Democratic Strategy: Addressing Trump’s Dangerous Decision-Making
Democratic presidential candidates in New Hampshire almost sounded like the other side infiltrated their campaigns. Although they agree that beating Trump is the most important thing, the damage he’s done to the country is conspicuously missing from their messaging. Here’s what Democrats should be saying about Trump’s horrendous record, but aren’t:
1.Democratic Strategy: Addressing Trump’s Dangerous Decision-Making—Trump’s decisions are uninformed, impulsive, made by Twitter feed, and without consulting Congress or federal agencies. Military officials struggle to contain his irrationality and petulance, which risk senseless war. He ignored warnings about the dangers of withdrawing from Syria, wouldn’t read NSC talking points, and didn’t discuss US security objectives before calling Turkish President Erdoğan and effectively greenlighting Turkey’s incursion into Syria. He launched steel and aluminum tariffs while “unglued” over Hope Hicks’ testimony on Russian interference, Kushner’s security clearance downgrade and Sessions’ handling of the Mueller investigation.
2. Democratic Strategy: Countering Trump’s Aid to Our Enemies — When Trump withdrew US troops from Syria, Russian and Syrian troops filled the vacuum and ISIS regrouped. Russia replaced the US as the most influential power in the Middle East. Trump drove Turkey to partner with Putin in pushing out the Kurds. Now Turkey now may be less likely to use its military power to deter Russia from invading NATO allies on its border.
3. Democratic Strategy: Exposing Trump’s Corrupt Foreign Policy — Trump and Erdoğan both got something out of the Syrian withdrawal: Erdoğan got the opportunity to annihilate the Kurds; Trump coddled a dictator of a country where he has extensive business ties, including Trump Towers in Istanbul and $400 million invested in them by a Turkish family. Withdrawal was also a huge favor to Russia and protected Trump’s financial interests there, including his pursuit of Trump Tower in Moscow and the “disproportionate” amount of Russian investments in his portfolio. Congressional testimony suggests Trump golf courses laundered money for the Russians – a sleeping dog Trump doesn’t want Putin to wake. Flouting bipartisan opposition, Trump lifted a sales ban imposed on the Chinese telecom giant ZTE for cybertheft, spying and cyberattacks on the US. China promptly awarded Ivanka twelve trademarks and loaned $500 million to a resort in which Trump is a partner. Trump vetoed an act of Congress blocking an $8 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia, which is responsible for the murder of Khashoggi and the brutal war in Yemen. Trump previously admitted the Saudis spend millions on his businesses: “Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.”
4. Democratic Strategy: Rebuilding U.S. Diplomacy After Trump — Trump cost America the global leadership it’s enjoyed for 75 years. He disrespected and fired ambassadors, including Marie Yovanovitch and Jennifer Williams, leaving foreign governments wondering who’s next and on whom they can rely. He slashed the State Department budget and involved its leader Mike Pompeo in the Ukraine scandal, trashing the Department’s reputation.
5.Democratic Strategy: Highlighting Trump’s Economic Missteps – Trump came into office riding 100 months of job growth, and GDP growth was greater under Obama. Except in wartime, the federal deficit and national debt always shrink during times of growth. But Trump’s reckless tax cuts and high spending ballooned both. He continues to rely on shaky projections to paint a rosy economic picture. But if interest rates rise, borrowing costs will skyrocket and recession will hit hard. When warned about the consequences for the economy of high debt, he shrugged, “Yeah, but I won’t be here.”
6. Democratic Strategy: Fixing the Trade Disasters of Trump — Trump abandoned the Transpacific Partnership, calling it a “disaster” and “rape.” It’s inconceivable he even read it. TPP was a pact with eleven Asia-Pacific countries, excluding China. It would have given us favorable access to markets in a region that represents nearly 40% of global GDP. It eliminated 18,000 tariffs on American goods, strengthened labor standards and provided negotiating leverage over China. China filled the vacuum by negotiating its own trade agreement with former TPP countries, which excludes the US and jetisons many TPP protections.
7.Democratic Strategy: Restoring America’s Global Influence – Trump squandered America’s global influence while boosting China’s and Russia’s. He’s watched as China developed military, trade, and political alliances with its Belt and Road Initiative, building railways, pipelines, highways and fifty economic zones across 70 countries. China could soon lead the world’s largest economic bloc. In Latin America, Trump cut $500 million in aid, imposed sanctions and denigrated them as “shithole countries.” Now Russia and China are influencing political decisions and threatening our relationships there.
8.Democratic Strategy: Holding Trump Accountable for Broken Promises — Trump supporters mistakenly believe he’s done what they elected him to do. But he promised “no cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid,” and now seeks to slash them all. He promised to replace Obamacare, insure everybody and lower premiums. But Trumpcare would raise premiums 35% to 94%, and repealing the individual mandate would leave 13 million more Americans uninsured. He promised to denuclearize North Korea, and claimed the process was underway after the first summit with Kim Jong-un. But North Korea is building more sophisticated nuclear capabilities than ever, and is believed to have chemical and biological weapons.
Trump’s impeachment acquittal reinforced the perception that he’s made of teflon, and trying to hold him accountable for his actions won’t dent his support. Democrats shouldn’t acquiesce in that perception; they should disprove it by hammering on his disastrous record.
