We are only a few days into the Trump administration, and things are already catastrophic for both sides of the political spectrum.
Before taking office, Trump ran a campaign which focused heavily on helping the American working class by getting money out of politics — the infamous “drain the swamp” promise.
He specifically attacked Goldman Sachs Group Inc. during his campaign, calling the investment banking firm out for its shady dealings with Hillary Clinton, according to International Business Times.
Goldman Sachs is an institution infamous for its involvement in the 2008 economic downfall, which was made to pay more than $5 billion by the U.S. Department of Justice, according to The Guardian.
Now Rachel Maddow says Trump’s administration has hired six Goldman Sachs employees.
One of those is Steve Bannon, former chairman of Breitbart News, which is a conservative website infamous for allegedly promoting white nationalist ideals and sexism. Bannon is just one of many corporate monsters Trump has nominated to office positions.
Historically speaking, the government of the United States has never been extremely compassionate in its treatment of the working class, but this is beyond insult to injury.
Donald Trump has blatantly stacked the U.S. government with individuals who are not only severely under-qualified for their respective positions but also have gravely concerning conflicts of interest.
How are we supposed to trust an administration run by people whose unending greed has already destroyed the economy once before?
Paying billions of dollars in fines does not absolve Goldman Sachs and its employees of the fraud which they perpetrated at the expense of the American people.
It does not erase all of the foreclosed homes, all of the hungry children, all of the parents struggling to raise those children while working minimum wage jobs, or the savings account of millions close to retirement who lost everything.
Paying billions in fines does not make Goldman Sachs employees eligible to make decisions affecting the welfare of billions of people across the world.
How can we be protected from predatory banks if they are making the rules?
How can we trust billionaires who make money by exploiting the working class to protect the working class?
How are people of color supposed to feel safe when white nationalists are infiltrating the government?
This is beyond concerning — this is dangerous. We cannot allow the greedy to use positions of public service to only service themselves. We cannot allow billionaires to keep getting rich by exploiting the very people they claim to work for.
This is not a partisan issue, nor is it an issue to be taken lightly. We can’t sit back and watch complacently as our government is taken over by self-serving billionaires.
It’s time the American people get angry and unapologetically demand a government that finally prioritizes human rights over profit. Donald Trump and his administration must be held accountable for their actions, and only the people can make that happen.
Protest. Boycott. Speak out. Resist.