By Julianne Malveaux, author and economist
A cursory look at the win-loss column after last week’s mid-term elections suggests that nobody left the table empty-handed. Democrats gained control of the House of Representatives, Republican’s expanded their control of the Senate, hundreds of state legislative seats flipped from Democratic to Republican, and Democrats gained gubernatorial, Attorney General, and other key positions.
But both democracy and the truth took a hit during the midterms, when the President of the United States obfuscated, prevaricated, and just plain lied every chance he got. And then he had the nerve to say he tells the truth “when he can,” which really means he tells the truth only when it serves him. During the midterm campaign, 45 notably attacked Democratic opponents any way he could, often with the vilest of lies. African American political candidates, and especially Stacey Abrams (Georgia) and Andrew Gillum (Florida) were the focus of his ire.
While 45 counts the midterm election as a victory, he was so testily obnoxious in the press conference the day after the election that it is clear that he felt the loss. And when a bully is beaten, he lashes out. CNN’s Jim Acosta was the victim of his ire. Because he was persistent in asking a question, he was falsely accused of putting his hands on someone, and his White House press pass was revoked. At the same press conference, the so-called leader of the free world was rudely dismissive to American Urban Radio’s star reporter, April Ryan, repeatedly telling her to “sit down.” Then, on November 9, he attacked Ryan, calling her a “loser” and saying that she “doesn’t know what the hell she is doing.” He said he might consider yanking her press credentials.
The president is on a roll when it comes to Black women in the press. He told CNN’s Abby Phillips that she “always asks stupid questions” when she asked him whether he elevated Matt Whitaker to acting Attorney General because he will impede the Mueller investigation. Stupid is the perfect way to describe a president who does not even know how to use Google search to figure out that his pick to replace Jeff Sessions is biased against an