How Trump Betrays His Base

Millions of Americans, especially farmers and those who live in rural areas, supported Donald Trump’s bid to become president largely because he promised to reduce inflation, cut taxes for the middle class, deport 10 million immigrants in his first year in office, and protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid — all while reducing federal expenditures by 30 percent.

But now that Trump has been elected they are hearing proposals to increase taxes on the middle class, cut taxes for rich people and corporations, cut Social Security, cut Medicare, cut Medicaid, cut veterans’ healthcare, eliminate tax credits for childcare and dependents, allow pharma companies to raise the prices of prescription drugs, and impose tariffs (the equivalence of imposing a sales tax) on tens of thousands of everyday consumer items.

Those proposals would decimate the social safety net and agencies critical to the protection of the health, safety, financial security and national security of all Americans, but they would fall especially hard on farmers and those who live in rural areas.

In other words, Donald Trump has betrayed the very people who voted him into office. They may not see it yet, but soon they will be forced to accept the fact that Trump doesn’t need them anymore and so he has deserted them for people he does need: very rich people who will lick his boots and do his will. Just look at the people he’s appointed to Cabinet positions, and what they plan to do.

Linda McMahon, Secretary of Education nominee ($2.5 billion estimated net worth), wants to defund public schools and privatize our education system.
Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce nominee ($1.5 billion estimated net worth), is already abusing his power to boost his cryptocurrency business interests.
Mehmet Oz, nominee to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (worth an estimated $100 to $315 million), wants to privatize Medicare, hike taxes for everyday Americans, and benefit companies he’s invested in.
Doug Burgum, Secretary of the Interior nominee ($1.1 billion estimated net worth), is a climate change denier who helped bring $1 billion in Big Oil contributions to Trump’s campaign.

A few other appointees: Stephen Feinberg, Deputy Defense Secretary, $5 billion; Warren Stephens, Ambassador to UK, $3.3 billion; Charles Kushner, ambassador to France, $2.9 billion.

And let’s not forget Elon Musk ($332.6 billion) and Vivek Ramaswamy ($1 billion), who Trump is rewarding with unofficial positions leading a so-called Department of Governmental Efficiency after they supported his election.

Altogether, the incoming Trump administration is worth at least $344.4 billion – more than the Gross Domestic Product of 169 different countries. And they are promising to cut the budget by $2 trillion, cuts that will fall disproportionally on working people of the middle and lower financial classes – yes, again, those very same people who elected him.

Could anyone possibly think people like that could ever empathize with folks who struggle to pay the rent and keep food on the table?

I have to give Trump credit for one thing: Getting any American to vote for him.
America declared war on Adolf Hitler to prevent Hitler from spreading his fascist dictatorship, and yet last November Americans elected Hitler’s star protégé, Trump, to be our president.

Lindsay Owens, executive director of the Groundwork Collaborative, put it this way: “President-elect Trump campaigned as a champion of the working class but his first act will be tanking the economy and throwing workers under the bus to line the pockets of his wealthy friends. The Trump tax scam is back for its second act, and Americans should brace for impact.”

But no matter how we got Trump, we got him. The good news is that we may not have him long. A probable end result of Trump’s betrayals and greed could very well be his undoing. Once millions of his supporters come to terms with the unavoidable truth that Trump doesn’t give a damn about them anymore, that he has used them as marks in his con game, and that he cares only about himself and his super-rich cronies, they will surely revolt. They will turn not only on Trump but on every senator, every House member and every state and local official who supports him, and in 2026 throw them all out.

Some of his backers will stay with him, of course. Freedom may be too much for them to handle and they may prefer to remain slaves to a dictator. Others will stay with him because they don’t have the guts to admit they were wrong. But surely most will revolt, and we will welcome them into the fold as we watch Trump dissolve.

But the immediate problem we must deal with right now is Trump’s threat to recess Congress for 10 days so he can make all his appointments without the Senate’s advice and consent, which the constitution demands. He cannot do that, of course, but he might be able to convince Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson to declare a recess and the result would be the same. Johnson seems to be aboard with the idea and Thune may be wavering. It would be a disaster if they were to cave.

That’s where we come in. Our senators, especially, must be aware that we are watching, and that they must not abandon their constitutional duty to advise and consent.

They must also be made aware that Trump’s abandoning of his base not only could go a long way toward taking him down, but it also will take down any of his supporters who are up for reelection in 2026.

But the only way they can know we are watching is if we tell them, either by phoning their offices or writing letters or emails. As I’ve said before, if just one person were to make such a call or write such a letter or email, it would be useless, but if I did and you did and she did and he did and they did… wow.

You also might consider signing up for emails from Indivisible, the left-leaning group that helped organize the protests against Trump throughout his first term. Indivisible is run by ex-congressional staffers who carefully study what actions by average citizens influence members of Congress.

They’ve also just published an updated 27-page Indivisible Guide: A Practical Guide to Democracy on the Brink, which is a blueprint on how to obstruct Trump’s second term, get us through the next two years, and save democracy. It contains strategies, tactics, ideas and tips for how everyday Americans can fight back together wherever we live.

Indivisible also is driving calls to Congress, pushing Democratic governors and legislatures to Trump-proof their states, and getting people in districts with Republican members of Congress to attend town halls and attack Republicans for proposing to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

There also are in-person Indivisible chapters in some areas that you can join. Or you can form a new chapter if you feel so inclined.

But whatever you choose to do, do something. If you are inclined to write a letter or email to your representatives, just click the box below and follow the instructions. But do it today. Time is running out.