He must think we’re stupid

Dear Palmer Report readers: it's Bill Palmer. I'm as sick of Trump as you are. I'm expanding Palmer Report's operations so we can lead the fight against Trump. Click here to donate $25 or $50.

Donald Trump needs to admit that not only has he lost the 2020 election, but he has lost his power. He has 18 days left in office, yet he is allegedly concerned about โ€œbringing our troops home,โ€ which he claimed as part of his reason for vetoing the bipartisan defense bill. Later, we find the real reason for Trumpโ€™s veto: โ€œit failed to limit social media companies he claimed were biased against himโ€ according to Market Watch. Me, me, me. That is all Donald Trump has ever thought about, which is why it is very unlikely that he cares about bringing home troops. If he is so concerned with the troops, he would not have vetoed this bill. Examining some of the things included in the bill shows that Trump is full of it.

Under the newly passed defense bill, troops will receive a 3% pay raise. According to Market Watch, the bill โ€œguides defense policy, cementing decisions about troop levels, new weapons systems and military readiness, personnel policy and other military goals.โ€ Vetoing this bill not only denied our troops a raise, but it would have held up military construction projects. So much for Trumpโ€™s concern for our troops. He is more concerned about his perception that social media companies were mean to him. He even tried, according to Newsweek, to say that the failure to limit social media is a โ€œgift to China and Russia.โ€ Trump gave more gifts to Russia than the last few presidents combined, but he is suddenly concerned? Virtually everything Trump says must be examined to find the โ€œwhatโ€™s in it for meโ€ portion because you better believe there is something in it for him. That is and has been his method of โ€œgoverningโ€ from the very beginning. Jack Reed of Rhode Island likened Trumpโ€™s veto of the bill two days before Christmas as โ€œa parting gift to Russian President Vladimir Putin and a lump of coal for our troops.โ€

Donald Trump has always thought us too stupid to see through his machinations. He is far too transparent for that. His leadership skills are nonexistent, and he does not know when to stop or how to work with others. The defense bill is a classic example of bipartisan effort, and both Democrats and Republicans alike implored Trump not to veto the bill. Bloomberg reported that just before the final override vote, Jack Reed (D-RI) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) called the bill โ€œthe most significant vote we have.โ€ Once again, Trump was on an island of one.

Instead of taking care of our troops โ€” and by association, us โ€” Trump is still stewing over the election he lost by over seven million votes. That is not going to change, no matter how much Josh Hawley, Mo Brooks, and anyone else in Washington objects. Come January 20, 2021, Joe Biden will be the 46th President of the United States, and Trump can crawl back into the hole from which he came. We are already well on our way to having a very happy New Year.

Dear Palmer Report readers: it's Bill Palmer. I'm as sick of Trump as you are. I'm expanding Palmer Report's operations so we can lead the fight against Trump. Click here to donate $25 or $50.