Americans facing consequences of electing Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump is ending 2018 with problems on many fronts.

Times are getting tougher for Donald Trump and for those who continue to support him. For a start his capacity to lie knows no bounds. The combination of his personal obsession about building that ridiculous wall between the United States and Mexico and the lies he tells meant he did it all again this week. He stated plainly at a meeting with senior Democratic Senators that he would not blame them if there was a government shutdown caused by yet another impasse over funding for the wall. As soon as a microphone and a camera were available, he blamed the Democrats.

Never before has an American President had his campaign director and his personal lawyer thrown into prison. It is hard to recall a President who has had to make very large payments to two women who claimed to have had sexual relationships with him. His lack of experience in politics is matched only by his capacity for disloyalty. As soon as his relationship with senior members of his staff or inner circle break down, his criticisms of them make you wonder how he came to employ them. Other Presidents have had staff members resign but their reasons for departing were not because they were about to go to prison.

He now refers to his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, as “weak”. You can only speculate what Cohen is telling Robert Mueller but you can bet your bottom dollar that whatever it is, it will mean even more turmoil for this embattled leader. His continued references to “crooked Hillary” now look hypocritical to say the least. Members of his family are facing the same allegations about emails that so damaged Clinton. As government employees face a bleak holiday period because they will receive no salary, they and the rest of those in America with any sense of justice will lay all the blame at the feet of this erratic President.

During just the last week the value of the stock market has been reduced by nearly 7 per cent. There has already been a great deal of speculation from economists that a recession would hit the US in 2020. The problem for Trump is exacerbated by the fact that he attempted to own the big lift in stock prices earlier this year. This shows he is still a novice at the game of politics and a total dud when it comes to understanding economics. If there is one thing that history has taught us about the market is that eventually big rises in stocks are followed by falls. If the falls are severe enough then a recession can occur.

I won’t feel too much sorrow for the US or its citizens if this does happen. They elected this clown and they must accept the consequences of that very poor decision.

From my family to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.