DONALD TRUMP: THE BORDER WALL BUNCO ARTIST

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     The conman and snake oil salesman that is Donald Trump first hoodwinked enough Republicans across America in to thinking that he "alone can fix it."  In case you have forgotten, those were Trump's words during his acceptance speech after being nominated for president at the Republican National Convention in July 2016.  

     But Trump is a pseudointellectual.  He pretends to be of greater intelligence than he in fact is...but instead, his existence is based on megalomania narcissism and flimflamming his way to The White House. In other words, Donald Trump is nothing more than a really good bunco artist.

     Trump also snookered enough voters - Republicans and Independents - in to thinking that we of the "red, white and blue" are suffering a threat by international terrorists who sneak across the U.S./Mexico border with the intent to kill thousands of Americans.  It is one of Trump's biggest lies; perhaps his worst.

     Trump - during the 2016 presidential campaign - created a dangerous fantasy that too many people in our country bought in to, and unfortunately they did, because it was one of the reasons Trump was able to defeat Hillary Clinton in an Electoral College vote.  It was that fabricated figment of Trump's imagination that deceived his voters and persuaded them to believe that we needed a 2,000-mile wall to be built across our nation's southern border.

     It truly pains me to ask the following question, but here it comes.  Are there really that many stupid people in the United States?  The latest Educational Attainment data from the U.S. Census Bureau - dated December 14th, 2017 and published at census.gov - confirms that "90 percent of the population age 25 and older have completed high school."  In comparison to pre-World War II figures, the U.S. Census Bureau report states that "In 1940, less than half of the population age 25 and older had a high school diploma."  Today's statistics - again, actually from December 2017 - equate to about 195-million of the 217-million Americans age 25 and older who have graduated from high school.  Furthermore, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than one-third (34 percent) of Americans in the same age bracket noted above have attained a bachelor's degree from a higher institution of learning.  That figure alone is disturbing.  If educations by public colleges and universities were available to students free of tuition, the aforementioned percentage amount would undoubtedly skyrocket.  But that's a topic for another column..not today's.  The U.S. Census Bureau also indicated that people with advanced degrees - including masters and doctorates - "make up 13 percent of all U.S. adults."

     My point for including the numbers above in this editorial is to indicate that America - for the most part - is primarily not a nation of illiterate people.  But an education - even the finest ones - doesn't make a stupid person smart.  Trusting Donald Trump about anything is just plain foolish. Yet Trump's base continues to remain (they fell in long ago) ensconced in the "Trump trap"... and as such...those Americans who continue to elevate him on to a pedestal are ignorant to the truth.

     In a Monday, January 7th, 2019 report by NBC News national security reporter Julia Ainsley, "U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered only six immigrants at ports of entry on the U.S./Mexico border in the first half of fiscal year 2018 whose names were on a federal government list of known or suspected terrorists, according to CBP data provided to Congress in May 2018 and obtained by NBC News."

     But as usual, Trump had his press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, lying for him.  On Friday, January 4th, Sanders falsely stated on Fox & Friends that there were "nearly 4,000 known or suspected terrorists that CBP picked up that came across our southern border."  She then repeated the erroneous claim on Sunday, January 6th on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace.  But the veteran journalist did his homework and Wallace cited a Department of State report that there is "no credible evidence" of terrorists crossing the U.S./Mexico border.  Wallace told Sanders he "studied up" on the facts and that those 4,000 people were captured at "airports."

     Trump has his cronies giving fictitious information because construction of what I call Trump's "racist and xenophobic wall of hate" was a pledge he made during the 2016 campaign, and he has to prove to his base of supporters that he can honor that promise.  However...after vowing to get Mexico to foot the bill for the wall... Trump now wants Congress to approve 5.6-billion dollars to build it.  But day after day, the madness is all that builds, as Trump invents more ways for his non-existent crisis to brainwash the people who unwisely encourage him and back him.

     On Saturday, December 22nd, 2018, Trump shut down part of the federal government and now, eighteen days in to it, he still refuses to re-open "Uncle Sam's" doors (those that are currently closed) until Congress comes up with the bucks for the wall.  But Democrats now control the U.S. House of Representatives and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi - along with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer - are not going to back down.  Neither will give in to Trump's threats and the House will never give a green light for Trump to receive any such funds.  That being said, Trump thinks he can give an order for the wall to be built by declaring a "national emergency because of the security of our country."  But on the same day of that strong-arm tactic by Trump, Congressman Adam Schiff - Democrat of California - was adamant on January 4th.  "Not in America, he doesn't." Any attempt by Trump to declare a national emergency will be challenged all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court.  Such a lawsuit could take years to settle before Justices come to a decision.  By then, Trump would be out of office and no wall would have been built.  Think about this though.  Donald Trump is stomping his feet in a temper tantrum now.  Just wait and see his reaction after all of that.

     Trump warned on January 4th that he could keep the government closed "for months or even years."  This is a man who obviously doesn't care that he is stealing money from certain federal employees; many of whom continue to perform their jobs without a paycheck. Because of the shutdown, nearly 800-thousand federal workers have either been furloughed without pay or are required to continue working even though they won't receive one red cent for doing so.  Trump is taking food out of the mouths of children who won't be able to be fed by their parents who are employed by the United States government.  Be that as it is... Trump's base remains loyal to him.  Really?  Seriously?

     Congressman Schiff continued his January 4th statement by writing..."I've never seen anything like this.  Trump is punishing Americans for the sake of a wasteful wall that he promised they would never pay for, and threatening to declare a national emergency like some tinpot ruler. Trump can keep fear-mongering about the border and making promises he can't keep to his base, but it's about time Republicans in Congress gain the courage to join us in ending this shutdown."

     As Congressman Schiff wrote on Monday, December 31st, 2018..."In high school, I learned to begin the new year by saying 'rabbit, rabbit' to bring luck.  I'll be doing that again tonight as we ring in 2019.  We'll certainly need luck in the coming months, but more than that, we'll need to keep working hard to protect our democracy and build a stronger nation."  Schiff - the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee - continued..."With the new Democratic majority in the House, we will fight tooth and nail to provide real oversight of this president."

     Congressman Schiff further stated on Thursday, January 3rd..."This is a Congress by, of, and for the people, as it should always be."  And, "We will hold this president accountable, put a check on his worst impulses, and will not be cowed by his attacks."

     Rabbit, rabbit to all Americans who aren't feeble-minded and short-sighted to believe in the irrational and reckless Donald Trump.

     And that's The Controversy for today.

     I'm Gary B. Duglin.

     "We'll talk again."

The Controversy is a publication of GBD Productions.  Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Controversy is Gary B. Duglin.

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Photo credits: Olivier Douliery/Pool/Getty Images (Donald Trump #1), Yuri Gripas/Bloomberg/Getty Images (Donald Trump #2), Screenshot from Fox News and Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace (White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Fox News anchor Chris Wallace), New York Amsterdam News (Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer), Tom Pennington/Getty Images (Donald Trump #3), and Joshua Roberts/Reuters (Representative Adam Schiff)

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