By Emil Amok Guillermo
TikTok is still dark? Not as dark as American democracy’s future, as the incoming felon-in-chief takes over.
At Monday’s inaugural, President-elect Donald Trump loses the “elect” appendage on his title when he takes the oath. He transforms from 45 to 47, and for him that sounds better than 78.
What’s different this time is that we all know the game now. The Bible is still there, symbolizing right, wrong, ethics and values. But it’s just a prop.
Imagine instead Trump holding up a mirror.
That’s my image of the Trump presidency. It’s all about Him, with no guardrails.
The inaugural itself is an act of vanity, after all. Moving it indoors was a Trump act of cowardice toward the cold of DC. If Trump were truly an Alpha he’d put on some long johns and live with how the temps might limit his crowd size. Or just go straight Wim Hof cold therapy. MAGA is disappointed.
But indoors, it’s all controlled. Unlike Jan. 6.
Trump’s hair will stay in place. The lighting will maybe match that eerie inaugural photo of his, a foreboding, modern-day “Uncle Sam wants you” especially if you are an undocumented immigrant.
What if you just look like one? That’s the problem for all people of color.
MASS DEPORTATION TUESDAY
The reports have already leaked that sanctuary cities are being targeted, with Chicago to be the first. Criminals are being prioritized. That’s not visa overstays, is it? But if you go into a community with a wide net, it will be a sifting process to find who should be deported. Some innocents will be subjected to unnecessary harassment. Or some families of mixed status will be forcibly separated. It’s all under the guise of Trump fulfilling a campaign promise.
Trump has the poll winds at his back, but barely. Just as in November when he won a plurality with just 49.8 percent of the voters, a new New York Times/Axios poll shows 55 percent of Americans either strongly or somewhat support mass deportations.
But that same poll shows support for allowing DACA (Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals) recipients to stay (62 percent).
Will Trump follow that sentiment?
Trump’s immigration czar Tom Homan has said if mixed status families are caught in the process, they could make the decision to self-deport together. It’s a hard-ass response, but how will that affect public opinion when the scene is played out in real-time? Because that will ultimately affect Trump’s actions.
In a vanity presidency, the key is to find what’s good for Trump that’s good for you. Find that common ground and the four years may be chaotic but slightly more bearable.
This brings us to the concern of the day, TikTok.
TIKTOK
Previously, Trump was all for the ban pushed by the China-hawks in Congress. National security and personal security are still a real concern.
Besides, China would never allow a U.S. company to operate in China as TikTok is allowed to here. Ask Facebook, X, and Instagram. All are banned.
But remember the sweet spot. If 170 million Americans love TikTok, Trump’s vanity has come to the rescue.
His flipping on TikTok caused some grief for MAGA types who carried his water, but Trump on Sunday said he would issue an executive order to stall the federal ban “to make a deal to protect our national security.”
The TikTok issue is a harbinger of how issues will play out with Pres. 47. The TikTok issue is alive only because Trump Vanity recognized its value—to him.
Loved by 170 million?
The lesson for even the most despairing is something that all of Trump’s allies/enemies have known in the past.
The pathway to defeat Trump is to appeal to Trump’s ego. Trump vanity. His hubris. Our victory.
The mistake anti-Trumpers make is to throw up their arms in frustration and say they’re out of the game. Gonna move to Canada. (Before it’s the 51st state?).
Engaging with Trump doesn’t necessarily mean bending one’s knee and kissing the ring, or any other body part. The engagement that matters is not with Trump but with the public.
Let them know your concerns, your issues. That’s how the people win in the Trump era.
If Democrats had engaged with the people, we’d have a different Jan. 20.
Now we have a recidivist president.
$TRUMP AND MLK
Yes, Trump is disgustingly unethical and constantly on the make. On Friday Trump launched his new cryptocurrency. It’s not called Emil Coin.
$Trump is now worth $56 billion according to Bloomberg as of Sunday. At least on paper, Trump becomes one of the 25 wealthiest people in the world.
And it’s only beginning.
But Trump is still beholden to what people think about him and his corrupt policies. And he will cross MAGA to change if it’s good for him.
That’s the problem with an unprincipled man leading our democracy.
So above all else, keep in mind that Trump takes the oath on MLK Day. It doesn’t have to be self-canceling.
Our hopes and dreams can be reassured if we stay in the game, and remember Dr. King’s words and belief, that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.
Emil Guillermo is an award-winning journalist, commentator, and storyteller. He’s written a weekly “Amok” column on Asian American issues since 1995.
Watch his micro-talk show “Emil Amok’s Takeout/What Does an Asian American Think?” on www.YouTube.com/@emilamok1 , Or join him on patreon.com/emilamok
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