Donald’s Deals
Growing up I’d love to spend summers at my maw maw’s house. One of the daily rituals was watching game shows including “Let’s Make a Deal.†We got a chuckle when someone picked a Zonk, one of the meaningless prizes. We are now into season 2 of Donald’s deals in Washington. Behind every door and in every box, his deals offer the American public a Zonk.
How many times on the campaign trail did we hear Donald Trump say Mexico’s going to pay for the wall. Now the deal-making has started, and we know that Mexico is not going to pay for the wall. He is insisting that American taxpayers pay for the wall. Donald’s wall is a Zonk.
The overwhelming majority of people come to the United States in planes. Planes simply fly over walls. This means that they enter the US legally. Most have a green card, giving them access to gainful employment or educational opportunities. Once their permit expires, they simply stay and continue working, shopping and paying taxes. A Zonk wall does nothing about visa overstays.
You’ve probably heard about Donald’s latest Zonk. He revoked DACA (Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals). DACA instructed immigration agents to prioritize deporting undocumented immigrants with a criminal record. On the campaign trail Trump told the public he would focus on “bad hombres.â€Â The children and young adults in the DACA program had to maintain a good school record and avoid any run-ins with the law.
Without any warning President Trump pulled the rug out from under them. He told immigration officials to deport these young people on sight and blocked their access to education and work. America has been their only real home. They’ve been working hard, playing by the rules and even joining the military. We’ve invested in their education, and they have chosen the American dream. Trump broke his promise to concentrate on criminals. By going after children and young adults, Donald has turned DACA into a Zonk.
Donald’s Wall and DACA are now linked together in a budget battle. There is bipartisan opposition to the Wall and bipartisan support for DACA. This situation seemed like a welcome break from the back and forth between Republicans and Democrats. All they had to do is vote their position to reinstate DACA and spend money on real immigration security, not Donald’s wall.
Donald’s deal making style is blocking the parties from coming together.  Senator Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said that no one knows what the President wants. Trump says that he wants a deal on DACA but will not take a deal unless American tax payers waste money on his wall. Here, two Zonks are rolled into one. Dreamers risk losing the only country they have known and loved, while Americans, not Mexicans will have to pay for Donald’s wall.
Sometimes I long for the summer days of maw maw’s house. Back then Zonks were harmless. The game show contestants really didn’t lose anything. Now, as an adult, I can’t laugh as Donald’s Deals turn into Zonks. Real people’s lives are ruined by his political games.
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