Trump On DACA: Blame Congress, Not Me!
President Donald Trump certainly annoyed many today with the announcement that he'll be ending the DACA (or "dreamer") program. The dreamers themselves are outraged, their parents and relatives are suffering massive disappointment, and their supporters have yet another reason to disapprove of Trump. But what I found striking about today's announcement is that it is the first one I can recall from Trump which even attempts to show any sort of nuance or political shrewdness. Perhaps this is a result of the rising influence of his new chief of staff, or perhaps he really doesn't want to be seen as completely heartless towards the most sympathetic group of undocumented immigrants around. Either way, though, when compared to (for instance) his first attempt at a "Muslim ban," how Trump is ending DACA shows a wee bit more of what might be called political savvy.
By allowing a six-month lag time, Trump puts the ball squarely in the court of Congress. They will either be the saviors of the dreamers or the scapegoats Trump will try to deflect blame towards, later on. This is all couched in constitutional language, as Trump tries to appear sympathetic to the dreamers' plight while still insisting that Barack Obama overstepped his executive authority. A nuanced argument, in other words (that is, if he can keep to it and not torpedo it with an ill-advised early-morning tweet -- always an important caveat for Trump). His announced reasoning bears absolutely no relation to Trump's campaign promises on the issue, it's worth noting (where he repeatedly told his supporters he'd end DACA "on Day One"). But Trump has now given Congress a deadline, which these days is the only way to get them to do much of anything. This further shifts the blame onto their dysfunctional heads, should nothing get done.
But Trump's plan may have been too clever by half. By pushing the deadline out six months, it pretty much guarantees that it will be a huge issue in next year's congressional midterm elections. And the public overwhelmingly supports allowing the dreamers to stay, with some sort of legal status. Republicans will be caught between playing to the xenophobes in their base or attempting to work with Democrats towards some sort of updated DREAM Act. That's an awfully tricky position for a lot of them to be put in, right at the start of the campaign for the midterms.
The smart money, of course, is on Congress failing to do anything. After all, with the Republicans in charge of both houses (but with a stubborn Tea Party faction that blocks everything even remotely reasonable), this particular Congress absolutely excels at failing to do anything.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders seemed aware of this, in a White House press briefing held later in the day. Repeatedly she told Congress that if they couldn't manage to do their jobs, perhaps they should just get out of the way and allow others to make a better attempt. Sanders was all but picking a fight within her own party's caucus on Capitol Hill, which is pretty astounding when you consider all the crucial things Congress has to do in September. Nothing like a little free-floating GOP antagonism, right before all the big deals need to be hammered out, in other words.
Paul Ryan put out a statement of lukewarm optimism, hoping that Congress can fix the DACA program with "leadership from the White House" to help them along, but this attempt at lobbing the ball back into Trump's court was pretty weak, and did not even clear the net.
Trump knew that today's announcement was likely the best his anti-immigrant base is going to get on the issue (as they see things), so he sent out Jeff Sessions to make the announcement for him (the Trump base loves Sessions, after all). It remains to be seen how excited they'll get, though. Remember, they were promised that DACA would be revoked "on Day One" and all of the kids sent back to their country of origin in short order. Trump did not follow through on that promise, and by giving Congress six months to act, he might never even partially fulfill it.
What will Trump do if Congress does act? Nobody knows, at this point. If Congress spent a few busy weeks and put a clean DREAM Act on his desk, would Trump sign it? From all the spin emanating from the White House, the answer seems to be that he would -- all those stories about what a big "heart" Trump has about the dreamers means he really does want them to be allowed to stay, right? Well, perhaps. That's if the spin actually is the reality, which at this point is far from certain. To really keep his hardcore base happy, Trump would have to veto such a bill even if Congress passed it, but the political cost for doing so would be incredibly high (since the public at large is so strongly on the side of the dreamers). Trump would also lose the opportunity to blame someone else for the problem if he vetoed such an effort.
But if Trump does sign such a bill, his base will once again be massively disappointed. By doing so, he'd be attempting (for the first time, really) to convince people who didn't vote for him that he's really a good guy, but a lot of his base will think they're being thrown under the bus as a direct result. Can Trump convince them differently? That remains to be seen.
