Trump lied about the LA protests so you wouldn't see what he's really doing
Trump lied about the LA protests so you wouldn't see what he's really doing | Opinion Don't let Trump's social media posts and government bullying distract you. The real consequences of electing him are just beginning.
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National Guard major general clarifies military's role in Los Angeles
National Guard Major General Scott Sherman outlined the role of military personnel in Los Angeles and said troops will not conduct arrests.
President Donald Trump has been busy trying to distract you by bullying immigrants.
The president has been fighting with California Gov. Gavin Newsom over what to do about the unfolding protests in Los Angeles – protests that the president wanted you to believe were violent, unruly and tearing the country apart.
Then, on June 14, he tried to capture your attention via a military parade. All of this seemed to serve one primary purpose: to keep people distracted from the continuous failures of the Trump administration. Distract from what? A few things, actually.
By claiming a city is burning to the ground, the Republican Party tried to blind us from the upheaval of the new U.S. vaccine policy. You might have missed that Planned Parenthood has closed clinics across the country, impacting people seeking basic health care. You probably also saw a quick flash about Trump's polling dropping, again.
Opinion: From massive protests to a puny parade, America really let Donald Trump down
RFK Jr. dismantles US vaccine policy
On June 9, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired the entire committee dedicated to advising the government on vaccines, because, of course, he did. He then appointed eight new members, several of whom have expressed vaccine skepticism.
This change follows Kennedy's recent decision to stop recommending the COVID-19 vaccine to pregnant women and children, as well as Trump's proposal to cut millions of dollars from the National Institutes of Health budget.
Despite Kennedy's shakeup, a recent NBC News Decision Desk Poll found that 80% of U.S. adults 'strongly support' or 'somewhat support' vaccines being used to prevent disease, proving that Kennedy's decision to fire the 17 vaccine experts isn't exactly aligned with popular sentiment.
Trump's polls plunge as Americans tire of his nonsense
Another day, another poll showing Trump's popularity going down the further we get into his second term. The Quinnipiac University data released on June 11 gave Trump a 38% approval rating, down three percentage points from April.
The poll also asked respondents about Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which is being deliberated in the Senate. Fifty-three percent of voters oppose the legislation, while just 27% support it.
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This follows a trend of poor polling over the past few weeks from various sources.
Americans have consistently said they don't like the job Trump's doing. The president would prefer we didn't notice that, though.
Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla forcibly removed from Homeland Security press conference
Of all the things that happened in recent days, I was particularly struck by the handcuffing and forced removal of Sen. Alex Padilla from a Department of Homeland Security news conference. The California Democrat announced his title and said he had questions for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, then he was escorted from the event.
Noem attempted to explain the interaction, saying that Padilla hadn't scheduled a meeting with her.
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Padilla, the first Latino to represent California in the U.S. Senate, did what most Democrats are scared to do: He disrupted the status quo and demanded answers for Trump's overreach in his state. Republicans did what they now do – they immediately tried to bully Padilla into silence.
This horrific interaction between Noem and a sitting U.S. senator is an ominous sign of what could be on the horizon. Imagine how the Trump administration would treat regular citizens when there are no cameras.
Planned Parenthood locations close nationwide
Earlier this year, Trump froze federal funding to more than 100 Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide. We're starting to see the repercussions of this funding freeze across the country, as clinics are forced to shut down.
At least 17 clinics have closed in the first five months of 2025. More are expected to close due to provisions in the budget legislation that would cut off Medicaid reimbursement to Planned Parenthood, which serves more than 2 million people. Republicans will cheer this while offering zero way for those patients to get health care.
These closures are troubling to anyone who cares about abortion access or reproductive health care in general. It means that people will have to travel farther for access to care, and that people who can't afford to travel could have to forgo that care altogether. It's the world that Republicans want – and they didn't even have to pass a national abortion ban.
When so much is going on, it's easy to overlook events and issues that get drowned out by the biggest headlines of the week. It's the way Trump has always operated: Distract constituents by creating constant turmoil. He hopes it distracts you from the repercussions of the actions he and other Republicans are taking.
Don't let Trump's social media posts and government bullying distract you. The real consequences of electing him are just beginning.
Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter: @sara__pequeno
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