Opinion. In the spring of 2016, as Donald Trump continued to win the Republican primaries and it became clear he would be the nominee, a former tribal chairman from Ottawa told me at an Indigenous food sovereignty camp that America deserves Donald Trump. He referred to the mistreatment in the history of our people. He said America deserves Donald Trump.
Of course, Trump became president that year.
During his administration, Indian Country was not doing well. His budgets proposed reductions year after year for the Indian Health Service (IHS) and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), among others. Trump proposed repealing the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Medicaid Expansion, which provides health insurance coverage to American Indians and Alaska Natives wherever they live. And of course, the Native Americans had to continually hear him refer to Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) as “Pocahontas.” Most Indians I know found this offensive and inappropriate.
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In front of all of America, he was impeached twice and showed incompetence in handling the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to more than a million American deaths. He kept telling the Americans that it would just go away. Before leaving office, he wanted his vice president to annul the election won by Joe Biden. He then encouraged thousands of people to go to the Capitol, where an insurrection against the United States was taking place. When told his vice president was in danger, he said:so what?“, according to court documents.
Last week, the same Donald Trump won a second term.
After his victory last Tuesday, political pundits were quick to say Democrats need a complete overhaul. They need to perform an autopsy. Some of these same pundits praised Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, the day before Election Day for running a brilliant campaign. If she had won on Tuesday, she would have been their hero.
For someone who had just 103 days to get a presidential campaign going, Vice President Kamala Harris should be commended for assembling a team that kept her in the race until Election Day — and even nationally. was in the lead.
I give her, a highly educated black/Asian woman, high marks for her class and dignity for not responding when Trump called her retarded and desecrated her dignity to be a candidate. Throughout the fall campaign, the rhetoric used against her was downright shameful. Some on the Christian Right called her the Antichrist, as they did with Barack Obama in 2008. Some of those so-called Christians even claimed she had the Jezebel spirit.
Yet the vice president remained steadfast and seemingly ignored such insults. She held her head high and campaigned with all her heart.
The election produced the next president, who is undeniably a convicted felon who got a get-out-of-jail pass. Americans apparently don’t realize that our lives are not one big Monopoly game.
For a man who knowingly defied the federal government by bringing classified documents to Florida and incited an insurrection against the United States, among many other charges that were not properly addressed due to Trump’s legal maneuvering, will never be dealt with in court. law. Americans deserved better. This was justice ill served.
To be clear, I don’t think the charges against him were purely political. Just as I don’t like the charges against former Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), who was convicted of taking bribes with a foreign country. Wrong is wrong; Crime is crime, regardless of political party membership.
For all his misconceptions about moral character, Trump was legitimized by the media.
I’ll let the experts explain why a man who wouldn’t get a second interview in corporate America could be elected president. I’ll allow experts to figure out why 50.5 percent of Americans chose Trump.
As Indians, we have to deal with the reality that Trump is in power for a second term.
Frankly, the prospect of a new Trump administration makes me very nervous, as the Biden-Harris administration was the best presidential administration for Indian Country in history. From Biden’s selection of Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) as Secretary of the Interior, to Biden nominating six Native Americans as federal judges, including more Native Americans in the federal government in key positions, to the unprecedented allocation of more than $46 billion to Indian Country the Indians benefited.
Just over two weeks ago, Biden apologized for the US government’s role in Indian boarding schools. He recognized the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse our ancestors were subjected to during this dark period in American history.
While Indigenous news online have captured the achievements of the Biden-Harris administration for Indian Country, we as a publication will keep an eye on how the second Trump Administration performs in Indian Country.
Indian Country deserves a president who respects Indian Country.
Thayék gde nwéndëmen – We are all related.
About the Author: “Levi \”Calm Before the Storm\” Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded the Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print category\/ online by the Native American Journalists Association. He is a member of the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net.
Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net