Trump is trying to please both sides, really. For the hardliner base, he can claim he followed through (at least partially) on a campaign promise. For establishment Republicans, he can make the constitutional case that Obama overreached his authority, so his hands were really tied. For everyone who cares about the dreamers, Trump can hold out the possibility of Congress changing the law and say: "I gave them six months to fix it."
Like it or not, that is a much more nuanced political strategy than most anything we've so far seen from Trump. It's got a built-in scapegoat in case the DACA program really does end six months from now. It's got a legalistic constitutional argument to please people who like to parse such things, also with a built-in scapegoat (named "Barack Obama"). And it has the possibility that everything could possibly be made legal and constitutional and that nobody will lose their status -- if only Congress gets its act together. Once again, compare this to the heavy-handed tactics of Trump's first Muslim ban.
Perhaps it is because Trump had his own deadline today to face (and thus had plenty of time to prepare). Perhaps it is because Congress wasn't around in August to distract him. Perhaps all those people who have been fired or resigned from the White House really were the problem. Perhaps John Kelly is running a much tighter ship now. Perhaps it's even because the spin job is correct and Trump really doesn't want to appear heartless. But for whatever reason, Trump's decision to shift all the political blame (if things go wrong) pre-emptively onto Congress shows that someone in the White House is teaching Trump a few things about how to get better at playing the political game.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
jk
CW: By allowing a six-month lag time, Trump puts the ball squarely in the court of Congress. They will either be the saviors of the dreamers or the scapegoats Trump will try to deflect blame towards, later on. This is all couched in constitutional language, as Trump tries to appear sympathetic to the dreamers' plight while still insisting that Barack Obama overstepped his executive authority. A nuanced argument, in other words (that is, if he can keep to it and not torpedo it with an ill-advised early-morning tweet -- always an important caveat for Trump).
Great column CW, but you don't seriously think Trump will tweet out something that totally proves he's a novice when it comes to governing and has no idea whatsoever regarding what the hell he's doing and is just making it up as he goes along?
***************
BREAKING NEWS
Donald J. Trump? @realDonaldTrump
Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do). If they can't, I will revisit this issue!
7:38 PM - 5 Sep 2017
***************
Bingo and right you are. Trump has no clue what he's doing; he never did. He's quite simply a con artist who cares about Donald Trump and whatever earns him either money or praise or both. Sad.
Chris,
But what I found striking about today's announcement is that it is the first one I can recall from Trump which even attempts to show any sort of nuance or political shrewdness.
I don't understand how Trump demonstrated anything but political cowardice with the announcement today by AG Sessions rescinding DACA.
Trump is not governing as a president of the United States of America. In point of fact, he isn't governing at all but, that's another story. Trump is acting to satisfy his base and the more he tries to do that, the more concentrated in hate and bigotry his base becomes.
So, with DACA, Trump's base dictates his action. But, afraid of what the rest of the country will think about this cruel turn of events, Trump lets it be known that he loves the dreamers and to do right by them he punts to a congress that everyone knows is incapable of passing enlightened immigration legislation.
This is what you call having your cake and eating it up with your base, too!
When congress fails to act and DACA is over and the dreamers must leave the US, Trump wins. He has satisfied his base who only see the bottom line of a campaign promise kept and Trump, the law and order president, can point to congress as heartless and hapless.
Is this what passes for nuance, political savvy and shrewdness?
What will Trump, the rule of law president, do when congress fails to act? I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count.
Ya'all just don't get it..
DACA was flat out illegal..
President Trump had to end DACA or else the courts would have ended it for him...
Like CW said, this was a very shrewd move on President Trump's part...
What will Trump, the rule of law president, do when congress fails to act? I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count.
It's the Rule Of Law that is the point here, Liz...
The courts have declared that DACA is illegal.. This is fact...
The President cannot change the law.. This is fact..
President Obama flatly declared, "I changed the law!!"
10 states are suing the US Government over DACA and they have prevailed in court..
So, if President Trump doesn't cancel DACA, the courts will..
