“Get even with people. If they screw you, screw them back 10 times as hard. I really believe it.” Donald Trump, 2011.
President Donald Trump is mad; in fact, very mad. Trump is particularly upset about former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony before the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee. Of the many chestnuts that came from the testimony, Mr. Trump is most irate Comey leaked an unclassified, non-sensitive document detailing their encounters. The intent of this leak was to trigger a special counsel investigation into the Trump administration’s ties to Russia.
These thorough exchanges read more like a novel and seem more appropriate for the script of a gangster movie than interactions with a sitting president. At one point, Trump even demanded Comey pledge loyalty to him. “I need loyalty, I expect loyalty,” Trump said during a private dinner.
A number of other admissions were significant as well. Comey revealed that Trump pressured him to drop the investigation of ex-former National Security Director Michael Flynn; this could lead to potential obstruction of justice charges against Trump later on. Comey also said there was no doubt Russian state-sponsored individuals tried to influence the election. On Twitter, Mr. Trump called Comey a “leaker.”
Some speculate Mr. Trump is leaving open the possibility for legal action. This should come to no surprise from a man – Mr. Trump – that threatened to imprison his Democratic presidential competitor, Hillary Clinton. Mr. Trump doesn’t seem to care too much about the Russian probe. He is more concerned about loyalty above all else and getting even.
Is this a good way to run a business? Considering Mr. Trump’s numerous bankruptcies probably not. Is this a good way to run a government? The American people deserve an objective, sincere advocate, willing to maintain a modest brand of integrity, keeping our politicians honest, but in the Trump era, that is a very tall order.
Will Mr. Trump push for charges against Comey? We will soon see, but unfortunately, knowing Mr. Trump, anything is possible. He even once filed a lawsuit against comedian Bill Maher for a satirical joke. During Trump’s inquiry into President Barak Obama’s birth certificate, Maher told the media and his audience he believed Mr. Trump was the son of an orangutan.
Maher additionally offered $5 million dollars to anyone who could prove otherwise. Trump came forward with appropriate documentation and sued Maher for $5 million dollars. Mr. Trump voluntarily withdrew the lawsuit – perhaps he was sick of being a laughingstock.
But what does this say? Mr. Trump is a man willing to use our justice system as a tool to get even with his rivals. He will sink to any depths to intimidate, and coerce anyone he believes has done him wrong. Needless to say, this is the man we elected as our president, and this is the man that is upset with Mr. Comey. For Mr. Trump, it is all about revenge, and as Don Vito Corleone said in the Godfather, “Revenge is a dish best served cold.”
Matt Fecteau ([email protected]) of Pawtucket, Rhode Island was a Democratic candidate for office in 2014 and 2016. He is a former White House national security intern and Iraq War veteran. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewFecteau
Related Slideshow: RI Democrats React to Trump’s Budget - 2017
"Rhode Island is making strong progress to provide our people with the education and job training they need to be successful and to expand access to affordable, quality health care to virtually everyone in our state.
President Trump's budget betrays Rhode Islanders by giving huge tax cuts to corporations and the wealthiest Americans while drastically reducing federal funding for vital programs that create jobs, raise wages, and protect low-income Americans.
Even as we analyze President Trump's budget in the coming days to determine its specific impacts on Rhode Island, I appreciate the members of Rhode Island's Congressional Delegation for their leadership and advocacy, and I join them in calling on their colleagues in Washington, D.C. to stop the Trump administration from making massive cuts to health care, public schools, affordable housing, and other programs that Rhode Islanders rely upon."
“In March, President Trump released a budget outline that I strongly condemned for its drastic cuts to programs that help everyday Americans. Unfortunately, the President’s full budget proposal continues these harmful policies by gutting programs that invest in our economy, create jobs and provide crucial assistance to families across the country.
This proposal slashes funding for education, food assistance and health care for low-income seniors, children and people with disabilities. It makes cuts to worker training, environmental protection, and investments in medical research and advanced manufacturing. These are not mere luxuries, but programs that make meaningful differences in the lives of Rhode Islanders.
