President Trump is a threat to the United States and to the U.S. Constitution, according to Democratic lawmakers.
His alleged ties to Russia must be investigated, his anti-terror and immigration policies are “un-American” and the reported co-mingling of his business empire with the Oval Office requires further review, the Left’s leaders say.
His presidency is not normal, and it is not okay, they chant.
Therefore, as part of a larger effort to fight the president “every inch of the way,” Reps. Adriano Espaillat of New York, Ted Lieu of California, and John Lewis of Georgia have submitted a House resolution condemning so-called fake news and alternative facts.
The “alternative facts” bit is a clear reference to when White House counselor Kellyanne Conway tried to defend press secretary Sean Spicer’s false claim that Trump’s inauguration drew record-breaking crowds in person as well as online.
“The President must immediately acknowledge his support of the First Amendment and express his support for United States democracy,” the resolution, H. Res. 191, reads. “The United States should continue being a democracy, not an autocracy.”
The resolution condemning fake news and misinformation ignores that the United States is not a direct democracy. It can more accurately be characterized as a “constitutional federal representative democracy,” according to American law professor Eugene Volokh.
The House resolution, titled “Opposing fake news and alternative facts,” added, “White House spokespersons should not issue fake news … and White House spokespersons who offer alternative or inaccurate facts should retract their statements immediately.”
Though these Democratic lawmakers aren’t wrong to accuse Trump’s team of engaging in the spread of half-truths and straight-up falsehoods, let’s be honest about what this House resolution really is. It’s not about keeping Trump in check. It’s showboating for the fans. It’s about feeding the desire to see Trump’s team trolled and mocked.
The resolution is chum for Democrats and their supporters. It’s meant to give the appearance they’re doing something to fight Trump. It’s also meant to keep party coffers filled with campaign donations.
If they want to get into the business of policing the truth and demanding retractions, that would mean going after members of their own party. They would have to ask Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., to explain where she heard that gun “silencers” are “quiet” (a typical “silencer” decreases the sound of a firearm by about 30 dB, which means the shot is still going to be about as loud as an ambulance siren. That’s why “silencers” are often referred to as the interchangeable, but more accurate, term “suppressors.” Suppressors do exactly that, but they don’t silence the firearm). They would also have to explain why the let Harry Reid get away with slandering the 2012 GOP nominee as a tax cheat, a false charge which the former Nevada Senator all but copped to in later years.
Smart money says Democratic lawmakers won’t even go near their colleagues’ “alternative facts,” let alone demand retractions. Let’s recognize this House resolution for what it is: A transparent political stunt.
BILLS 115hres191ih by Becket Adams on Scribd