In a fit of compassion, President Trump delayed the demise of DACA to give Congress time to do DACA the right way...
Thru legislative action, not Executive fiat...
If the Left could take a step back from the hysterical NEVER TRUMPism, they would see the logic of President Trump's actions...
In a fit of compassion, President Trump delayed the demise of DACA to give Congress time to do DACA the right way...
Yeah, when pigs fly ...
And, Chris should reconsider what the concepts of political savvy and shrewdness mean before he starts attaching adjectives like that to Trump.
Yeah, when pigs fly ...
I agree.. Asking Congress to do something constructive is ridiculous...
But blaming President Trump for a do nothing Congress isn't fair or accurate either.. If Democrats would step up and actually WORK with the President and his staff instead of attacking and insulting them, things would get done...
I believe ya'all made the exact same point about the Republicans in Congress and President Obama..
And, Chris should reconsider what the concepts of political savvy and shrewdness mean before he starts attaching adjectives like that to Trump.
CW calls 'em as he sees 'em.. And after weeks and weeks of Trump bashing, it's nice to see it once in a while..
Between this commentary and the DAMN IF HE DOES, DAMN IF HE DOESN'T commentary, CW is acting downright Trumpery!! :D
Between this commentary and the DAMN IF HE DOES, DAMN IF HE DOESN'T commentary, CW is acting downright Trumpery!! :D
I agree.
I also think he will live to regret it ...
I agree.
I also think he will live to regret it ...
Actually, it's the road to inner peace.. :D
Maybe after the Democrat Party gets it's collective wee-wee whacked in 2018 and President Trump is re-elected in a landslide in 2020, Democrats will learn the lessons they need to learn to win elections...
The foremost of which is that attacking tens of millions of Americans as racist homophobic deplorables is *NOT* the way to win elections...
I kinda doubt it though...
If losing to someone like Trump didn't shake the Democrat Party out of their delusions that identity politics and pitting American against American wins elections...
NOTHING will....
Michale wrote:
"DACA was flat out illegal..
President Trump had to end DACA or else the courts would have ended it for him..."
You are the one who just doesn't get it Michale, the courts in fact have not had their final ruling on DACA. We actually don't know if it was illegal or unconstitutional yet. It is very possible that the Supreme Court could have vindicated Obama. We just don't know yet.
"The courts have declared that DACA is illegal.. This is fact..."
No, this is not fact. The Supreme Court has never ruled on DACA itself. It has not had the chance to yet. In the only case heard that was similar to DACA, the court split 4 to 4, so no precedent was set.
If DACA itself had been heard, then why were 26 states threatening to go ahead with their lawsuit against DACA if Trump did not act by a certain deadline?
The truth and the fact of the matter is, there has not been a final court ruling on DACA yet.
Michale wrote:
"Maybe after the Democrat Party gets it's collective wee-wee whacked in 2018 and President Trump is re-elected in a landslide in 2020, Democrats will learn the lessons they need to learn to win elections..."
Like Elizabeth said "When pigs fly." Trump won by only 80,000 votes across 3 states. He has the lowest approval rating of any President in office since the 1920's. His wining was barely by the skin of his teeth. And congressional Democrats so far in all the special elections that have been held, while they are not winning outright, are doing far better in deep red districts than they should be at this point. So I would not hold your breath. Let's just wait and see.
http://www.rawstory.com/2017/09/trump-loving-tulsa-man-runs-over-sleeping-homeless-people-in-deadly-truck-rampage/
Trump supporter in Arizona has been arrested for deliberately killing a homeless person using his truck.
Tulsa World reports that 40-year-old Jeremy Thacker was arrested this week after he allegedly ran over 46-year-old Shawn Birdo, a homeless man who was sleeping under an overpass. Thacker also injured two other homeless people — Cynthia Wallace and James Russell — who were sleeping under the overpass near Birdo.
Additionally, police say that Thacker hit another man in the head with a pipe outside of a convenience store shortly before his fatal attack on Birdo.
Thacker faces one count of first-degree murder and five related counts of assault with a deadly weapon.
Police allege Thacker deliberately targeted homeless people during his rampage, and multiple social media posts on his Facebook page show him holding contemptuous views of the homeless.
