The Dumbest Expression of T.D.S.

Wednesday, June 24, 2026

It wasn’t a bad idea – “Let’s spruce up the reflecting pool on the mall before the 250th celebration.”  The reply quickly came, “Mr. President, there is not enough time to let the contract under federal procurement regulations.”  The president responded, “Figure out a way not to follow them and get the job done.”  And here we are, many weeks later, and at the moment that conversation – or something close to it – has become the biggest scandal in Washington D.C.  You would think the man ordered tactical nukes distributed to every household in the nation given the level of furor that has ensued.  Give me a break!

Based on reading the headlines, it appears Donald J. Trump personally hooked up the hoses, drained the pool, applied the paint, refilled the pool and set the chemistry therein – like he had nothing better to do with his time.  I doubt the man was involved in any decision or any action associated with the project after, “a deep blue, like the flag, would be nice.”  And yet this is all Trump’s fault – just ask anybody writing a story or a headline.  It has gotten ridiculous.

First of all, federal procurement regulations and procedures are often simply idiotic when it comes to many projects, especially if you want to do them in a hurry.   Heck, changing a light bulb can take weeks in a federal building just because of the paperwork involved.  Something like this, done by the book, would take longer than a presidential term.  Of course the process needed to be short cut in some fashion.  It’s not like the Biden administration had the mental acuity to get something started.

Secondly, the project, after its inception by the president as previously described, has passed through dozens, if not hundreds, of hands – some of whom are supposed to be expert, or at least know an expert to consult, on how to do something like this.  And yet this is the president’s fault?!?!?  Whatever screw ups happened here, and there obviously are screw-ups, belong in hands other than presidential ones.  Find an expert.  It is not that hard.

Mistakes have been made – duh.  But please, this is about as far from a presidential scandal as you can get and still try and pin it on the president.  And that’s all this is – an effort to create anti-Trump furor.  And what’s worst of all about it is that it detracts from the 250th celebration far more than it detracts from Trump.  But then when you hate something as much as this bunch hates Trump, Trump is all they can see.

Russia recently attacked the Chernobyl containment structure.  It is one of the most heinous acts of war ever committed as it threatened nations far beyond the combatants.  Efforts to minimize and control the damage were and are heroic.  So deranged has this bunch become that they are undoubtedly searching for a way to blame Trump for the attack.  In Trump-hating land, there is no room for heroism or fun.  Disneyland has been threatened – Disneyland!

Please America – let’s not get wrapped up in this lunacy.  My generation somehow managed to throw an absolute blow out of a celebration for the 200th as the nation elected one of the worst presidents in history.  (Carter used to be the worst, but Biden certainly has knocked him off that throne and Obama just might have settled in at second.)  We did so months after a sitting president resigned amidst a scandal genuine, if greatly media amplified.  How dare we let a “scandal’ entirely of media creation spoil the 250th?