On today’s episode of Presidential Election Year Politics…
If you’re a follower of presidential election year politics, you know that the heightened behavior of politicians on both sides of the aisle is not unlike the absurd predictions and goings-on on social media as Monday’s solar eclipse draws nearer. Toss in the axiom “Desperate people do desperate things during desperate times,” and we come to the subject at hand, including an international airport and a federal prison.
As we reported on Tuesday, House Republicans introduced a bill to rename Washington Dulles International Airport after former President Donald Trump.
In a news release announcing the legislation, Republican Rep. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (PA), cited Trump’s energy and economic record, border policies that resulted in historically low illegal alien “immigration” numbers, stance against China, and support of Israel.
In my lifetime, our nation has never been greater than under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump. As millions of domestic and international travelers fly through the airport, there is no better symbol of freedom, prosperity, and strength than hearing ‘Welcome to Trump International Airport’ as they land on American soil.
Needless to say, the legislation has zero chance of succeeding, even it passes in the House, where the GOP maintains a slim majority. For the airport to be renamed, the bill would have to pass in the Democrat-controlled Senate and then be signed by Joe Biden.
Again, zero chance.
Moreover, given that the House is bogged down with far more pressing issues than renaming an airport after the controversial former president, including a national security funding package that would further support Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas War, and the Biden Border Crisis, why was the measure introduced?
Presidential election year politics.
Not to be outdone, House Democrats on Friday trotted out a measure to rename a federal prison in South Florida after Trump. Introduced by Reps. Gerry Connolly and Jared Moskowitz of Florida, and John Garamendi of California, the measure seeks to rename the Miami Federal Correctional Institution — a low-security facility for male inmates — as the Donald J. Trump Federal Correctional Institution.
Why? Tit for tat — compliments of presidential election year politics.
Connolly said in a statement announcing his bill:
When our Republican colleagues introduced their bill to rename Dulles after Donald Trump, I said the more fitting option would be to rename a federal prison.
Donald Trump faces nearly 100 felony charges. He has been found liable [for] sexual abuse and, subsequently, for defaming the victim of that abuse. He has been fined hundreds of millions of dollars in a civil fraud case. It is only right that the closest federal prison to Mar-a-Lago should bear his name.
Moskowitz snarkily added: “Everyone knows President Trump loves to write his name in gold letters on all his buildings” but that “he’s never had his name on a federal building before.”
The Bottom Line
So here’s the thing — make that two things:
First, let’s be honest. Regardless of one’s political position, the Democrats firing back with their renaming bill after the Republicans introduced theirs was well played. Second, opting not only for a federal prison but also the federal prison closest to Mar-a-Lago was clever as hell.
Don’t misunderstand me; I’m neither suggesting that the multitude of charges against Trump were warranted, nor that he’ll necessarily be found guilty of any or all of them.
Simply, given the tit-for-tat nature of politics, particularly during a presidential election year, the Democrats’ hand was cleverly played — whether warranted or not.
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