY.  At worst, it has been crime family like.  I believe we’re going to learn much about Trump and his “dealings” for the past several years when Mueller’s investigation is finished.  Tangled web of following the money will likely tell us why Trump refused to show his taxes.  One lesson for “we the people” from this entire episode SHOULD be NO ONE ever is allowed to run for president without showing his/her tax returns BEFORE any election – “IRS audit” or not.  (The “audit” claim, to me, was always laughable)

So, if Trump is in trouble regarding the Mueller investigation, it will not be a coup de tat.  The reality is, and always has been, that the republicans in Congress will decide Trump’s fate should Mueller expose “high crimes and misdemeanors” that we don’t already know.  Of course, there are many beside myself who claim Trump has already committed “high crimes and misdemeanors.”  Richard Painter – the ethics lawyer in the GW Bush White House – has repeatedly pointed out how Trump is continually violating the emoluments clause in the Constitution as he enriches himself via foreign money being spent in his hotels.  (Of course, as I said above, he’s enriching himself with the tax cut as well – the most brazen “theft” of taxpayer money in my lifetime).  However, realistically, if Trump’s transgressions via the Mueller investigation meet the “high crimes and misdemeanors” level of traditional American jurisprudence Trump is laying the ground to encourage his “base” to believe it is “fake.”  And, apparently, republicans in Congress are laying the “groundwork” to agree.

If Trump is removed from office, at least in 2018 it will be because the republicans in Congress decide to take their oath of office seriously.  Suggesting there was no Russian ATTACK on our electoral process is LUDICROUS – but, apparently, those defending Trump are accepting of the Russians being involved in his success – no matter the level.  We’ll never know, more than likely, if their involvement actually swung the election – but, hopefully, we’ll learn if Trump’s campaign was working with them to do so.  By all reports I’ve read, the Russians didn’t believe they could actually cause Trump to win – they were attempting (and they seem to have succeeded) to sow discontent and disenchantment with our system and create problems for Hillary Clinton.  When you see some of the Facebook adds they ran it’s really hard to believe they didn’t have help – but, we all wait for Mueller.  Trump seems to know what’s coming – and, true to his form, I believe that’s what is behind the “coup” talk.  He, and his closest supporters, know Mueller has the “goods” on him.

I’m guessing, again – I believe once Mike Flynn decided to cooperate with Mueller Trump knew it’s just a matter of time until the “high crimes and misdemeanors” are public.  Flynn was at his side all the way through the campaign AND, more importantly, the period between the election and the inauguration – when the “stuff” with the Russians became more public AND Flynn had his contacts with the Russians where, apparently, there was a “quid pro quo” regarding sanctions. It all will be interesting once the investigation is made public – and, despite the right wing efforts to smear Mueller, he will still be regarded as one of the most honest and capable FBI agents in our generation.

Trump’s suggestions about the FBI being in “tatters” is absurd and interesting considering people like me believe he’s in office because of the FBI.  Reports I read (and heard – from my right wing friends) suggested, during the election the FBI was, in large part – those involved in the “email” investigation – opposed to Mrs. Clinton.  Clearly, James Comey is as responsible as anyone for Trump being in the “White House.”  So, I find it interesting they are the target of the right wingers today.  Evidently, having it “both ways” is their mantra.  Look up the video of Newt Gingrich on Mueller, for example. when he was chosen as special prosecutor and what he’s saying now.  I totally believe MOST Americans will not fall for Trump’s attempt (along with republicans like Gingrich) to turn America into the “fourth Reich.”  “We the people” aren’t as stupid as they think.

Obviously, with the tax cut, they think we’re pretty stupid.  But, most people I talk to (save for those who watch Fox – and listen to people like Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, etc.) believe Robert Mueller is fair and honest and will support whatever his findings are.  If Trump and his supporters on Trump and GOP TV continue attacking Mueller and the FBI, we’re in for the greatest challenge to our Constitution in ALL of our lifetimes – in the HISTORY of this great nation.  If Trump is not challenged and held accountable to the law, America will become a pariah in the eyes of the world – with the exception of Russia and places who operate like them.  We will be forfeiting what our forefathers fought for and gave to us.

For those in America who continue complaining about our “government” I would remind them the government is “we the people.”  We’re responsible for who gets elected and Trump is there, along with many of those who support him because of all the people who choose not to vote.  There’s too many Americans who fail to take their responsibility to vote seriously and my hope is, at the very minimum, Trump motivates young people to get off their butts and become involved with the political process.  It’s not only a responsibility, it should be considered a great privilege.  It’s the reason America was great LONG before Trump ever opened his LYING mouth.  If these HORRIBLE tax cuts AND the talk of Robert Mueller and the FBI planning a coup doesn’t get the attention of fair minded Americans then this nation is in trouble.  I choose to believe we’ll NEVER allow someone like Trump to turn America into a Fascist state.  The time for resistance is NOW and every day Trump and his surrogates (or those in Congress who are choosing to enable him) remain in office.

Final thought: Personally, I’ve been beyond disappointed in people like Bob Corker, Jeff Flake, Susan Collins, John McCain, and Lindsey Graham as they’ve violated their own principles in voting for a tax scam that not only eviscerates our health care system, but pushes the deficit back up into the stratosphere – likely in a year or two more than a TRILLION dollars per year.  President Obama worked hard to cut the deficit from the $1.5 TRILLION  per year – that he inherited from Bush/Cheney (Cheney who famously said, “Reagan proved deficits don’t matter) and, despite constant republican obstruction, by almost 70% (to near $400 BILLION per year) when he left office.  By next year it will likely be almost twice the deficit Trump inherited.  Republicans don’t care about this, because they are the ones benefiting from the transfer of wealth from the bottom to the top.  It’s disgraceful, and, at some point, it has to stop.  I say it should stop NOW – but, clearly, republicans don’t listen to me or the MILLIONS of people like me who don’t want to saddle the next generation with this terrible burden.  Sad!