“Get a job b*tch!!” he wrote under one photo of a man who was asking for food. “Lmfao.”
Thacker’s Facebook page also show that he was a strong supporter of President Donald Trump, as he posted several memes in support of the 45th president, as seen below.
Trumpers.
Chris,
Either way, though, when compared to (for instance) his first attempt at a "Muslim ban," how Trump is ending DACA shows a wee bit more of what might be called political savvy.
This is all couched in constitutional language, as Trump tries to appear sympathetic to the dreamers' plight while still insisting that Barack Obama overstepped his executive authority.
The use of qualifiers is usually a sign of over-analysis.
Trump knew that today's announcement was likely the best his anti-immigrant base is going to get on the issue (as they see things), so he sent out Jeff Sessions to make the announcement for him (the Trump base loves Sessions, after all).
Trump doesn't care about the American people - only those who form his ever increasingly concentrated base of hatred and bigotry, mirroring Trumps own sentiments. One should think twice about attaching nuance, savvy or shrewdness to such a political style.
Like it or not, that is a much more nuanced political strategy than most anything we've so far seen from Trump.
Perhaps, technically speaking. But, be wary of praising - even faintly (or feigned) so - the besting of such a low bar as it may spell a disturbing sense of regret, when all is finally said and done.
You are the one who just doesn't get it Michale, the courts in fact have not had their final ruling on DACA. We actually don't know if it was illegal or unconstitutional yet. It is very possible that the Supreme Court could have vindicated Obama. We just don't know yet.
Yes we do.. The courts have indicated that DACA is illegal by the fact that they have granted EVERY preliminary injunction against DACA...
The truth and the fact of the matter is, there has not been a final court ruling on DACA yet.
Depends on how you consider "final"...
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/11/fifth-circuit-obama-immigration/415077/
The courts have ruled and they have *ALL* ruled against Obama's illegal actions...
The facts are the facts.. And the fact is, DACA is illegal...
Obama's own admission makes it illegal, because Obama can't change the law.
And neither can President Trump..
And congressional Democrats so far in all the special elections that have been held, while they are not winning outright,
Exactly.. After spending TENS OF MILLIONS of dollars and with a POTUS with HISTORICALLY low numbers..
Democrats *STILL* lost....
2018 will be like 2014.....
You watch...
We keep patting him on the head for doing things that other presidents have done easily. Today he acted like a politician, give him a star.
Today he acted like a politician, give him a star.
Donnie has been a very naughty boy - stealing candy from babies, and when caught getting his weasily little sidekick to go tell everybody that the babies were bad and deserved it, and it was really that guy Ryan's fault so if you want to hate anybody hate him not Donnie.
Unfortunately for Donnie his snickering little trolls are giving the game away by telling Donnie how they don't like them babies, you know the ones that don't look like them.
Why doesn't 45 just come clean - this is all about their color - if they were from Ireland, Germany and Scotland he'd be telling us all how good they were.
Good news for Hillary supporters - Trumpanomics is working better for them than for his own supporters:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/upshot/under-trump-job-market-has-improved-more-for-clinton-supporters.html
Basically everybody is doing better as the economy that Obama helped stabilize in 2009/10 has been slowly improving, and still is.
if they were from Ireland, Germany and Scotland he'd be telling us all how good they were.
..and then screw them out of good paying jobs in silicon valley. Irish tech entrepreneurs living in the US such as Intercom’s Eoghan McCabe and Patrick and John Collison, the Limerick-born brothers behind online payments firm Stripe, have been among the most vocal critics of Trump regarding planned restrictions on H-B1 visas. Says McCabe:
“Demand for technology, and tech companies’ desire to build it, both outpace the supply of talent in the world to do so,” he said. “There are no tech companies who say they have enough engineers. None. In the Valley this imbalance is more extreme than anywhere else. There are thousands of tech companies here.
“So we will take talent from wherever we can get it, and extremely often that talent will come from outside the US. Visas like H-1B are crucial to the tech industry. These types of visa are already incredibly restrictive and difficult to obtain. Last year we’ve had to pass on at least a dozen excellent, eager candidates who we were unable to hire due to these immigration restrictions. Making the visas even harder to obtain would only slow the Valley down further.”
