Donald Trump: America's New Putin

At Fox News’s sixth annual “Patriot of the Year” awards on Thursday night, Donald Trump mentioned that he has a new vision for America’s elections in terms of how it chooses its leaders.

“We are going to look at elections.” Trump said. “We Want to have paper ballpts, one-day voting, voter ID, and proof of citizenship.”

Trump specifically targeted California's election process, mentioning that it is very flawed since the state doesn't require voter ID when showing up at the booth—like many other states in the U.S. Instead, Trump wishes to extend the required documents needed to verify one's identity, including one's social security card and driver's license, hoping to deter bad actors from swinging the country's vote.

Trump's rhetoric is ironic given the fact the action is already illegal in several states and that widespread voting by illegal immigrants is a fallacy spread by Trump and his loyalist party, the Republicans. According to the American Immigration Council, only 10 cases have existed involving illegal immigrants voting in the United States Elections since the 1980's, out of well over 60 million votes per election cycle. That is less than 1%, a fact that should reinforce our sense of rationality and critical thinking.

What’s the real reason why Trump wants to change the process of the U.S. Elections? Critics argue that if Trump enacts this change, it will decrease voter turnout, especially in marginalized communities. This will give him and his party an advantage in future elections. Trump's focus overlooks the glaring issues in the system that foster corruption and oligarch influences, which in turn affect the state.

TRUMP’S AGENDA IS NOT for the benefit of the people, but FOR THE race OF billionaires who seek to gain more power of the state THEN THEY EVER HAD BEFORE.

Author: Kierra Benning