Why they seem to believe they can simultaneously slander him and expect him to treat them as partners in government remains a mystery that flies in the face of political history and human nature.
Earlier this week, Democrats were outraged at President Donald Trump for two reasons, one completely inconsequential, the other quite consequential, nicely representing the two extremes of their frustration and derangement since their political boogeyman retook office on January 20. On the inconsequential side, Democrats criticized the President for not calling Governor Tim Walz after a politician and her husband were assassinated in his state and another and his wife were injured in a targeted attack over the weekend. As the Associated Press phrased it even though Governor Walz himself wasn’t personally targeted or injured, “Presidents often reach out to other elected officials at times of tragedy to offer condolences” and as NBC News put it “Presidents have historically called state and local politicians on both sides of the aisle to lend their support in the aftermath of violent tragedies like natural disasters or high-profile shootings.” President Trump, however, was a lot more blunt. “I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out. I’m not calling. Why would I call him? I could call and say, ‘Hi, how you doing?’ The guy doesn’t have a clue,” he said. “He’s a mess. So I could be nice and call, but why waste time?” As a result, the outrage almost immediately erupted on X. Republicans Against Trump declared him unfit for office. Former CNN contributor Chris Cillizza opined, “Donald Trump was asked today if he had called MN Gov. Tim Walz after the shootings in the state this weekend. Here’s what he said: “Well, it’s a terrible thing. I think he’s a terrible governor. I think he’s a grossly incompetent person. But I may, I may call him, I may call other people too.” The utter lack of empathy. The total disregard for even trying to bring the country together. I am no Trump hater. But quotes like this are so fucking tone deaf.” Andrew Egger of The Bulwark replied more forcefully, writing “I *am* a Trump hater, and quotes like these–which are not merely ‘tone deaf’ but shine a spotlight on the guy’s staggeringly deformed soul–are a big reason why.” Left unsaid is that Governor Walz has been on a self-appointed crusade against President Trump since he and Vice President Kamala Harris were defeated last November. As recently as last month, he harangued the President at the South Carolina Democrat Party Convention, defended calling the Commander in Chief a “wannabe dictator” and demanded Democrats get meaner in general. “‘Oh, the Governor’s being mean,’ well, maybe it’s time for us to be a little meaner, maybe it’s time for us to be a little more fierce,” he said. “We have to ferociously push back on this…the thing that bothers a teacher more than anything is to watch a bully.” When the “bully is an adult like Donald Trump, you bully… him back.” “At heart, this is a weak, cruel man,” he added. Of course, Governor Walz is entitled to his opinion and can say what he wants, but conversely, President Trump is just as entitled to ignore an obvious hater who has personally attacked him. Putting this another way, why would President Trump call him under these circumstances? To get cursed out further?
More consequently, Democrats and their progressive allies in the media were outraged when President Trump announced he would be expanding deportation raids in blue states after riots erupted in Los Angeles over the issue less than two weeks ago, complete with a showdown with the state’s Democrat governor Gavin Newsom. Writing on Truth Social, he said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement “must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside.” “These, and other such Cities, are the core of the Democrat Power Center, where they use Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base, cheat in Elections, and grow the Welfare State, robbing good paying Jobs and Benefits from Hardworking American Citizens,” he continued. Setting aside the old adage about robbing banks because that’s where the money is, Democrats and progressives weren’t pleased, believing the President was motivated by revenge. “As I’ve been saying, California is just the test case,” wrote Senator Alex Padilla. “Trump is now saying the quiet part out loud: blue cities and states are being specifically targeted to stoke fear, violence, and chaos — all to punish the people that didn’t vote for him.” Senator Mazie Hirono phrased it this way, “ICE is wreaking havoc on immigrant communities, separating families and stoking fear. Make no mistake, these ICE raids were never about the safety of our country, but furthering a cruel, racist agenda. This is Trump’s America.” “It’s clear that Trump is escalating these attacks on Democratic cities because he’s threatened by the mass mobilizations,” explained Representative Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, a Chicago Democrat. “I expect Democrats will push back harder.” James Surowiecki, a writer for The Atlantic and other progressive outlets, claimed. “This tweet is insane, but it’s odd that Trump’s desire for revenge has led him to have ICE concentrate its efforts on blue cities, where citizens are generally less upset by illegal immigrants, and to do less in red states, where people are very upset with illegal immigration.” Governor Newsom himself chimed in, “Incite violence and chaos in blue states, have an excuse to militarize our cities, demonize his opponents, keep breaking the law and consolidate power. It’s illegal and we will not let it stand.” Left unsaid: All of these states have proudly declared themselves sanctuary cities, in some cases for decades, in defiance of Federal law and many of their political leaders have personally defied President Trump himself in some of the most demeaning language imaginable. As Governor Newsom put it himself to cheers from Democrats just last week, “What Donald Trump wants most is your fealty. Your silence. To be complicit in this moment. Do not give into him. If some of us can be snatched off the streets without a warrant – based only on suspicion or skin color – then none of us are safe. Authoritarian regimes begin by targeting people who are least able to defend themselves. But they do not stop there.” “This isn’t just about protests here in Los Angeles,” he continued. “When Donald Trump sought blanket authority to commandeer the National Guard, he made that order apply to every state in this nation. This is about all of us. This is about you. California may be first, but it clearly will not end here. Other states are next. Democracy is next. Democracy is under assault before our eyes. This moment we have feared has arrived.”
Under those circumstances why would President Trump listen to a word they said, much less try to work with them on an important issue that was debated at length during the campaign? The reality here is simple: Democrats have been in open rebellion against the President since he took office, defying him on matters where the law is clearly on his side such as ICE’s prerogative to conduct raids to deport illegal aliens, calling him an authoritarian if not a king, organizing rallies to that effect, and refusing to work with him on the major issues facing the country, those he ran and won on less than a year ago. Admittedly, being in the minority isn’t easy in a two party system. Completely out of power and with no means to form a coalition, the opposition must make hard choices about where to oppose and where to partner, where to make a stand and where to seek consensus. This is doubly true when the progressive base clearly demands a fight at every possible turn, proclaiming a new leader of The Resistance on practically a weekly basis while perpetuating false outrage after false outrage, based primarily on who they think is currently fighting the hardest or at least the loudest. At the same time, actions have consequences. No one should reasonably expect them to continue to demean the President and attack him personally, regularly referring to him as a cruel, heartless racist with no soul without him adjusting his behavior accordingly. While they are certainly entitled to do so, he is just as entitled to reason, quite accurately in my opinion, that they aren’t interested in working together under any circumstances and he’s better off going it alone while strategically bringing them to heel, especially when his authority exceeds theirs as it does on immigration. Why they seem to believe they can simultaneously treat him as beneath their contempt and expect him to treat them as partners in government remains a mystery that flies in the face of political history and human nature. In other words, they can’t have it both ways, though they will most certainly try.
Confessions of a Conservative Atheist 