At this point, there are countless reasons why we Scots refer to him as President Bawbag (see translation), but just in case you were running out, he gave us another at his latest rally. While speaking to a crowd of supporters in Kentucky, Trump thought it was appropriate to breeze past things such as Comey’s hearing, why he won’t drop his fictional wiretapping accusation, or why he has spent more time in the past 10 weeks playing golf than all the Lukes, Brians and Bretts in America put together. But instead, he took the opportunity to intimidate any NFL teams considering signing Colin Kaepernick.
You know Kaepernick, right? He’s the guy who announced via a video on Saturday that Turkish Airlines agreed to provide a 60-ton cargo plane to fly much needed supplies of food and water to the people of Somalia, who are suffering from the effects of a devastating drought that has destroyed crops and livestock. He’s the guy who complemented that gesture by donating funds out of his own pocket to the GoFundMe page associated with the cause that, 48 hours after Kaepernick’s plea, has raised close to $2 million. He’s the guy who, despite spending the majority of his time raising or donating his own funds to marginalized groups in America, holding seminars for his grassroots youth program, and pursuing what seems to be a lost cause ― finding a new NFL team ― was still concerned about the plight of the Somali people and wanted to help.
Now you would think that the President of the United States would celebrate a professional athlete who monitors the goings-on in a foreign country on the edge of a catastrophic famine that threatens half the population, and who has raised mountainous amounts of money to help address the situation. You could assume the President might even hold that athlete up as an example for others to emulate, and to encourage others to be as active. But no. Not the 45th President of the United States. This smarmy manchild instead tarnishes Kaepernick, and uses his time to send a warning to NFL owners. And speaking of those owners: What, signing a player who exercised his First Amendment right to protest is a stretch, but you’ll sign convicted rapists or domestic abusers as long as they abide by your interpretation of the Constitution? Give me a break. I guess in the NFL, the only crime worse than murdering someone is exercising your constitutional right to stand up for Black lives.
While tiny countries like Malaysia are sending troops with food and aid to Somalia, the United States has done nothing ― this despite the US’s nearly $600 billion military budget. Instead, U.S. media attention and Somalia support are being largely driven by an NFL player, and Trump can’t even acknowledge the effort during his fact-free, grammatically juvenile, empty speech.
It may have been said already but allow me to reiterate: What a horrendous president, leader, and human being you really are, Donald Trump.
Thousands of Somali lives may be spared as the result of Kaepernick’s kindness, and all you can do is insult him to rile up your fellow deplorables. What the hell have you done for anyone other than yourself? Because you certainly are not doing your part to help them. Or better yet, anyone you claimed to be fighting for during your campaign? What about those struggling, overlooked Americans you vowed to pay attention to? The middle class? Yeah, how are those tax cuts for the top one percent working out? What about your health insurance plan that was going to cover everyone? Oh yeah, who knew healthcare was going to be so complicated, right?
Well, here’s a thought, Donnie: How about rather than making smarmy jokes at Kaepernick’s expense, you address one of the thousand empty promises you have yet to deliver on and save your insults for someone who didn’t recently raise a million dollars to feed starving children ― who hasn’t donated his own money to at risk youth in America and who doesn’t use their status to help benefit the minorities of this nation? And maybe, I don’t know, if you have to insult someone, as we all know that’s your party trick, you could insult a horrendous shadow of a human being instead. You know, say, someone who wants to cut Meals on Wheels and Medicaid.
I know the perfect asshole.
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