H-1B. I need a mnemonic device: Humvee.
Michale
227 {moved forward from Friday Talking Points}
There is post after post of your "delusional bullshit." That one should be okay, right? Since you used it against Neil. You're "whining" like a "malcontent." Those should be okay, right? Since you used them against Balthasar and the group in general. It's kind of obvious what you're doing here. As I stated before, both of the times you have left "whining" was because you got your feelings hurt about something JL posted. Boo hoo.
Now fast forward to the FTP, and it's obvious that you want to continue "whining" some more and place more blame and cry "victim." Obviously, you're "embarrassing yerself" so "quit your whining." Those are nuggets you used in the same http://FTP... so those should be okay to use also, right?
FACT: You're still "whining" about the content of my posts in the same manner you were the day you left "whining."
http://www.chrisweigant.com/2017/08/18/ftp449/#comment-108223
This time you're whining that I began name calling in a post of mine while being seemingly oblivious to your own handiwork. You often say that you "*ONLY* personally attack people AFTER they have personally attacked" you. As you told Neil, this is "delusional bullshit" when you responded to his attack on your Orange Worship.
Shall I demonstrate this FACT? Oh, yes... I shall.
* [31] If President Trump can't do ANYTHING right by ya'all... Maybe the problem is not him...
* [37] And Nancy Pelosi, of all people, is the ONLY Democrat who has condemned antifa terrorists and terrorism... Of course, NO ONE wants to talk about that.. No, they are just to darn busy getting their hate on over President Trump.... It's all a hysterical HATE TRUMP bubble....
* [40] And, since the Left Wingery has established that SILENCE (indeed) GIVES ASSENT the ONLY conclusion that one can come up with is that the entirety of the Left Wingery (sans Pelosi) supports and condones the antifa terrorists...
And everybody here whined because Michale posted that no one here condemned the group antifa and that this therefore means they condone terrorists. Oh, wait... no, they didn't. EM responded nicely that reasonable Democrats everywhere would agree.
* [50] To which Michale responds: Yet it's not even mentioned.. I guess it's more important to hate on Trump than to look in the mirror..
And everybody whined for being criticized for what they didn't post to please Michale while he was off whining and for being called haters again. Oh, wait... no, they didn't.
Fast forward:
* Posted a fake quote that accused Neil of having PTDS -- President Trump Derangement Syndrome.
* Told Neil that if Neil didn't agree with his opinion of Hillary that Neil was delusional.
* Accused the group of whining and complaining... to which EM responded that was "juvenile, Michale."
* [124] Balthasar called Michale "Ghandi" and referred to Trump's "army of detestables" *LOL* great post. :)
* In answer to the question, "not sarcastic enough?" by Balthasar, Don responded: "No, it's not. He is risen!" *LOL* another good one.
* [132] Then Michale accused Balthasar of whining because "You lost, Balthasar.. Quit whining about it.."
* [137] Then Michale tells Neil in response to Neil's opinion about who the obstructionists in Congress were: "No, you didn't 'fix' it for me. You fixed it for YOU, to continue propagating your delusional bullshit."
* [146] Michale tells Neil "we have your biased opinion" or "the FACTS," wherein he lists the standard drivel and uses the same standard straw man argument about the election... you know the one... where he was right about the election so that obviously means he's right about every piece of utter drivel or fabricated thing he posts.
Skipping forward:
[161] Don Harris wrote: Last Friday's talking points without Michale- 48 comments. This Friday's talking points with Michale- 158 comments and counting. Sad and juvenile seems to be what people want.
[169] Michale tells Neil he is "embarrassing yerself" for moving the goalposts...
[170] In response to Don's post about counts, Michale posts: Funny how the normal malcontents weren't around when I wasn't..
[183] Balthasar then nails it with: Do you see a trend here? I do. When Michale answers, every horrible act of Trump's is justified by some imagined horrible, or very Democratic, act done by Obama, or Hillary, or Democrats, in that order of preference. Balthasar also goes on to say: So we can carry on all day, and the answer will be the same - Obama did something, or Democrats did something that DEMANDS that Trump do the opposite. Everything's to blame on Obama (except the economy, of course). It's dull-witted, but easy to remember.
