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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion - Trump's new DEI: Drama, exaggeration and incoherence
President Trump's war against diversity, equity and inclusion is reverberating throughout nearly every sector, igniting a civil rights pushback. But his executive orders ending DEI cannot halt the historic pace of national racial diversity. According to the Census Bureau, the 'white only' share of the population is now 58.4 percent. Non-Hispanic whites are projected to fall below 50 percent by 2045. So the 'D' in DEI represents America's destiny. Although contentious race-based policy debates will continue, diversity is the new America and must be embraced. The DEI acronym, along with tariffs, ranks among Trump's most frequent utterances. But due to overuse and clouded meaning, change is afoot to rename DEI, starting with the 'Office of Belonging' at the renowned Mayo Clinic. Therefore, I propose changing DEI to mean 'drama, exaggeration and incoherence,' reflecting Trump's unique communication and governing style. 'Drama' captures the daily, head-splitting, inescapable second Trump term. Every day is Trump Day, as Americans are surrounded by media and compelled to tune in. The president's insatiable desire to consolidate power, combined with his unconventional need to create drama, leads to constant breaking news that affects every citizen's life to some degree. Such intentional 'drama by design' could be perceived as a subtle form of domination. Through daily headlines — regardless of whether the news is good or bad, since bad news is spun, justified or rationalized as good — Trump keeps himself prominently on your screen. He 'wins the day' by overshadowing or blotting out others. His need to be on your screen evokes George Orwell's classic dystopian novel '1984,' written long before screen viewing became a daily ritual. In '1984,' a totalitarian state dominates and controls its people through pervasive surveillance via their 'telescreen.' Maintaining a constant screen presence is 'Big Brother,' the all-powerful leader who is always watching and enforcing ideological purity throughout the land. Remarkably, Trump maintains a communication advantage over the fictional Big Brother. He holds a 65 percent stake in Trump Media and Technology Group, which operates Truth Social, his primary communication platform, with a market capitalization of $5 billion. Thus, a drama-loving president who owns and controls his main media dissemination vehicle is rationalized as 'Trump being Trump.' Through Truth Social — an Orwellian sounding name — Trump crafts his version of 'truth.' He generates non-stop drama, attacks America's premier institutions, denigrates his enemies, spews factually incorrect statements, picks fights with celebrities and, most egregiously, conducts official presidential business with no filters or guardrails. How long will Americans tolerate the pace of Trump's move-fast-and-break-things presidency? What most affects presidential job approval ratings are the prices for food, gas, cars, homes and consumer goods. Rising costs and shortages driven by uncertainty due to Trump's tariffs, further complicated by this week's anti-tariff court ruling, and then blocked on appeal, suggest he could 'pay' in the midterms. More damaging is that Trump had promised to combat inflation, the key reason he won in 2024. The president, well aware of this problem, has instituted an ongoing operational plan to prevent Republicans from losing the House of Representatives. Trump also believes (with good reason) that a Democratic victory could trigger his third impeachment. Therefore, cue the 2026 election drama along with nonstop judicial drama. Exaggeration is Trump's default mode of communication. Since facts are often inconvenient, it's easier to use exaggerated words or phrases to enhance a narrative. Nearly every day, on any issue, Trump straddles the line between embellishment and outright lies, known in Trump-speak as 'alternative facts.' His flair for stretching the truth is baked into his always great, best-ever, big, beautiful persona. Although Trump continuously exaggerates his past, present and future achievements — most notably falsely claiming victory in the 2020 election — he occasionally faces the consequences of his exaggerations. After repeatedly saying, 'I will end the Ukraine-Russia war in 24 hours,' he now claims he was only speaking 'in jest.' Continuously fact-checking Trump's exaggerations is a thankless task, and why much of what he says goes unchecked and repeated as fact in Trump-friendly media, on X and Truth Social. Incoherence is Trump's enemy. His 79th birthday, coming in June, will bring more comparisons to former President Joe Biden's diminished mental state. And Trump is exhibiting increasingly bewildering behavior. At all hours, he is always on the attack, often posting bizarre Truth Social videos and tweets unbefitting of a president. Trump's Memorial Day 'scum' remarks and meandering West Point 'trophy wife' address, along with his usual 'weave' of rambling speech patterns bordering on gibberish, explains why the White House is purging its website of official transcripts. This action evokes another detail from '1984,' in which embarrassing documents are disappeared 'down the memory hole.' This new version of DEI represents our president governing through drama, exaggeration and incoherence, brazenly consolidating power with a 'dare you to stop me' attitude. That invites the question of what the presidency will look like after Trump. Do Americans prefer an all-powerful chief executive who enriches himself and tries to rule with fear and an iron fist? If so, Donald Trump Jr. could be our next president. Myra Adams is an opinion writer who served on the creative team of two Republican presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump's new DEI: Drama, exaggeration and incoherence
