--- [ IMPORTANT READS ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=9) # Fake President COHEN TALK-It is a matter of ongoing astonishment to us that anyone, even his most diehard supporters, could believe a single word that comes out of Donald Trump's mouth. That's what's really "sad" -- a word he has singlehandedly beaten to death. Even blind, unthinking partisanship cannot fully explain trying to defend a person who says things such as, speaking about Andrew Jackson, “He was really angry that he saw what was happening with regard to the Civil War." The problem is, by this time, Andrew Jackson, a mass slave holder, had been dead for 16 years. Trump says he does not understand why the Civil War happened. Not content with merely being ignorant of history, Trump makes up history, just like he makes up everything else. He will say whatever crazy thing that will get a roar out of the rally crowd of the moment – and that includes saying the exact opposite moments later. It's gotten so bad that Trump accuses the media of being "fake news" when they play previous clips of Trump himself speaking. The latest Trump ass over tea kettle bloviate happened on Monday, May 1 when he actually claimed a victory even though Congress appropriated *nothing* to build his wall. Why this claim? Because Congress appropriated $15 billion more money for the military, although it was still less than the $54 billion he had asked for at the [end of February](http://www.businessinsider.com/trumps-budget-to-boost-defense-spending-by-54-billion-2017-2). The only way to explain why anyone would have voted for him (except for total Republican automatons) is to recognize the cataclysmic failure of the Democratic Party to be responsive to its own constituents. Nancy knows best, Hillary knows best, Chuck knows best, including when [Schumer actually said](http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2017/02/17/even_in_2016_democrats_carried_rust_belt_town_centers_why.html) before the election, *"For every blue collar Democrat we lose in Western Pennsylvania, we will pick up two, three moderate Republicans in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and you can repeat that in Ohio and Illinois and Wisconsin."* We heard with our own ears the audio recording of him saying this. Listen yourself [on youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClytGvP_Qe4). Okay, Chuck, so at least you didn't lose Illinois, the home state of President Obama, but you lost Michigan instead, which is just as bad. Who will save us from these tone deaf political losing geniuses? The answer is the same as it has always been. We must save ourselves with our activism. People are speaking out to the Republicans in Congress. They are demanding that they not completely gut health care and education -- and it’s working. They are forcing the Republicans to reconsider, repent and reverse themselves. But what is missing are more people willing to speak out to their *own* Democratic politicians, demanding *better* health care -- specifically Medicare for All. When we find all those people, we will find the missing votes and the needed election victories. Help us find more of those people, our people. Share this message. *(Michael N. Cohen is a former board member of the Reseda Neighborhood Council, founding member of the LADWP Neighborhood Council Oversight Committee, founding member of LA Clean Sweep and occasional contributor to CityWatch.) Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.* Written by Michael N. Cohen. ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/May-2017/15039i.png) May 08 2017 [](https://www.addtoany.com/share) [Comments](#disqus_thread) COHEN TALK-It is a matter of ongoing astonishment to us that anyone, even his most diehard supporters, could believe a single word that comes out of Donald Trump's mouth. That's what's really "sad" -- a word he has singlehandedly beaten to death. Even blind, unthinking partisanship cannot fully explain trying to defend a person who says things such as, speaking about Andrew Jackson, “He was really angry that he saw what was happening with regard to the Civil War." The problem is, by this time, Andrew Jackson, a mass slave holder, had been dead for 16 years. Trump says he does not understand why the Civil War happened. Not content with merely being ignorant of history, Trump makes up history, just like he makes up everything else. He will say whatever crazy thing that will get a roar out of the rally crowd of the moment – and that includes saying the exact opposite moments later. It's gotten so bad that Trump accuses the media of being "fake news" when they play previous clips of Trump himself speaking. The latest Trump ass over tea kettle bloviate happened on Monday, May 1 when he actually claimed a victory even though Congress appropriated *nothing* to build his wall. Why this claim? Because Congress appropriated $15 billion more money for the military, although it was still less than the $54 billion he had asked for at the [end of February](http://www.businessinsider.com/trumps-budget-to-boost-defense-spending-by-54-billion-2017-2). The only way to explain why anyone would have voted for him (except for total Republican automatons) is to recognize the cataclysmic failure of the Democratic Party to be responsive to its own constituents. Nancy knows best, Hillary knows best, Chuck knows best, including when [Schumer actually said](http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2017/02/17/even_in_2016_democrats_carried_rust_belt_town_centers_why.html) before the election, *"For every blue collar Democrat we lose in Western Pennsylvania, we will pick up two, three moderate Republicans in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and you can repeat that in Ohio and Illinois and Wisconsin."