Numb to Trump

'I'm the most successful person ever to run for the presidency, by far. Nobody's ever been more successful than me'- Donald Trump, in an interview with The Des Moines Register, 2 June 2015

Another week passes, and with the World Cup now upon us there can be much rejoicing. Yet another week in this crazy world inevitably means that another week has passed over in the White House, and it has been another one of 'those' weeks for the administration of Donald Trump. Going back a month or so, we can list off just some of the events that have transpired:

• 18 May- Melania Trump (the ever-suffering First Lady) is released from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre after kidney surgery- she has not been seen in public for a while now, and wasn't present at the G7 Summit meeting in Quebec
• 20 May- Trump tweets of demanding an investigation by the Justice Department into whether the FBI 'infiltrated' his Presidential campaign 
• 24 May- the planned summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is cancelled via letter, and in an interview on Fox News he supported the NFL and the team owners' decision to place fine on players if they knelt during the national anthem, although they could stay in the locker room if they wished. The President, who has a way with words, thought it was 'good' and that anyone who knelt/ stayed in the locker rooms 'shouldn't be playing... shouldn't be there... maybe they shouldn't be in the country'; thank goodness 'this country is very smart' 
• 30 May- Kim Kardashian West arrives at the White House to meet with the President to discuss prison reform amongst her advocacy for clemency to be granted to a first time drug offender called Alice Johnson (she would be freed on 7 June)
• 31 May- tariffs are imposed on steel and aluminium imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union
• 1 June- after meeting North Korean general Kim Yong-chol at the White House, the summit between Trump and Kim is back on, scheduled for 12 June in Singapore
• 4 June- the meeting of NFL champions the Philadelphia Eagles at the White House is cancelled due to lack of interest, with the President once again voicing his opinion on kneeling during the national anthem
• 7 June- Trump tweets (surprise, surprise) that Justin Trudeau (Canada's Prime Minister) and Emmanuel Macron are charging the United States 'massive tariffs' and Canada is keeping farmers out- 'look forward to seeing them tomorrow'
• 8 June- both LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Steph Curry (Golden State Warriors) announce that neither team would attend the White House, regardless of who won the NBA Championship- Trump responded by saying the White House was the 'greatest place on Earth' since he was there, and if they didn't want to be there then he doesn't want them
• 9 June- on the same day, Trump calls Trudeau 'very dishonest and meek' after the 44th G7 summit, calls for Russia to be reinstated to the G7 (thereby re-establishing the G8), and the tariffs imposed on Canada are in response to 'Trudeau's tariff] of 270% on dairy!' 
• 11 June- Trump goes on a Twitter rant on how the United States is running a trade deficit because 'countries (i.e. NATO members, who America is paying to protect according to the President) rip us off on trade'- the time has come to stop 'our friends, and enemies, [taking] advantage of us on trade' 

The G7 is split asunder as Trump announces how Game of Thrones is overrated 

So it has been another busy time for Donald and his government. Not only is he flip-flopping between peace talks with the North Koreans, but has set the foundations for a trade war with some of his closest allies due to a viewpoint of American trade suffering. With shots fired towards Trudeau (who is the darling of the international community) and a 'demand' to investigate the FBI over fears of infiltrating his campaign, Trump is further isolating himself from the world. The latest G7 meeting has been dubbed in some media outlets as the beginning of the 'G6 + 1', as the fallout remains over Trump withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (otherwise known as the 'Iran Nuclear Deal') on 8 May and the Paris Agreement on climate change on 1 June. At this point, my blood would be boiling for his actions, but honestly I just don't really care anymore.

It's all white noise now

Yeh, I will say it again- I just don't care anymore. I'm quite amazed myself, since I am certainly not the biggest fan of POTUS, from his relationship with North Korea, comments on kneeling during the national anthem and supporting the announcement of Jerusalem being the capital of Israel. With gun violence still plaguing the American nation and the bombing of Syria causing a massive impact on international relations, it's clear to see where I stand. But everything that I listed earlier was just some of the examples of what has occurred across the Atlantic. Trump still tweets of how the Obama Administration are dirty politicians who advocate spying, and that Russia most certainly did not interfere in influencing his victory back in November 2016. We have every right to be angry about what is happening in the United States, but no matter how many celebrities tweet their outrage over the President's conduct, nothing seems to be happening. Apparently, having your husband be a big fan of the President and meeting face to face to talk about the sensitive issue of the American prison system is the only way to get change to happen.