President Trump's war against diversity, equity and inclusion is reverberating throughout nearly every sector, igniting a civil rights pushback. But his executive orders ending DEI cannot halt the historic pace of national racial diversity. According to the Census Bureau, the 'white only' share of the population is now 58.4 percent. Non-Hispanic whites are projected to fall below 50 percent by 2045. So the 'D' in DEI represents America's destiny. Although contentious race-based policy debates will continue, diversity is the new America and must be embraced. The DEI acronym, along with tariffs, ranks among Trump's most frequent utterances. But due to overuse and clouded meaning, change is afoot to rename DEI, starting with the 'Office of Belonging' at the renowned Mayo Clinic. Therefore, I propose changing DEI to mean 'drama, exaggeration and incoherence,' reflecting Trump's unique communication and governing style. 'Drama' captures the daily, head-splitting, inescapable second Trump term. Every day is Trump Day, as Americans are surrounded by media and compelled to tune in. The president's insatiable desire to consolidate power, combined with his unconventional need to create drama, leads to constant breaking news that affects every citizen's life to some degree. Such intentional 'drama by design' could be perceived as a subtle form of domination. Through daily headlines — regardless of whether the news is good or bad, since bad news is spun, justified or rationalized as good — Trump keeps himself prominently on your screen. He 'wins the day' by overshadowing or blotting out others. His need to be on your screen evokes George Orwell's classic dystopian novel '1984,' written long before screen viewing became a daily ritual. In '1984,' a totalitarian state dominates and controls its people through pervasive surveillance via their 'telescreen.' Maintaining a constant screen presence is 'Big Brother,' the all-powerful leader who is always watching and enforcing ideological purity throughout the land. Remarkably, Trump maintains a communication advantage over the fictional Big Brother. He holds a 65 percent stake in Trump Media and Technology Group, which operates Truth Social, his primary communication platform, with a market capitalization of $5 billion. Thus, a drama-loving president who owns and controls his main media dissemination vehicle is rationalized as 'Trump being Trump.' Through Truth Social — an Orwellian sounding name — Trump crafts his version of 'truth.' He generates non-stop drama, attacks America's premier institutions, denigrates his enemies, spews factually incorrect statements, picks fights with celebrities and, most egregiously, conducts official presidential business with no filters or guardrails. How long will Americans tolerate the pace of Trump's move-fast-and-break-things presidency? What most affects presidential job approval ratings are the prices for food, gas, cars, homes and consumer goods. Rising costs and shortages driven by uncertainty due to Trump's tariffs, further complicated by this week's anti-tariff court ruling, and then blocked on appeal, suggest he could 'pay' in the midterms. More damaging is that Trump had promised to combat inflation, the key reason he won in 2024. The president, well aware of this problem, has instituted an ongoing operational plan to prevent Republicans from losing the House of Representatives. Trump also believes (with good reason) that a Democratic victory could trigger his third impeachment. Therefore, cue the 2026 election drama along with nonstop judicial drama. Exaggeration is Trump's default mode of communication. Since facts are often inconvenient, it's easier to use exaggerated words or phrases to enhance a narrative. Nearly every day, on any issue, Trump straddles the line between embellishment and outright lies, known in Trump-speak as 'alternative facts.' His flair for stretching the truth is baked into his always great, best-ever, big, beautiful persona. Although Trump continuously exaggerates his past, present and future achievements — most notably falsely claiming victory in the 2020 election — he occasionally faces the consequences of his exaggerations. After repeatedly saying, 'I will end the Ukraine-Russia war in 24 hours,' he now claims he was only speaking 'in jest.' Continuously fact-checking Trump's exaggerations is a thankless task, and why much of what he says goes unchecked and repeated as fact in Trump-friendly media, on X and Truth Social. Incoherence is Trump's enemy. His 79th birthday, coming in June, will bring more comparisons to former President Joe Biden's diminished mental state. And Trump is exhibiting increasingly bewildering behavior. At all hours, he is always on the attack, often posting bizarre Truth Social videos and tweets unbefitting of a president. Trump's Memorial Day 'scum' remarks and meandering West Point 'trophy wife' address, along with his usual 'weave' of rambling speech patterns bordering on gibberish, explains why the White House is purging its website of official transcripts. This action evokes another detail from '1984,' in which embarrassing documents are disappeared 'down the memory hole.' This new version of DEI represents our president governing through drama, exaggeration and incoherence, brazenly consolidating power with a 'dare you to stop me' attitude. That invites the question of what the presidency will look like after Trump. Do Americans prefer an all-powerful chief executive who enriches himself and tries to rule with fear and an iron fist? If so, Donald Trump Jr. could be our next president. Myra Adams is an opinion writer who served on the creative team of two Republican presidential campaigns in 2004 and 2008.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Republicans racing to name roads after Trump keep crashing and burning