After reading all the comments on the page in succession, I then respond to Don's post saying he should remove the repetitive lies and drivel from his comments count and then post the numbers... and winked.
**********
So to recap:
Michale wishes to exist on the board using whatever words he wishes about the group and individuals:
"Ya'all" are
* the problem
* haters
* hysterical haters
* it's all a hysterical HATE TRUMP bubble
* support and condone the antifa terrorists
* PTDS -- President Trump Derangement Syndrome
* delusional
* whining
* delusional bullshit
* we have your biased opinion
* embarrassing yerself
AND DRUMROLL.....................
* malcontents
And after 160+ posts of this back-and-forth with different posters using all kinds of choice words, "Captain Obvious" (thank you, TS) insists that it was me to blame for starting "the personal attacks and name-calling."
**********
REPEAT: Like my mother always says: "Don't dish it out unless you can take it." Wise words to live by. :)
p.s. Yes, Michale, I am up on current events; my comment where I said "here's hoping you and/or your friends aren't in the path of a hurricane any time soon" was sarcasm because I know what's headed your way. I waded through foot after foot of Hurricane Harvey water/goop in a green boat we named "TANK" and ferried people and pets back and forth to dry land (only got bit once). My advice is to get the heck out of Florida if/when necessary if Irma tracks anywhere near you... and good luck. :)
Comment 24 is awaiting moderation. Dang! I made some really good points in that one. Oh, well. :)
Comment 24 is awaiting moderation. Dang! I made some really good points in that one. Oh, well. :)
See my response in comment 25. :}
John M
12
You are the one who just doesn't get it Michale, the courts in fact have not had their final ruling on DACA. We actually don't know if it was illegal or unconstitutional yet. It is very possible that the Supreme Court could have vindicated Obama. We just don't know yet.
Exactly correct and 100% fact.
The Supreme Court has never ruled on DACA itself. It has not had the chance to yet. In the only case heard that was similar to DACA, the court split 4 to 4, so no precedent was set.
Again... exactly correct. There has NOT been a final court ruling on DACA yet. Anyone claiming that there was "no choice" and the courts would rule against it is simply repeating the right-wing talking points which are not true and are not remotely facts.
Obama wasn't the first president to make immigration decisions via executive order, but no one whined when Reagan and Bush and Bush did so and protected several million.
http://www.businessinsider.com/reagan-and-bush-made-immigration-executive-orders-2014-11
Balthasar
18
We keep patting him on the head for doing things that other presidents have done easily. Today he acted like a politician, give him a star.
*LOL* Good one.
Give him a gold star; oh, wait... he likes gold... nah, give him a silver star. Next he'll be asking to sharpen all the pencils and be hall monitor. :)
neilm
19
Donnie has been a very naughty boy - stealing candy from babies, and when caught getting his weasily little sidekick to go tell everybody that the babies were bad and deserved it, and it was really that guy Ryan's fault so if you want to hate anybody hate him not Donnie.
His weasel-y little sidekick who loves the "rule of law" unless it's him who's breaking it by perjuring himself... because he knows what they did, and his sidekick Carter Page does also... as does the meanie BLOTUS who wanted to fire the little weasel for recusing himself when he got caught lying.
Unfortunately for Donnie his snickering little trolls are giving the game away by telling Donnie how they don't like them babies, you know the ones that don't look like them.
They one thing that seems to unite them is their hatred. Sad.
neilm
20
Why doesn't 45 just come clean - this is all about their color - if they were from Ireland, Germany and Scotland he'd be telling us all how good they were.
You sure you meant to include Scotland? ;) <-- note the wink
neilm
21
Basically everybody is doing better as the economy that Obama helped stabilize in 2009/10 has been slowly improving, and still is.
Yep. Thanks, Obama!
And then came the debt ceiling. What the hell happened to the political savvy? Is "temporary political savvy" a thing...or is it just another term for "dumb luck in rhe midst of chaos."