The meeting with Kim Kardashian West is just a sign of the times we live in. For one woman, who is so insignificant in the sense of her general contribution to society, to have the influence to arrange a meeting with the President of the United States, discuss prison reform and get him to grant clemency is just so bizarre. If you told me back in 2015 that there would come a time when these two would meet in the Oval Office, I assume it would be because Hilary Clinton had decided to exile them from the country due to their negative impact on American society. The two reality TV stars would be sent to the Arctic in order for them to think about what they've done and allow a new Renaissance to blossom in which reality TV is finally realised to be detrimental to society. But no; this was the President meeting with a figure of interest to the public. Just looking at that picture just makes me roll my eyes and wonder what happened to humanity.

How did humanity get to this point?

Now, my faith in humanity has certainly diminished over the last few years, with Brexit being put into motion since 'Leave' voters voting since they lived with ideals belonging to the 1960s or they just did not understanding what exactly they were voting for. It is still a burden for Theresa May and her Conservative government, and will continue to be one regardless of whether Chairman Jeremy Corbyn and Labour seize power in the next few years. Throw in a case of mistaken identity and a horrible feeling of not being able to succeed in the working world, and you have yourself a young adult who is well and truly caught between a rock and a hard place. The rock, by the way, has been peed on by a dog that had just cleared the fridge of asparagus and the hard place is on fire. Dramatic, I know, but at this point in time I think I'm entitled to hold some grudge towards the world we live in.

I'd love to talk about my personal problems, but let's not distract ourselves from the numbness I feel now every time Donald Trump does something moronic. While it can be applauded that I am now not getting worked up by sporadic tweets on tariffs and 'fake news', it is actually a major problem. We should all be kicking up a fuss, and it is lovely to see memes spread across the internet criticising Trump and making light of his actions as 45th President of the United States. Seeing real celebrities like Mark Hamill taking to social media to raise his concerns over the state of the United States under the latest Republican leader fills me with joy as they use their wit and charisma to point out the flaws and damage caused by the latest developments in the White House. But even now I'm getting sick and tired of seeing them, since there is just so much to criticise and change appears to be an enigma. No matter how much hatred and criticism is raised, it falls upon deaf ears.

From 'A Day Without a Woman' protest, 8 March 2017

Back in July 2016, having won the nomination to lead the Republican Party in the Presidential election later that year, Trump addressed the Republican National Convention in Cleveland and promised the 'neglected, ignored and abandoned' peoples of the United States that he would be their voice. He assured the assembled crowd that America deserved respect, and under his guidance 'the powerful [would] no longer beat up on people that cannot defend themselves'. Only those that 'would support our values and love our people' would live in the America he put forward to the masses before him. Steve Bannon, chief executive of Trump's campaign, presented him as the vox populi ('voice of the people') who promised fast solutions to big problems, rather than the careful skill of negotiating so integral to any politician's career. For Trump to step up to the podium and address his supporters by promising them to build walls and get America 'winning' again were the simple lines that the American populace wanted. There was only one way this was going to go...

By paying close attention to Trump's tenure in the White House, it only dragged me further towards the brink of insanity, as this 'great experiment' in democracy would soon turn into a nightmare. One day, Donald Trump rolled out of bed and decided that he wanted to be the most powerful man on the planet, but not through business; in politics. He had the money to finance this absurd dream, and the fact that he came in with no political experience meant that there were no disgruntled members of the public who had suffered under him in a previous role in the political game. Never a governor, senator, or even a mayor, Donald Trump entered the political world with a clean slate, and that was his most dangerous weapon. He had tweeted his own opinions on Barack Obama's time in power, but he had no great influence over how the country was run. In a way, he was just like every other citizen in the United States, aside from the billions of dollars stored away, in that only voting could change the political landscape. While some had to work hard in politics to succeed, Trump rode on a wave of deformed populism straight to the top.

Trump's people

I highlight the early stages of Trump's political 'career' and my own (and severely whittled down) view on how the American people came to elect a reality TV star to the role of the 45th President of the United States of America to show how truly bizarre the whole thing is. Celebrities have made their way into politics, with one Ronald Reagan moving from B-list film star to Governor of California (1967-1975) and eventually President (1981-1989). With the internet losing their mind over the prospect of Oprah Winfrey and even Dwayne Johnson stepping into the political arena, it shows how bad politics has become. Politicians are no longer trusted to run the country, and only celebrities can save the nation from certain doom. That is what has happened to our society, and the more I think about it the more I grow tired and weary of what the future holds for the human race. My sincerest apologies for sounding so glum, but there is no denying that things aren't great right now. It is hard to determine how different the situation might be if Donald Trump had been defeated in the polls, either when electing the Republican candidate or that fateful day back in November 2016.

