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To say that this year has been horrendous would be the understatement of the 21st century. Below is just a sampling of what has made 2020 so terrifyingly gruesome.
1 - The Johns Hopkins University of Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center says America has suffered more than 330,000 deaths and counting from the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic with nearly 19 million other Americans, so far, who have taken sick from this dreadfully distressing disease. Doctors, health officials, and other medical professionals say the worst is yet to come as a tremendous amount of Americans, over the Christmas and New Year's season, are expected to ignore guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Meanwhile, let's not ever forget that it was Donald Trump who knew months before the rest of us did that the coronavirus could steal the lives of millions of Americans; not to mention the possibility that millions more people worldwide could die after being infected. Trump was warned by multiple Cabinet-level advisers as early as January and February of this year, but reportedly Trump was also informed by Pentagon officials in November 2019 of a deadly illness that might be devastating and catastrophic. There is no excuse for Trump's wilful dereliction of duty. By his own
2 - Our country has deteriorated in 2020 with an economy that has caused Americans to be homeless and hungry. According to Statista - one of the world's leading statistical portals and data intelligence services - the U.S. Department of Labor reports more than 70 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits from the start of the coronavirus national emergency in mid-March to the present. About 12 million people are still without jobs to this day. Furthermore, The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says that data by a Household Pulse Survey - from November 25th through December 7th, 2020 - indicates that "Some 27 million adults - 13 percent of all adults in the country - reported that their households sometimes or often didn't have enough to eat in the last seven days." But, as this column is published, Republicans in Congress won't give Americans the money they need to survive. They're too selfish to provide people who are desperate, a way to make ends meet, until we get out of this disastrous health crisis.
3 - Donald Trump - a vile, vicious, and vulgar man, and without question the worst president our country has ever seen - has pardoned war criminals, child killers, and others who are clearly not representative of what our Founders designed when they created the presidential pardon power. Such power is based on Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution, which states, "The President...shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of impeachment." According to Presidential Studies Quarterly, "The U.S. Supreme Court has interpreted the provision to include the power to grant pardons, conditional pardons, commutations of sentence, conditional commutations of sentence, remissions of fines and forfeitures, respites and amnesties." But the U.S. Department of Justice says "a presidential pardon is an expression of the president's forgiveness" and ordinarily is granted in recognition of the applicant's acceptance of responsibility for the crime and established good conduct for a significant period of time after conviction or completion of sentence. It does not signify innocence." Therefore, none of Trump's recent pardons fit the customary description for presidential pardons, as none of the recipients of Trump's pardons have expressed any forgiveness, nor have they taken responsibility for the crimes they committed. As
Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff of California wrote on Wednesday, December 23rd, 2020, "The message from Trump is clear. If you lie for me, if you cover for me, if you're loyal to me, I'll protect you, reward you, and get you out of jail. But if, on the other hand, you expose corruption or stand up to me, I'll come after you." For me to call Donald Trump evil would be kind.
4 - Trump - who supposedly is the commander-in-chief (but certainly he is not deserving of that title, nor the title of president) - has taken money out of the wallets and pocketbooks of our brave military heroes (yes, everyone who serves is a hero) by Trump's recent veto of an armed forces spending bill. Congress has until January 2nd, 2021 to override the veto. The National Defense Authorization Act passed both the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives and the Republican-controlled Senate, and it did so by margins big enough to override a presidential veto. Such congressional action would be the first during Trump's presidency. Included as part of the 740 billion-dollar measure would provide pay increases for our troops. Dare I say it again? For me to call Donald Trump evil would be kind.
5 - Although Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is blaming the worst-ever U.S. government cyber-attack on Russia, Donald Trump - as he has done in the past - declines to accuse Moscow and The Kremlin of anythiing sinister. We all know that
Trump will defend Russia's President Vladimir Putin
even when U.S. intelligence proves that Russia is responsible for threats or assaults of any kind against the United States. Every U.S. intelligence agency believes Russia interfered in our 2016 election. But whether it was then or now, Trump HAS never and WILL never condemn, denounce, or even mildly criticize Russia. Reportedly, at least six of "Uncle Sam's" departments, including State, Treasury, Commerce and Energy have been breached by the recent cyber-attack. Dozens of security and technology companies - including Microsoft - have also been affected by the hack, which federal officials have labeled a "grave risk" to every level of the U.S. government. Despite the seriousness of the electronic invasion, The Associated Press says Trump has ordered White House officials to not issue any statement that would imply an involvement by Russia. Meanwhile, Trump tweeted on Saturday, December 19th, 2020, "The Cyber Hack is far greater in the Fake News Media than in actuality. Everything is well under control." But security and technology experts plus officials within the Trump administration do not agree with Trump at all. Not pointing the finger at Rusia, Trump included in his aforementioned tweet that "it may be China." However, there is no proof whatsoever that China is responsible. It's absolutely disgraceful for Trump to not act aggressively against Russia. The question remains - as it has for four years - what dirt does Putin have on Trump? It's so very obvious that Trump has been compromised by Russia and, therefore, once out of office he should not be given any access to national security or other classified information that is often provided, at times, to former presidents. Whether wittingly or unwittingly, there's plenty of evidence that Trump has performed as an agent of Moscow.
6 - To top it all off - if everything above isn't enough - Trump plus some Republicans on Capitol Hill have launched a coup on our democracy as they betray our country while they travel on the "Trump Treason Trolley" in a futile attempt to overturn this year's presidential election. Anyone in Congress who tries to invalidate and reverse the election is undermining American democracy and should be branded a traitor. The 2020 contest between Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden was not only legal, but it's been called by election officials "the most secure election in U.S. history." Still, Trump refuses to concede to President-elect Biden after Mr. Biden defeated Trump in a landslide that the Electoral College has certified with their votes; 306 for Joe Biden, 232 for Donald Trump. But Trump is in total denial and cannot seem to accept that he lost the race and President-elect Biden won. Trump filed dozens of lawsuits and
Those are just some of the nauseating highlights of this year of tragedy and sorrow. It's a time that will forever be remembered as the year when an American president named Donald Trump riddled bullets in to the body of our nation. Back in January 2016, Trump narcissistically claimed, "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue (in Manhattan) and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters." Americans proved him wrong on November 3rd, 2020 when thankfully voters saved the United States from another four years with this lawless loser, vindictive villain, and malicious monster whose detestable and disgusting depravity has strangled our country with his atrocious arrogance and his ruthless and reckless rancor.
Trump can continue to throw his temper tantrums, but January 20th, 2021 can't come soon enough. Following their inauguration at 12 o'clock noon, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will walk into The White House, and Donald Trump will have already been evicted. Trump's future home is likely to be a prison cell as it's inevitable that he will be indicted for the numerous federal and state crimes that I - and tens of millions of other Americans - believe he has committed. Enjoy your freedom now, Donald. Our justice system will hold you accountable for your illegal activities. I can't wait until 2020 is done and over, but I'm sure Trump wishes it would never end.
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:
1 - Jim Watson/Getty Images (Donald Trump)
2 - Erik S. Lesser/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock (Journalist Bob Woodward)
3 - Yves Herman/Reuters (Donald Trump)
4 - CNN Screenshot (Representative Adam Schiff)
5 - Alex Wong/Getty Images (U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo)
6 - Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images (President Vladimir Putin of Russia)
7 - Daily Express (President-elect Joe Biden and Donald Trump)
8 - MSNBC/NBC News Screenshot (Former U.S. Attorney General William Barr)
9 - Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg (Donald Trump)
10 - Maya Harris (President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris)
Copyright 2020 Gary B. Duglin and TheControversy.net. All Rights Reserved.
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