Editor:
Candidate Trump promised the American public he was going to improve their lives after President Biden’s supposedly disastrous administration, so how has he helped so far?
Before the inauguration, he and Melania each created “meme-coins.” It’s estimated this has increased the Trumps’ net worth by billions, so no help here.
Among his first executive actions, Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America, turned Denali back into Mt. McKinley, and threatened to purchase Greenland from Denmark and retake the Panama Canal, as well; nada again.
Trump has withdrawn support from the Department of Health and Human Services for programs targeted to help make new drugs more affordable, and he repealed prior executive orders requiring lower prescription drug prices for individuals on Medicare and Medicaid; negatives for everyone, especially seniors.
Trump can’t repeal the Affordable Care Act himself, but he was able to change the rules for existing insurance programs that can reduce or eliminate coverage for over 20 million Americans who need help most, lower and middle income households.
Trump declared a national energy emergency covering fossil fuel production but not solar or wind generated power. This policy will support already record high oil and gas production while eliminating support for renewables, thus keeping promises he had made to his petroleum industry donors while increasing global warming for all of us.
So far then, Trump, along with his ego and the fossil fuel industries, have benefited while the general public has taken a step backward, still waiting for help.
Sherman Schapiro, Eureka
This article appears in Enter the Papaya Lounge.