My lack of concern for what the President of the United States does next is dangerous in itself, as there will surely come a time when Trump does something so horrendously moronic that it will go by unnoticed. It is now just part of daily life for a new tweet to appear on our timelines of how great America is under this new government, with a new statistic demonstrating just how 'good' things are for Americans right now. This nightmarish situation we find ourselves in has gone on for 18 months now, and it has made me tired. My eyes ache from constant rolling over the clear lack of knowledge Donald Trump has for international relations and the history behind them. My fingers ache from typing angry posts on how the best course of action after 20 children die from the barrel of a semi-automatic rifle is to tweet 'thoughts and prayers'. Strepsil sales are through the roof at my local Sainsbury's as my throat suffers from raising my voice on how backward POTUS is on the issue of immigration. Right now, as I once more take to my laptop, my resolve to write out my opposition wavers, as my mind goes back to the image of two reality TV stars meeting in the White House meeting over prison reform. It is, quite simply, absolute bollocks.

Albus knows

The response to Donald Trump's proposed visit to the United Kingdom does bring a little bit of joy to the whole situation, as it is clear that there might just be a slightly hostile atmosphere as the President walks around London. Theresa's May support for her counterpart across the Atlantic is enough to draw criticism in itself, especially as this is from a woman who has actually got political experience under her belt, such as being Minister for Women and Equalities (2010-2012) and Home Secretary (2010-2016). This is no time to bash our Prime Minister though, as we can be somewhat thankful that she occupied the PM role left by David Cameron in the wake of the Brexit result rather than someone like Gemma Collins. Even if with planned rallies and protests against the President, what more can we do?  Reacting angrily would just be a victory for him, and just contribute evidence to 'the left' not being as tolerant as they are made out to be. Scandals seem to build up momentum towards the possibility of impeachment or resignation, but they disappear as fast as they appear. The longer
Trump stays in the White House, the tighter the vines of corruption wrap itself around Washington.

12 June will go down in history as the first time that a President of the United States met a leader from North Korea, and while the document signed after their meeting brings nothing new to the table, it gives further evidence to how odd Trump's time in office is. A meeting had to occur due to relations being the lowest they have been for a number of years, but the fact that nothing new was confirmed could show the limitations Donald Trump has a politician. It is integral to reaffirm commitments to denuclearising the Korean Peninsula and promoting peace, and perhaps Trump used some of his old business methods to slowly ease Kim into a deeper negotiation process. Then again, who's to say they will ever meet again? Indeed, with the meeting just confirming previous terms between the two nations (the Agreed Framework of 1994 was signed to slow down North Korea's nuclear program) then this really was damp squib. To think that this historic moment in international relations was wasted on Donald Trump just adds to my fatigue. This wasn't a move to save the world; it was a publicity stunt to distract people from the problems at home.

This should have meant so much more

The situation appears bleak; there is no doubt about that. I'm not saying I'm giving up opposing the President, but my resolve to constantly judge him is at breaking point. He appears untouchable, and just when the net of justice is closing in, Trump slips away into the night. I feel sorry for the people of the United States, for they sit in the epicentre of the phenomenon of the host of the US version of 'The Apprentice' being their leader. Democracy is a very dangerous system, for free speech is a wonderful device that can be twisted to suit an individual's purpose. The rise of Trump has coincided with the emergence of the 'alt-right' movement in the United States, as they share Trump's view of promoting American isolationism (American interests above anyone else's) and protectionism (imposing tariffs, basically), whilst mixing in white supremacist ideals. While membership of these groups are declining, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) found that, in 2017, the leading cause of extremist violence in the United States came from those affiliated to white supremacy. Neo-Nazism is certainly not a new phenomenon, but for it to coincide with the radical ideals of Trump feels like no coincidence. If Trump wanted to be the 'voice of the people', then apparently these are the people he is defending.

Donald Trump may fall; that is for fate to decide. For now, all we can do is watch on in amazement as this somewhat dystopian chapter in world history plays out before our very eyes. A man painted himself as a populist, played on fears of American influence dwindling on the world stage, and promised radical solutions to the issues the people wanted to see resolved. He was clearly unstable, and spoke his mind without fear, even though his tone was as politically incorrect as they come. Political correctness may have reached the point of stupidity, yet when running for President there has to be some limitations. But people didn't want limits- they wanted to listen. His voice was projected across the world, and soon he stood before the Capitol Building being inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States. That voice grew louder, and when they tried to quieten him down that voice just got louder. There's no wonder I've gone numb to the voice of Donald Trump.

Ben G 😁 xo

P.S. The internet never fails to amuse me, even when I feel drained by the antics of the President.

For example

P.P.S. Fair to say that Cristiano Ronaldo has put down quite a marker for superstar performances at the World Cup. Harry Kane will do better, obviously.

Destined for the top corner... what a game