“Wait a second, did the President actually say that?”
Ever since the 2016 election of Donald Trump, it seems like every single American has either heard that phrase or said it themselves. From his infamous Twitter account to his controversial statements and policies to the Mueller Investigation, it's no secret that ‘The Donald’ loves to be the center of attention. And that is exactly his problem. President Trump’s obsession with being the top story in newspapers across the country everyday will without a doubt be his Achilles’ heel when the 2020 Election arrives.
Trump’s actions over the last few months have embodied this obsession. July 14th saw the president attack ‘The Squad,’ a group of four congresswomen who have been known for their progressive politics and for their criticisms of the president. ‘The Squad’ is comprised of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of NY, Rashida Tlaib of MI, Ilhan Omar of MN, and Ayanna Pressley of MA. In the tweet, Trump suggested that they ought to “go back” to the “totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.” Not only was the tweet downright unnecessary and despicable, but it’s also factually wrong. Three of the four congresswomen targeted were born in the United States, with Omar being the only exception, as she was born in Somalia. Still, she is a legal citizen of the United States and should not be ridiculed by the president for simply not being born in the United States. Trump gained absolutely nothing from this tweet, and it is absolutely childish of the President of the United States to attack four duly elected congresswoman for simply disagreeing with his politics.
It is perfectly acceptable to not agree with The Squad’s politics. Heck, a lot of people in America, including myself, don’t agree with them. However, when you start to attack them based on something other than their politics, that is when you know the line has been crossed.
Another example of Trump unable to keep himself in check was seen with the suicide of financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who was recently arrested on July 6 on federal charges for sex trafficking. It is no secret that Epstein had contact with many famous people including former President Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew of England, and President Trump himself. When news broke of Epstein’s suicide, Trump posted a pair of tweets accusing former President Bill Clinton and former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton of being involved in Epstein’s suicide. One of the tweets retweeted by Trump claimed that documents were unsealed that revealed that top Democrats, including Bill Clinton, took trips to Epstein's private island in the Virgin Islands.
There are many things wrong with this retweet by the president. One is the blatant hypocrisy of Trump, as he also had connections with Epstein, and was even recorded on video partying with Epstein in 1992 at his Mar-a-Lago estate. What’s also hypocritical is the fact that Trump’s Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta was forced to resign when his handling of Epstein’s 2008 plea deal came to light, in which Epstein dodged federal sex abuse charges by pleading guilty to state charges, which resulted in a 13 month sentence and requirement to register as a sex offender.
The fact that the President of the United States is retweeting this wild conspiracy theory blaming a former president for committing murder is not only appalling and wrong, but it also brings shame to the Oval Office. Trump must have forgotten that he also had ties with Epstein, as he would have been better off remaining silent this time.
Other controversial statements by the president include saying that any Jewish person who votes for a Democrat shows “a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty” and even talking about buying Greenland. Talk about a crazy summer for Donald Trump.
Despite these controversial statements, Trump can still win the 2020 election. As a matter of fact, President Trump has done a lot of positive things while in office: tax reform, nominating two justices to the Supreme Court, and recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital seem to be his most popular policies. The reality of the situation is that while a lot of people like these actions by President Trump, they are always shadowed by the president’s loud and abrasive personality. In response to this, he must have a different approach once 2020 comes around: stay under the radar and let the Democrats battle each other for the nomination.
While this will certainly be a challenge for the president, it is the smartest thing for him to do if he wants to remain in office. While supporters of the president like the fact that Trump is vocal about his beliefs on Twitter, others just want the chaos to stop. To stop this chaos, I highly suggest that someone in the Trump Administration snatch his phone and delete Twitter ASAP.
The 2020 presidential election will certainly be one of the most important elections in recent history. This election also poses many questions, the most important of which will be whether or not the president can stay out of the spotlight and let the tides of Washington settle for a little while. This will without a doubt be the difference of him winning reelection or him packing up his bags and saying goodbye to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.