BY JODIE SINCLAIR
When he does, it hurts.
Right here in Bandera, right now, he’s scaring old people. Last week I was talking to a frail, little old lady I often see at a physical therapy clinic where we exercise. This is what she whispered to me about Trump and his executive orders.
“I didn’t know it was going to be like this.” She was afraid to say it out loud. I could see it in her eyes. Her grandson’s job was in jeopardy. He’s a contract worker for FEMA. And he will probably lose that job.
FEMA is the Federal Emergency Management Agency. On the 24th of January, Trump announced the nation doesn’t need that agency. States should take care of disasters on their own.
I wonder how that will work in California with its millions of acres of homes and businesses destroyed in January’s catastrophic fires.
Magnify this one small story by tens of millions of other small stories now sweeping across America since Trump took office.
Donald Trump has generated more social chaos in his first days as President of the United States than our previous ten presidents did during all their years is office.
He’s done it with executive orders that violate federal law, the U.S. Constitution, U.S. Supreme Court rulings and human decency.
Some of those orders put children in jeopardy. Here’s a list of them that he had to take back during his first 10 days in office after public backlash stopped him.
But don’t expect him to give up. Because Project 2025 - something he said during his campaign he knew nothing about - demands it.
• End child protection and juvenile justice programs
• Block federal grants for child abuse and neglect.
• Remove Title IV-E of the Social Security Act that provides assistance for adoption and foster care programs.
• End programs that that aid children aging out of the foster care system.
• Stop the Head Start Program that provides childhood education to low-income children.
• Halt all school meal programs.
• Cancel WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.)
How about this from a man who opposes abortion but doesn’t care about kids after they’re born.
• Stop Medicaid services, especially for children.
• Deny healthcare for vulnerable populations, including children with special needs.
• Dismiss more than 2 million federal employees, many with children with special needs.
• Abolish global child health initiatives and stop all nutrition and food security programs for children in developing countries.
Trump said he’d be a dictator on Day One. Among his coming plans: End Constitutional birthright citizenship and get a law passed to give him a 3rd term in office.
America has a spiteful, vindictive, lawless dictator in the White House, planning to make it his permanent office. Can the U.S. Supreme Court stop him? Unclear. It’s the court that gave presidents absolute immunity for their official acts, “ placing presidents above the law.”
Jodie Sinclair is an award-winning writer who holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and resides in Bandera.
