Scott Ervin, who writes a column called “The Kid Whisperer,” recently schooled parents of a 4-year-old who constantly snatched other children’s things and wouldn’t relinquish them.
Ervin’s advice to them was simple: Calmly take each stolen item from their son and either return it or make sure he does. And if he throws a tantrum, take him somewhere for a time out.
Because the couple instead was trying to reason with him, he was getting the attention that kids crave as well as learning that he can defy adults and break rules as he pleases.
Someone obviously taught Donald Trump that, too. After all, he was notorious for stiffing workers, contractors and vendors. Before he won the last election, he faced very credible charges of stashing classified government documents at his estates and refusing to give them back.
Less than a year into Trump’s first term, then-Sen. Bob Corker called the White House “an adult day care center.”
Corker probably had no idea of what was coming.
Not even two weeks ago, Trump swore he’d “faithfully execute the office of the president of the United States” and “to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.”
He got some flak for not placing his hand on the Bible that Melania held in front of him, but did he also cross his fingers? Or did he see a loophole in that “best of my ability” phrase?
Or maybe the oath of office was his least concern as he anticipated opportunities to further enrich himself and to get even with those who valiantly tried to hold him accountable.
He’s already done both.
His family business has made billions from his cryptocurrency scheme, although some experts say his meme coins could further tarnish that industry’s already questionable reputation. (I’m still trying to figure out how crypto benefits our financial system and society.)
By pardoning the Jan. 6 terrorists, including those who plotted the insurrection or attacked police, Trump equipped himself with a personal militia that can act without consequence. At the same time, he’s shattered our expectations of safety, stability and fairness.
Like kids at a playground, Trump and playmate in chief/puppet master Elon Musk are tearing the (taxpayer-funded) federal government apart with no idea of how to reassemble it so that it can function effectively.
Just look at how they’re taking a wrecking ball to the merit-based civil service system so they can bring in people whose only qualification is blind loyalty to their agenda.
The unqualified and unstable Cabinet picks are downright scary. RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard just might be too dangerous for some GOP senators, but Pete Hegseth, a clear menace to national defense, managed to squeak through despite his boozing, misogyny, bigotry and track record of mismanagement.
There might be a ray of hope after chaos and public outrage forced the Trump (or is it the Mump?) administration to back off on freezing payments for congressionally authorized programs. But the White House/day care center seems bent on encroaching on this separate and equal government branch’s turf in this and other matters.
In a bipartisan move, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley and ranking member Dick Durbin have pushed back after Trump sidestepped Congress and suddenly fired 18 independent inspector generals, who are responsible for identifying and rooting out waste, fraud and abuse at federal agencies.
In a letter, the senators told Trump that the law requires him to give Congress 30 days’ notice of each dismissal and provide “detailed and case-specific reasons” for it. They also asked him to “work quickly to nominate qualified and nonpartisan individuals” for the open positions.
Kudos to Grassley and Durbin for this first step, but unlike the grabby 4-year-old in Ervin’s advice column, our 78-year-old president is surrounded by rich and powerful enablers.
We’ll need a lot of principled government officials and concerned voters to step up and take our country back.
Canary note: Opinions expressed in any Op-Ed column appearing on this site are the views of the writer and are not necessarily the opinions of Coal Region Canary.
Coal Region Canary will always be an open forum for opinions from all sides. Want to be a columnist with Coal Region Canary? Contact us at newscanary@gmail.com.
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