Photo from Chicago Sun Times.
After the Law and Order President issued a series of underserving pardons for confederates who lied for him in the Mueller Investigation, Blackwater employees (who worked for the brother of the Secretary of Education) that killed innocent Iraqi civilians, and three convicted-Trumpist former House Representatives, the 2016 and 2020 Popular Vote Loser injected more chaos in the American Economy by seeming to threaten, in a Twitter Video, to veto the just passed COVID 19 Relief Bill unless:
- Direct Payments to American Individuals were increased from $600 to $2000.
- Foreign Aid provisions were removed from the General Funding Bill (although the Great Dealmaker seemed to confuse the two bills.)
Democrats upon hearing the news that Donald Trump had just called for $2000 in direct payments to all Americans rejoiced.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted:
https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1341557535732604935
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer also tweeted:
https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1341562357433163776
Bernie Sanders posted on social media:
"That's great! I first introduced a bill to provide a $2,000 direct payment with Sen. Kamala Harris and Sen. Ed Markey 7 months ago. Now, Mr. President, get Mitch McConnell and your Republican friends to stop opposing it and we can provide working-class Americans with $2,000. Let's do it."
There has been no official comment yet by the Biden/Harris Transition team on Trump's remarks (or the pardons) but at a Press Conference earlier on Tuesday (please see video below,) the President-Elect contended that the COVID 19 relief bill passed in Congress was just a deposit on a later stimulus measure he would promote after taking office on January 20, 2021. Mr. Biden also told the American People that the worst of the pandemic was yet to come. He also blasted Trump for his handling of the Russian cyberattack on American Government offices.
Republicans in the White House and Congress squirmed.
Many, including his economic advisors that negotiated with Congress on his behalf, were surprised at Mr. Trump's video.
Many thought he was informed on the contents of the bill and he would sign it.
According to reporting by the Washington Post, one unnamed Administration official said:
“So dumb. So, so dumb.”
To be fair, Trump, who had no direct role in the negotiations, had called for direct payments of $2000 last week in the relief bill but was rebuffed by his own staff. Some dealmaker.
Republican Congressional Leaders Kevin McCarthy and Mitch McConnell, according to reporting by CNN, have not commented on Trump's latest moves.
Others expressed hope that Trump is just posturing and will sign the passed COVID relief bill since he did not use the magic veto word.
If Democrats play this right, they could use this to their advantage in the Georgia Senate Runoff elections with the Democratic Candidates putting the Republican ones in a corner by challenging them to take a stand on the direct payments.
If Republican candidates Loeffler and Perdue do not commit to $2000 direct payments to all Americans and Ossoff and Warnock do, this could provide the turning point the Democrats need to retake the Senate.
This actually may be Trump's revenge because he is incensed that McConnell and Senate Republican leadership are not supporting his attempts to overturn the election when Congress meets to validate the Electoral College results on January 6, 2021.
It would be great for the American People and the economy If the $2000 in direct payments to individuals can be secured and delivered in a timely fashion. Republicans in the House and Senate should follow the Democratic lead and apparent Trump support and allow the measure to pass by unanimous consent.
However, if Republicans bicker with Trump and amongst themselves and throw the COVID relief and government funding process into chaos, the American People should vehemently call them out on this and tell them to stop treating the citizens of this country as disposable pawns.
Lives are at stake and the American People should not be held hostage to the sore loser in the White House one senior Republican called "...a petulant child not getting his way throw a tantrum."
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