* We heard with our own ears the audio recording of him saying this. Listen yourself [on youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClytGvP_Qe4). Okay, Chuck, so at least you didn't lose Illinois, the home state of President Obama, but you lost Michigan instead, which is just as bad. Who will save us from these tone deaf political losing geniuses? The answer is the same as it has always been. We must save ourselves with our activism. People are speaking out to the Republicans in Congress. They are demanding that they not completely gut health care and education -- and it’s working. They are forcing the Republicans to reconsider, repent and reverse themselves. But what is missing are more people willing to speak out to their *own* Democratic politicians, demanding *better* health care -- specifically Medicare for All. When we find all those people, we will find the missing votes and the needed election victories. Help us find more of those people, our people. Share this message. *(Michael N. Cohen is a former board member of the Reseda Neighborhood Council, founding member of the LADWP Neighborhood Council Oversight Committee, founding member of LA Clean Sweep and occasional contributor to CityWatch.) Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.* [ ![LA DWP #2 (Pay Your Bill Help)](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/LADWP/dwp%20level%20pay%205-7-25.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/82 "LA DWP #2 (Pay Your Bill Help)") ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/banners/signup-for-cw.png) ## Get The News In Your Email Inbox Mondays & Thursdays Website [ ![Home - HHR Rent is too High - SB-2](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/HHR/AHF-rent-too-high.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/104 "Home - HHR Rent is too High - SB-2") --- ## Featured CityWatch Stories [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/d8/066m-d8f0fac6.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33229:democrats-finally-tell-iowa-and-new-hampshire-you-dont-go-first-anymore&catid=395) ### [Democrats Finally Tell Iowa and New Hampshire: You Don’t Go First Anymore](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33229:democrats-finally-tell-iowa-and-new-hampshire-you-dont-go-first-anymore&catid=395) GELFAND’S WORLD - Earlier in the week, the Democratic National Committee did something good. Mind you it wasn’t great… [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/da/066j-daf22e28.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33231:a-prisoner-a-peacemaker-and-israels-defining-choice&catid=375) ### [A Prisoner, A Peacemaker, and Israel’s Defining Choice](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33231:a-prisoner-a-peacemaker-and-israels-defining-choice&catid=375) P.O.V - Marwan Barghouti remains one of the most consequential—and controversial—figures in the Israeli-Palestinian con… [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/65/066n-6599ca07.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33228:lausd-demolishes-closed-schools-wasting-public-assets-and-community-hopes&catid=312) ### [LAUSD Demolishes Closed Schools, Wasting Public Assets and Community Hopes](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33228:lausd-demolishes-closed-schools-wasting-public-assets-and-community-hopes&catid=312) NICK'S VIEW - We are appalled that the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is demolishing closed schools in the… [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/e3/067m-e39a930e.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33250:missing-middle-la-city-plannings-new-approach-to-attainable-housing&catid=429) ### [Missing Middle. LA City Planning’s New Approach to “Attainable” Housing](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33250:missing-middle-la-city-plannings-new-approach-to-attainable-housing&catid=429) MY TAKE - As if Sacramento’s relentless parade of housing-streamlining legislation hasn’t disrupted Los Angeles neighbo… [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/84/066h-84a1ecbd.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33234:homelessness-among-seniors-spikes-in-los-angeles-county-but-its-not-hopeless&catid=312) ### [Homelessness Among Seniors Spikes in Los Angeles County, But It’s Not Hopeless](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33234:homelessness-among-seniors-spikes-in-los-angeles-county-but-its-not-hopeless&catid=312) SENIOR HOUSING - Near the very end of the report for the most recent Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, there’s a stat… --- ## [ IMPORTANT READS ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=9) [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Aug-2026/065i.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33221:netanyahu-needed-an-enemy-mamdani-volunteered&catid=9)### [Netanyahu Needed an Enemy - Mamdani Volunteered](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33221:netanyahu-needed-an-enemy-mamdani-volunteered&catid=9) [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Aug-2026/064m3.jpeg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33192:should-unsafe-property-conditions-lead-to-injury-claims&catid=9)### [Should Unsafe Property Conditions Lead to Injury Claims?](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33192:should-unsafe-property-conditions-lead-to-injury-claims&catid=9) [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Aug-2026/061q.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33155:how-electrical-hazards-put-workers-at-risk&catid=9)### [How Electrical Hazards Put Workers at Risk](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33155:how-electrical-hazards-put-workers-at-risk&catid=9) [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/July-2026/058i.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33091:metro-doesnt-have-a-transit-problem-it-has-a-leadership-problem&catid=9)### [Metro Doesn't Have a Transit Problem—It Has a Leadership Problem](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33091:metro-doesnt-have-a-transit-problem-it-has-a-leadership-problem&catid=9) [ ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/July-2026/060o.jpg) ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33139:wrongful-death-claims-after-a-serious-accident-and-what-families-need-to-know&catid=9)### [Wrongful Death Claims After a Serious Accident and What Families Need to Know](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33139:wrongful-death-claims-after-a-serious-accident-and-what-families-need-to-know&catid=9)