NEWS AND OPINION:
It seems like old times. President-elected Donald Trump is preparing to go back on the road for a spell to thank the voters who handed him a robust win on election night. This is no victory lap brimming with self-congratulation, however. A grateful Mr. Trump wants to reach out to the heartland folk who matter to him, and like his campaign, the tour portends to be bodacious and media-friendly. There’s a title: “The USA Thank You Tour 2016.” There’s also a formal logo and a Twitter hashtag — which is, of course, #ThankYouTour2016.
Talk of such a gracious journey first emerged in mid-November; the trip will focus on those blue states that flipped to red on election night and were instrumental in Mr. Trump’s win. Definite stops include Ohio and Iowa, with potential visits to Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Florida. The idea has piqued the interest of major news organization both here and abroad; coverage is already underway.
Things get rolling Thursday when Mr. Trump and Vice-President-elect Mike Pence arrive in Cincinnati for a signature jumbo rally at a major local arena. A follow-up rally in Des Moines on Friday is also in the offing; Mr. Pence will make a solo stop in New Orleans on Saturday. Trump fans are delighted, meanwhile, taking to Twitter to describe the tour as both “awesome” and “classy.”
FOR THE LEXICON
“PEOTUS”
— Catchy acronym which stands for “President-elect of the United States,” and currently a popular Twitter hashtag.
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THERE WILL BE NO SECRETARY MEGYN
“Would you ever consider joining the Trump administration?” Ad Age columnist Chris Ariens recently asked Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly.
“No. I think first of all that’s a younger person’s game,” she replied. “But second of all I don’t need that kind of aggravation in my life, and I have a great job that I don’t want to give up.”
’TIME TO PROTECT OLD GLORY’
Veterans are stepping up to support Donald Trump’s proposal that there should be serious “consequences” for those who burn the American flag.
“Our brothers and sisters in arms have shed blood, even paid the ultimate sacrifice, in defense of our nation. The American flag represents their sacrifice and our nation’s way of freedom. No one should tolerate desecration of the American flag,” says Charles E. Schmidt, national commander of the 2.2 million-member American Legion.
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The organization itself advocates for a constitutional ban on flag burning and already has legislative language in mind, suggesting “Congress shall have power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States.”
The Legion emphasizes the symbolic nature of the flag.
“It’s time to protect Old Glory from being burned or otherwise desecrated by protesters,” Mr. Schmidt says. “We are not against civil protest or demonstrations. However, these protesters are not burning a piece of cloth. They are desecrating the sacrifice and honor of all past, present and future service members and their family members, who have given so much to this great nation.”
He also cites considerable support for a new law.
“Every state has passed memorializing resolutions to ratify a constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration,” Mr. Schmidt notes. “The House of Representatives has passed an amendment six times by supermajorities, only to see it fall short in the Senate — by just one vote the last time it reached the floor.”
SHAQ ON THE HILL
An appearance of note: NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal — who is also a reserve police officer in Florida — appears on Capitol Hill Wednesday to draw attention to a common holiday problem. Mr. O’Neal himself will moderate a policy discussion to address challenges law enforcement officers face in combatting impaired driving — which includes drugged, distracted, drowsy and drunken driving.
He’ll be accompanied by Steven Casstevens, chief of police with the Buffalo Grove, Illinois Police Department and third vice president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police; Darrin Grondel, secretary of the Governors Highway Safety Association, director of the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission and a captain in the Washington State Patrol; Chuck Hayes, drug evaluation and classification program manager for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and Captain Darnell Davenport of the Los Angeles Police Department.
The event was organized by the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, a Virginia-based nonprofit.
AND IN SUMMATION
“True immigration reform must begin with the recognition that our policies exist to serve and protect the vital interests of the American people. This principle has been glaringly absent from our policy for the past 50 years and from recent attempts to reform our policies,” says Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which on Tuesday issued their recommendations for President-elect Donald Trump as he prepares to address the issue.
“The American people have spoken very clearly in this recent election. They want illegal immigration stopped. They want a more limited immigration policy that admits people who are most likely to make the greatest contributions to our nation,” Mr. Stein continues, adding that a productive immigration policy “serves identifiable public interests and upholds our national values.”
Find the full report here
POLL DU JOUR
• 85 percent of Americans say the U.S. is more deeply divided this year than in previous years; 85 percent of Republicans, 86 percent of independents and 84 percent of Democrats agree.
• 79 percent overall would like to see President-elect Donald Trump implement some Democratic policies; 55 percent of Republicans, 82 percent of independents and 97 percent of Democrats agree.
• 58 percent of Americans are dissatisfied with the way democracy works in this country; 47 percent of Republicans, 61 percent of independents and 63 percent of Democrats agree.
• 49 percent overall say it’s good for the country that Republicans control both Senate and House; 91 percent of Republicans, 48 percent of independents and 13 percent of Democrats agree.
• 49 percent overall say it’s bad for the country that Republican control both Senate and House; 8 percent of Republicans, 48 percent of independents and 86 percent of Democrats agree.
Source: A CNN/ORC poll of 1,003 U.S. adults conducted Nov. 17-20.
• Yeas, yays, nays and neighs to jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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