President Trump recently submitted a budget proposal to the United States Congress, the details of which outlined his political priorities while making clear which programs he supports and which he doesn’t. President Trump’s budget is unlikely to be passed into law – even congressional Republicans will likely dismiss it – but it’s nevertheless important because it’s intentional cruelty demonstrates how he practices politics.
President Trump’s budget proposal that slashes countless programs is intentionally designed to hurt certain Americans. Here’s a review of why he’s choosing to do this, and why it might actually pay off.
Trump’s budget slashes Medicaid and food stamps
There are many things in President Trump’s proposed budget that should shock and outrage Americans, but perhaps the most odious of his proposals is that he intends to slash the Medicaid budget and strip countless Americans of their access to food stamps. Nevertheless, according to Politico’s excellent breakdown of his proposal, he managed to ask congress for additional money for the Pentagon. His $4.8 trillion fiasco of a budget may seem nonsensical to many, but the truth of the matter is that Trump’s sidelining of social spending to bolster military expenditures is perfectly in line with his lamentable approach to politics.
Other writers have done a tremendous job outlining the immense social weight that the term “welfare” has to the American public. Even those Americans who are dependent upon government programs often express distaste for them. Republicans, in particular, love to employ racist attacks like “welfare queen” labeling because it speaks to their base. Recognizing this fact, President Trump has consistently railed against social spending initiatives by falsely and harmfully labeling them as wasteful and unnecessary.
We should be dedicating government resources to ensuring Americans have the food, housing, and cabinet refacing they need to live well. Instead, President Trump wants billions for bombers so that he can flex his muscles on the international stage. This cruelty is intentionally designed to signal to lower-income Americans and those from backgrounds particularly likely to depend upon such assistance that they’re unwelcome in Trump’s America.
We can’t let him succeed in his efforts to alienate massive swathes of the population. President Trump despising people of color may be old news to those of us who have been paying attention during his administration, but that doesn’t mean we can grow numb to the ceaseless presence of his bigotry. By raising awareness of his awful budget proposal, we can indicate to the American people just how out of line President Trump’s priorities really are.
Trump is intentionally forwarding an awful budget that will be dismissed in Congress solely because he wants to send a message to those who rely upon government assistance. The sheer shoddiness of this plan also speaks to the possibility that it was rushed together at the last minute by a team of professionals who had to listen to the president’s every wish instead of compiling a workable proposal that congress would consider. When Americans discuss political issues amongst themselves, they must make time to talk about President Trump’s intentionally cruel budget.