Congress must reject this cynical and misguided budget. Instead, we should work together in a bipartisan manner, as we did on the recently passed 2017 funding bill, to find a balanced approach to funding priorities that will support families, promote economic growth and provide for our national security.”
“If a budget is a statement of your priorities and values, then Donald Trump’s budget shows he doesn’t understand the challenges facing honest, hardworking Rhode Islanders. This is a budget written by the wealthiest Americans for the benefit of the wealthiest Americans. But it’s a setback for the middle class. It makes life harder for anyone who’s trying to punch a ticket to the middle class.”
Donald Trump has already proposed a huge tax cut for billionaires. But the budget he released today says everyone else is on their own. This budget eliminates hundreds of millions of dollars for job creation. It zeroes out funding for workforce training and good-paying manufacturing jobs in Rhode Island. And it makes it even harder for young people to succeed by cutting teacher training, eliminating afterschool funding, and making it harder to pay off student loans.”
This budget does nothing to address Rhode Island’s crumbling infrastructure. It eliminates the TIGER grant program, which is critical to supporting local infrastructure projects like the new commuter rail station in Pawtucket. And it cuts funding for public transit by $928 million.”
And most worrisome of all, this budget makes our towns and cities less safe. It actually cuts funding for firefighters. It cuts billions from the EPA and other resources to protect the water we drink and the air we breathe. And it slashes $978 million from the Army Corps of Engineers – meaning Rhode Island will be less prepared for hurricanes and have fewer resources to protect the quality of our waterways.”
Plain and simple, this is not a budget that any Member of Congress should be comfortable supporting. Along with my colleagues in the House Democratic Leadership, I will do everything I can to reverse these devastating cuts and shape a budget that invests in the future of our country and puts honest, hardworking families first.”
“This budget is reckless, plain and simple. The President proposes massive cuts to Medicaid, breaking yet another campaign promise. He seeks to decimate the federal government’s central command in the battle against the opioid crisis affecting communities from Burrillville to Westerly. He pursues tens of billions of dollars in cuts to student loans and loan forgiveness programs.
His plan would slash funding for research into life-saving cures; lay waste to endowments that support Rhode Island’s world-class cultural institutions; hamstring the EPA so big polluters can poison our air and water; and weaken NOAA, sapping critical resources for coastal economies like Rhode Island’s. The list goes on.
These senseless, irresponsible choices serve one purpose: to pave the way for tax cuts for the very wealthiest. The good news is that this extremist proposal will go nowhere in the Senate. I look forward to moving past this political stunt of a budget and working on one the American people will support.”
“President Trump’s budget is bad news for Rhode Island because it weakens our economy and places new burdens on families, businesses, and communities across the country.
The Trump budget takes a less is more approach: less investment in education, health care, transportation and safety for the general public and more pollution, outsourcing jobs overseas, and tax breaks for the wealthy and well-connected.
This irresponsible budget would be a real setback for middle-class families and seniors in particular. The $800 billion in Medicaid cuts could cause over 10 million low-income Americans to lose their health coverage. If this budget were enacted, more elderly Americans could be forced to go from assisted living to living on the streets. That is immoral and ill-advised.
The Trump cuts also threaten federal funding for public education, medical research, job training and economic development. These cuts are counterproductive and won’t achieve real cost-savings. In fact, they would impede economic growth.
Families with limited incomes who are trying to make ends meet get hit hardest by the Trump budget. It takes food, health care, and retirement security away from children, seniors, and people with disabilities while adding funds for an ineffective border wall and tax cuts for millionaires. It eliminates the LIHEAP energy assistance program, Community Development Block Grants, and many other critical, cost-effective programs that have a positive impact on Rhode Island.
While our military deserves to be well-funded, cutting diplomacy and foreign aid won’t help prevent war. These are the wrong priorities for America and don’t reflect our core values.
I will work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to fight these disastrous cuts and enact a more balanced, fiscally responsible budget that focuses on job creation and strengthening the middle-class.”
