Trump Begged Congress to Stop Investigating Him During a Desperate State of the Union Appeal

The State of the Union address is always a starkly partisan affair no matter which party is in power. Every president seeks to praise their own accomplishments and lobby for their agenda. Trump is no exception, however, his attempt to present a theme of unity was laughably obtuse. There has never been a president who more directly and venomously attacked his ideological foes. And he did it with a noxious blend of seething rage and infantile petulence (video and transcript).

Donald Trump, Robert Mueller

Trump himself highlighted the contradiction between his actions and his words by inviting a guest to the event who was the victim of bullying because of his name, which happened to be Joshua Trump. But it was pointed out by some astute Twitterers that there were other attendees who were also the victims of a bully who called them names. People like Pocahontas (Sen. Elizabeth Warren), Little Marco (Sen. Marco Rubio), Low IQ Maxine (Rep. Maxine Waters), and Adam Schitt (Rep. Adam Schiff), to name just few. Trump’s hypocrisy could not be more glaring and shameless.

Perhaps the most brazen exploitation of this (or any) State of the Union was Trump’s personal appeal to Congress, and any other legal authority who might be listening, to lay off of his criminal conduct. He explicitly called for an end to the investigations related to his conspiracy with Russia, obstruction of justice, and financial corruption:

“An economic miracle is taking place in the United States, and the only thing that can stop it are foolish wars, politics, or ridiculous partisan investigations. If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation. It just doesn’t work that way. We must be united at home to defeat our adversaries abroad.”

It was particularly self-serving for Trump to couch this appeal in a threat aimed at the nation’s economic well-being. He was essentially warning those seeking justice to back off or the country would suffer. Movie mobsters did the same thing when they told their victims that they “have a nice little shop there. It would be a shame if anything happened to it.”

But by inserting this admonition into his speech, Trump turned it into a legal pleading that was wholly inappropriate under the circumstances. The investigations into Trump’s activities are justified by the mountains of evidence that have already been compiled and disclosed. And the State of the Union is not the place to offer a defense or to disparage the legal entities who are just doing their jobs. That’s what courts and lawyers are for.

But Trump has been attacking law enforcement for months. He repeatedly refers to the investigations as a “Witch Hunt,” despite the fact that dozens of indictments and guilty pleas have already been obtained. The range of the investigations extend to Trump’s business (Trump Org), his now defunct foundation, his 2016 campaign, his transition team, his inauguration, and his White House. Almost everything Trump touches is poisoned by corruption.

Trump’s remarks in this address actually make things worse, because he’s trying to intimidate people by directing threats at “peace and legislation” if these investigations are not halted. But in his own words, “It just doesn’t work that way.” And the theme of unity that he pretended to put forward is betrayed by his unseemly ultimatums.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

In the end, this speech will have no effect on the nation going forward. Trump delivered a typically partisan screed that never tried to expand his base of support or reduce the divisiveness that he has single-handedly brought to a boiling point. This speech will be remembered only for Trump’s continuing advocacy for a border wall that most Americans oppose, and his begging for the investigations, that are the source of his constant fear, to be halted. And neither of those wishes will come true.

Trump’s ‘Official State of the Union Prep Survey’ is a Laughable Example of Pure Propaganda

The day that nobody was waiting for is finally here. Donald Trump will deliver his State of the Union address on Tuesday night. It was delayed for a week by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi until Trump surrendered his demand for an idiotic wall along the southern border. Trump succumbed to Pelosi’s pressure partly because the widespread opposition to his wall depleted any leverage he might have had, and partly due to his ego-driven desire to stand before a joint session of Congress (and the nation’s TV cameras) to exalt himself and lie to the American people.

Donald Trump, SOTU

In advance of his speech, Trump posted what he’s calling an “Official State of the Union Prep Survey” on his website. His plea to the Deplorable respondents that he’s seeking asserts that “Nancy and Chuck don’t want me to speak, Mainstream Media outlets don’t want me to speak, and the Hollywood Elites don’t want me to speak. That’s why I want to hear from the ONLY people who can truly describe the state of our union – YOU, the citizens of this great nation.” All Trump has to do is look at any recent poll to know what the citizens think of him. And it isn’t pretty.

His questionnaire is not really a survey, but instead a marketing gimmick to acquire people’s email address for future spam mailings from his campaign. There is also a pitch for donations after a respondent completes the poll. Those are the real reasons this “survey” exists. A previous version of this scam dubbed the “Official Presidential Job Performance Survey,” asked “How would you rate President Trump’s job performance so far?” And the multiple choice options for your response were “Great,” “Good,” “OK,” and “Other.” Seriously!

This new survey was more of the same. It began with a fair question that asked “Do you approve of the job done by President Donald J. Trump?” This time they actually provided a choice that included both a positive and negative reply. But it went downhill from there. The questions were flagrantly biased and intended to produce answers that made the President look good. For instance, there was a question that asked “Do you think the media did a proper job of blaming Democrats for the Shutdown?” Of course, an affirmative answer agrees that Democrats were responsible for the shutdown and were properly blamed. A negative reply also means that Democrats were responsible, but deserved more blame.

Many of the rest of the questions were similarly slanted or loaded with premises that are outright lies. such as:

  • Do you feel the mainstream media is actively working against the Trump Administration?
  • – And have they stopped beating their wives?

  • Are you pleased that under President Trump, the U.S. is no longer shipping pallets of cash to the Iranian regime?
  • – Which is something that the U.S. was not doing.

  • Do you agree that U.S. citizenship is a PRIVILEGE and should only be extended to the best and brightest candidates, after an extremely rigorous screening process?
  • – Contrary to the long-held values expressed on the Statue of Liberty welcoming “your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

  • Are you happier with President Trump’s first 2 years than Obama’s?
  • – Trump will never have the guts to reveal the results for this question.

  • Do you agree with President Trump’s emphasis on rebuilding America’s aging infrastructure?
  • – Which he has never emphasised in anything more than empty rhetoric.

  • Do you agree with President Trump’s unwavering commitment to, and respect for, our incredible veterans and TROOPS?
  • – Who he has lied to, robbed from, and betrayed at every turn.

  • Do you believe that President Trump is restoring America’s standing in the world?
  • – Trump should ask the world leaders this question – if he can stand the fierce rejection.

  • In regards to the Shutdown, do you believe Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer care about the safety of you and your family?
  • – Clearly Trump doesn’t, and he said so explicitly in a recent disgusting interview wherein he accused Pelosi of “doing a terrible disservice to the people of our country,” and alleging that she “doesn’t mind human trafficking.”

This is the sort of blathering propaganda that is emblematic of aspiring tyrants and familiar from Donald Trump. It’s purpose is to brainwash the ill-informed, and to keep those already fooled squarely within the embrace of the Trump Cult. The results of this survey will never see the light of day, because it’s a pretty fair bet that they would embarrass the President. Every poll shows that he is treading historic lows in voter approval, and his policies are massively unpopular.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

None of that, however, stops Trump from pretending that he is well-loved and achieving successes far beyond what any human being ever imagined. That’s the sickness of a malignant narcissist and a wannabe dictator who is as far removed from reality as the Earth is from the Sun. And dumb polls like this only serve to prove that Trump is scared and deceiving both himself and his dimwitted Deplorables.