President Hannity? Trump's right-wing media bosses demand a new shutdown

The right-wing media, which often does Trump’s thinking and tells him what to do, is ordering him to make another government shutdown happen.

Fox News host Sean Hannity broke into coverage of Trump’s campaign rally in El Paso, Texas, Monday night to attack reports that a deal has been reached in Congress to avert a government shutdown.

“By the way on this new so-called compromise, I am getting details, 1.3 billion? That’s not a — not even a wall, a barrier? I’m going to tell this tonight we will get back into this tomorrow. Any Republican that supports this garbage compromise, you will have to explain,” Hannity thundered.

Fellow Fox News host Laura Ingraham also slammed the reported deal as “pathetic,” adding, “the word ‘principle’ shouldn’t be used to describe this deal.”

“Radical Dimms refuse to protect America, their ‘Deal’ is an insult to @POTUS and the American people,” said conspiracy theorist and Fox Business host Lou Dobbs.

In a normal presidency, the anger of a few television talking heads would not be particularly notable, but Trump dances to the tune of Fox News and the rest of the right-wing media. He sets the direction of American policies based on how they play out on television, without concern for real-world consequences.

Trump reportedly has regular conversations with Hannity, who steers and directs the policy of the United States from his Fox News studio.

Trump’s “executive time” is hours and hours of him sitting in front of television, absorbing what is being said about him and the rest of the world, then responding through Twitter tirades, or in presidential decisions.

So opposition to the deal from the Fox News chorus could easily lead to Trump’s opposition and yet another government shutdown.

That’s what happened in December of 2018. Despite Republicans controlling the House, Senate, and presidency, Trump appeased his television bosses by pushing the government into a shutdown.

It was a disaster that uprooted the lives of millions of Americans. It endangered food and travel safety. It sent military families to food banks. It made businesses lose billions of dollars and led to piles of excrement and litter at America’s national parks.

Simply because Trump is at the mercy of millionaires with TV shows.

America was rescued from the last shutdown because Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others stood up to him and arranged for the government to reopen.

But because Sean Hannity, calling Trump from his sprawling mansion, might be opposed to the new agreement, the country could suffer all over again.

President Hannity has made his demands and his humble servant, Trump, is on track to once again do as he was told.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.