The drive to name an Arizona state highway after President Donald Trump ran off the road on Thursday. I know. I'm surprised, too. State Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, proposed transforming State Route 260 into the Donald J. Trump Highway, noting that it's the patriotic thing to do. He has, after all, been president for an entire six weeks now. 'All across the nation people have really endorsed this concept, and why?' Rogers told the Senate Public Safety Committee a few weeks ago. 'It's because WE THE PEOPLE should be able to name our roads and our byways, and WE THE PEOPLE need to be represented and to be proud of our United States president.' Alas, WE THE PEOPLE must be crushed because the legislation stalled Thursday on a 15-9 vote of the Republican-run Senate, one shy of passing. Opinion: Canada's Liberal Party looked doomed. Then Trump's tariff war revived it. The proposal could make a comeback, however, as state Sen. Shawnna Bolick, R-Phoenix, was absent from Thursday's vote. Arizona is not the only red state looking to up its bootlicking game. In Missouri, Republicans also are working on a bill to name a state highway for Trump, and in Oklahoma, there is talk of declaring Nov. 5 (the day he was elected) a state holiday – President Donald J. Trump Day. I am not making this up. In Arizona, Senate Concurrent Memorial 1001 offers 15 whereases to justify the Donald J. Trump Highway. Among other things, it notes that he won the popular vote, unleashed the Department of Government Efficiency on federal workers and 'built over 400 miles of the world's most robust and advanced border wall' during his first term. Opinion: Georgetown law school dean clobbers Trump-loving US attorney's DEI griping Should the legislation be revived, it ultimately would be up to the Arizona State Board on Geographic and Historic Names to decide whether Trump rates the 217.8-mile scenic strip of pavement that runs from Cottonwood to Eager. Me? I'd suggest honoring him with a different route. One filled with harrowing switchbacks and plenty of potholes. Laurie Roberts is a columnist at the Arizona Republic, where this column originally appeared. Reach Roberts at or follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @LaurieRobertsaz, on Threads at @LaurieRobertsaz and on BlueSky at @ You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: GOP bid to rename highway for Trump spins out. Good | Opinion
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate bill could mark Nov. 5 as President Donald J. Trump Day in Oklahoma
Nov. 5 could soon be recognized as President Donald J. Trump Day in Oklahoma after one senator authored a bill seeking to add the holiday honoring the current president into the state statutes. Authored by Sen. Dana Prieto, R-Tulsa, Senate Bill 1105 would declare Nov. 5 as President Donald J. Trump Day in Oklahoma to recognize the president's recent election victory. If passed, state employees would not be granted a day off of work on the holiday, Prieto said. The bill passed the Retirement and Government Resources Senate committee 6-2 on Wednesday. The Senate bill coincides with an attempt to make Trump's birthday a federal holiday by Republican Congresswoman Rep. Claudia Tenney of New York. Called the Trump's Birthday and Flag Day Holiday Establishment Act, it would designate June 14 as a federal holiday commemorating both Trump's birthday and Flag Day. 'Just as George Washington's Birthday is codified as a federal holiday, this bill will add Trump's Birthday to this list, recognizing him as the founder of America's Golden Age,' Tenney, who represents New York, said in a news release. Although a day of national observance, Flag Day is not already a federal holiday, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 'By designating Trump's Birthday and Flag Day as a federal holiday, we can ensure President Trump's contributions to American greatness and the importance of the American Flag are forever enshrined into law,' Tenney said. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Bill could mark Nov. 5 as President Donald J. Trump Day in Oklahoma
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Donald J. Trump Day could become newest Oklahoma state holiday
State Sen. Dana Prieto, R-Tulsa, attends special session on Oct. 3, 2023 at the Oklahoma Capitol. (Photo by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY – Nov. 5 would be President Donald J. Trump Day in Oklahoma under a measure that passed a Senate panel on Wednesday. Senate Bill 1105 would add the holiday to a long list, which already includes Jefferson Day on April 13 and Will Rogers Day on Nov. 4. Sen. Dana Prieto, R-Tulsa, said his measure would not require employers to provide time off. 'There are a lot of days we don't get off for,' he said. 'Many holidays are just excuses for stores to be able to have a sale. Nobody is going to be taking off for this.' Prieto said he selected Nov. 5 because it was the day voters elected Trump to a second term. The measure passed the Senate Retirement and Government Resources Committee by a vote of 6-2 and heads to the Senate floor. In 2021, Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill naming 20 miles of remote highway along U.S. 287 between Boise City and the Oklahoma-Texas border as the President Donald J. Trump Highway. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
