Trump administration adopts a strikingly Orwellian approach
In a series of controversial moves, former President Donald Trump has been accused of attempting to control narratives and rewrite history, as well as influencing economic data.
Trump's Actions on Historical Narratives
In March 2021, Trump signed an executive order targeting the Smithsonian Institution with the stated goal of removing "improper ideology" from its properties. This move was followed by the removal of a board containing information about President Trump's two impeachments from an exhibit about "Limits of Presidential Power." The Smithsonian has since stated that an updated version of the exhibit will ultimately mention all impeachment efforts, including Trump's.
Trump's efforts to shape American history have been criticized as an attempt to align narratives with his nationalist political agenda. Ahead of the 250th anniversary of American independence, he planned efforts to "rewrite" history to promote a certain vision aligned with his administration's values.
Trump's Influence on Economic Data
On Friday, President Trump fired the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Dr. Erika McEntarfer. The firing occurred hours after the Bureau of Labor Statistics delivered Trump some unfavorable job numbers, the worst non-Covid three-month job numbers since 2010. Trump's allies have attempted to justify McEntarfer's firing by citing large revisions in the job numbers as evidence of shoddy work. However, Trump himself has undermined this argument by stating that they were fired because he did not believe the numbers.
Trump's history of publicly criticizing and disputing job report numbers that he perceives as unfavorable dates back to his 2016 campaign. Since then, he has dismissed official economic data as "phony numbers" when they did not align with his narrative of economic success. After his presidency, he continued making unsubstantiated claims that BLS manipulated job statistics under the Biden administration to hide poor economic performance, especially around election times.
Criticism and Concerns
Trump's actions have been criticized as impetuous and self-serving by some Republican senators. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said if Trump fired McEntarfer just because he didn't like the numbers, he ought to grow up. Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska expressed concern that Trump's move would make it difficult to trust the data the administration is putting out.
The real problem with Trump's firing of McEntarfer is the message it sends to others in similar positions, suggesting that data and conclusions should be to Trump's liking, or else. This could lead to plenty of unreliable data and conclusions, and could seed suspicions about the integrity of data, among both regular Americans and those making key decisions that impact the economy.
In conclusion, Trump's efforts to influence or revise historical narratives and economic data reflect a broader pattern of promoting politicized versions of facts—whether about his impeachments, national history, or economic indicators—to maintain political support and delegitimize opponents. This approach has involved public misinformation, challenges to institutional data, and direct interventions in federal agencies responsible for such information.
Sources:
- The Washington Post
- The New York Times
- The Guardian
- The Hill
- In addition to influencing economic data and historical narratives, Trump's actions have extended to other areas, with controversies arising in casino-and-gambling circles due to alleged ties between him and casino-personalities.
- Furthermore, Trump's polarizing style has seeped into the arena of general-news and crime-and-justice, as he continues to dominate headlines, even post-presidency, for reasons that often tie back to his political policies and accusations of improprieties.
- Amid the tumultuous mix of politics, war-and-conflicts, and Trump's controversial actions, policy-and-legislation has faced numerous challenges in achieving clarity and bipartisan support.
- Notably, Trump's unconventional methods have even extended to accident investigations, with allegations of pressuring officials for favorable reports in high-profile cases, raising concerns about the impartiality of government inquiries.
