Liberation Day?

What will day one look like? Who will win and who will lose?

Snow on my garden by Sue Nethercott

Nick Gilbertson recently wrote an article, "What Day One of the Trump Administration Could Look Like: ‘Liberation Day’". He points out that Trump tweeted on 22 December, "My administration will live by the motto 'PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT'". Forgive me if I am sceptical, but what if he actually does keep his promises?

Trump wrote that his administration will be “fully operational, I would say, by about 2:00 p.m. on the 2oth.” This would be a major change from 8 years ago, but if his billionaire puppet masters, Republican think tanks and MAGA base do not rip his plans to shreds between them, with their conflicting priorities, then it could actually happen. All a declining Trump has to do, after all, is sign Executive Orders prepared by others.

Freedom for a few

First of all, a whole lot of people who were willing to attempt a violent insurrection leading to the deaths of police protecting the Capitol, and who have likely been radicalised while in prison, will be freed. They may well feel beholden to him (even though he got them into jail in the first place), and willing to form his brownshirts or blackshirts in his war on anyone he does not like. Some may decide to quietly get their heads down and keep out of trouble, but others may decide to 'rise up the ranks'. And while an impartial administration would be keeping tabs on them, Trump's probably won't - at least officially. So they could recruit more people, who would be more willing once they'd seen that Trump actually does give pardons. But a lot will depend on who gets pardons and who does not - he said, “I can’t say for every single one because a couple of them probably got out of control”.

Trump also said, “These people have been there — How long has it been? — Three or four years, OK? By the way, they’ve been in there for years, and they’re in a filthy, disgusting place that shouldn’t even be allowed to be open.” So does he plan to release other prisoners and close down those jails? Nope. In fact, he is planning to open up camps for 'illegal aliens' that will likely be worse.

Loss of freedom for many

“On my first day back in the Oval Office, I will sign a historic slate of executive orders to close our border to illegal aliens and stop the invasion of our country, and on that same day, we will begin the largest deportation operation in American history,” Trump said. President Eisenhower did that - Operation Wetback - and many American citizens were rounded up with them, so don't think you are safe. That's why I suggest making sure you have up to date ID that proves you are a citizen.