By Noa Prados
On Oct. 6, 2020, a few hours after he was released from the Walter Reed Medical Center for COVID-19 treatment, President Donald Trump made a non-negotiable request for his aides to end negotiations with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and to instead cut stimulus checks for COVID-19 relief.
Trump’s recent tweet called for the end of the negotiation for stimulus checks, at least until after the election. The same tweet also revealed Trump’s claim that he will “pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Businesses,” seemingly suggesting that his intended new stimulus bill will focus solely on Americans and small business owners.
Trump’s decision has been met with harsh criticism from his opponents, and even criticism from his supporters. Nancy Pelosi’s response to Trump’s decision entailed, characterizing him as an individual who “[puts] himself first at the expense of the country,” as reported by Kyle Griffin.
Alayna Treene and Zachary Basu report that the decision to cut aid for stimulus checks for COVID-19 relief “was seen as a problem for both parties”, and Axios’ Jonathan Swan was told by Trump advisers that they were “utterly perplexed by the decision.”
BBC News reported an additional response of Pelosi’s, stating it is clear that Trump has a disdain for scientific evidence, as “he refuses to put money in workers’ pockets, unless his name is printed on the check.” Pelosi’s utilization of an ad hominem argumentative approach is a clear example of a common tactic in politics, which Trump is infamously known for.
Trump has been known to directly attack Pelosi with the remark of deeming her “crazy” and referring to the Democratic Party as the “Radical Left Democrats.” Demeaning phrases and ad hominem argumentative approaches are evident in both parties’ descriptions of the other, constantly making attacks on one’s character rather than the genuine issue at hand.
Trump’s decision to cut aid for COVID-19 relief could potentially be a calculated campaign strategy. It is plausible that voters will process Trump’s words (particularly his claim to introduce a new stimulus bill) as an influential factor to reelect him. Voters might interpret Trump’s claims to mean that he will attempt to resume COVID-19 aid proceeding the election, if he is to win.
However, the election is a month away, and the spread of COVID-19 will not suddenly come to a halt until after the election. Many Americans will face the drastic and potentially life threatening consequences of Trump’s actions in regard to this decision.
The Hill reporters Morgan Chalfant, Mike Illis and Scott Wong detail in their article that Trump’s decision is an almost complete reversal of his earlier made demands for “leaders of both parties to come together to finalize an agreement that can hit his desk before the Nov. 3 elections.” Interestingly, Trump’s tweet on Oct. 3, 2020, differs from his most recent call to cut stimulus checks for COVID-19 relief, asserting “OUR GREAT USA WANTS & NEEDS STIMULUS. WORK TOGETHER AND GET IT DONE. Thank you!”
His demand for his aides to end any sort of attempted agreement through negotiations with Pelosi is surely crafted in a manner reminiscent of a calculated campaign strategy. Cristina Marcos cites Pelosi in her article for The Hill when she mentions Pelosi’s viewpoint of the situation at hand. Marcos quotes Pelosi when stating, “all [Trump] has ever wanted in the negotiation was to send out a check with his name on it.”
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Pelosi wants the stimulus bill to include bailouts for poorly run Democrat cities and states who are in a sea of debt. Pelosi also wants to include stimulus checks for illegal aliens. Trump should shut this down.
Sad we used to work together to get these things passed.
So, KO, are there any Democrat cities and states that are well run?
Are all Republican cities and states well run, and free of any debt?
Or, ware the proposed ‘bailouts’ specifically tailored,
I expect crickets…
The NY Times did an analysis and found that there is not much difference between cities with Democratic and Republican mayors. It’s just an unfounded narrative right now.
It’s not rocket science boys. Here’s a list of the top states in debt and how much they owe in billions. Note the top five and 8 of the top 10 are run by Dem governors. Next, when I have time, I’ll put up a list of the most in debt cities. It should be enlightening.
1
California
$152.80
2
New York
$139.20
3
Massachusetts
$77.00
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/us-states-with-the-most-debt.html
4
New Jersey
$65.90
5
Illinois
$61.80
6
Texas
$51.00
7
Pennsylvania
$47.50
8
Connecticut
$38.80
9
Michigan
$33.50
10
Ohio
$33.50
Not sure why you believe that is the most important indicator and what you think it is an indicator of. For the most part it looks like debt is correlated with population size. But you still have to convince me that having debt right now is a bad thing.
Also it’s a bit hypocritical, unless you are also going to (A) blame Trump for the record US deficits and (B) blame Trump for the economy after COVID.
None of this makes sense to me. Decisions were made during the pandemic to try to lifeline the economy.
Here’s a list of the top 10 cities in debt, guess what, they’re all run by Democrats:
https://www.statista.com/chart/20649/municipal-debt-burden-in-us-cities/
Still haven’t explained the why this is the indicator you are focused on
Because these badly run Democrat states and cities will use the Pelosi stimulus money towards paying their debt instead of giving it to the people where it will help most. Trump wants the stimulus to go to the people in the form of direct checks to work pay tax breaks.
Your statement is false.
The Democratic bill would:
Reinstate the $600 per week enhanced unemployment benefit through January.
Send a second $1,200 direct payment to most Americans.
Give $436 billion in relief over one year to state and local governments.
Authorize more money for a second round of Paycheck Protection Program loans for the hardest-hit businesses and industries.
Send $25 billion to airlines to cover payroll costs.
Inject $75 billion into Covid-19 testing and contact tracing efforts.
Put $225 billion into education and $57 billion into child care.
Set aside billions for rental and mortgage assistance.
Mnuchin countered the Democrats’ plan Wednesday with a $1.6 trillion proposal, NBC News reported. It includes
$250 billion for state and local government relief,
$400 per week in extra unemployment benefits,
$150 billion for education,
$75 billion for Covid-19 testing and contact tracing, and
$60 billion for rental and mortgage assistance, according to NBC.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/01/coronavirus-stimulus-update-house-passes-democratic-relief-bill.html
Leaving aside Don’s point, why is debt indicative of poorly run?
Even if your dubious distinction is accurate, so what? Why should individual Americans (and undocumented workers) and small businesses be denied desperately needed financial assistance based on who’s in charge of local government? Moreover, what’s clear is that much of the reason cities, individuals, and businesses are in trouble is because of the gross incompetence of the Trump administration in responding to the pandemic.