Author: East Texas Review

By Austin R. Cooper/NNPA Newswire Columnist During the summer before the election, then-presidential nominee Donald Trump, added this message to his speeches: “You’re living in poverty; your schools are no good; you have no jobs; 58 percent of your youth is unemployed. What the hell do you have to lose?” It was an attempt to appeal to Black voters. Needless to say, this was an unusual way of trying to expand his political base among a constituency that had not shown much support for the GOP in recent years. President Trump is perhaps the first political candidate to knowingly insult the very ones to whom he was appealing for votes. What also made these appeals to African-Americans outside of the norm, and even bizarre, is that they were often made before predominantly, White audiences. After reviewing the president’s first budget proposal, titled “America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again,” his question of “What the hell do you have to lose?” can now be more broadly posed beyond African-Americans. Based on his fiscal priorities, many Americans, including a significant number of those who voted for him, stand to lose a great deal. Unfortunately for some, Hell might seem like a better alternative than trying to survive under some of the president’s proposed cuts. Take, for example, the “Meals on Wheels” Program. The president’s budget identified steep cuts...