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Saturday, October 15, 2016

No, he’s absolutely nothing like you


Image result for donald trump is not like you

In 2015, shortly after Donald Trump announced that he’d be running for president, I went to one of his rallies in Sarasota, Florida. While standing outside of the rally it struck me as hilarious that the people who attended genuinely believed this self-proclaimed multi-billionaire was just like them.

When Trump’s helicopter flew over our heads with his name scrawled across it and he offered his supporters’ children rides in his chopper, it cemented the fact that he was totally just like them! It was one of the most bizarre experiences of my life, and I live in Florida so that says a lot.

Yeah, just an average American's living room. Notice the kids don't
seem happy.
In the months since that day, the same narrative has been repeated far and wide. At the Republican National Convention, Trump’s daughter Ivanka told the GOP that her dad was the “people’s champion.” 

There is a Facebook page called “Trump ‘The People’s President‘” and there are blue-collar workers all over the country who think the real estate mogul is “just like us.” These people think that just because he is a loudmouth who lacks a vocal filter that he is some kind of “everyman,” but he’s not.

So, we have decided to compose a list of some of the things the working poor face every day that Trump has never had to deal with in his life.


 5. Student loan debt
It is a fact that nowadays there is no chance of upward mobility without an education. This reality is the reason why Democrats are fighting so hard to make college free or at the very least, affordable, for every American. 

Although parents know that the only chance their kids have of achieving success is by going to college, when you are living below or just above the poverty line there is no way you can put money away for their college education. This is the reason we have1.3 trillion dollars in student loan debt in the country and a student loan debt crisis.

Donald Trump, however, has no idea what this is like. All of his children went to prestigious schools (the Wharton School and Georgetown) and so did he. He doesn’t know the guilt you experience as a parent when you see your child stressed out about their mounting debt.

He absolutely cannot wrap his mind around this and he isn’t even talking about it in his campaign–which proves that not only does he not understand it, he doesn’t care.

4. Public transportation
According to a 2015 Pew Research study, 11 percent of Americans said they take public transportation on a regular basis. The people who take the bus or subway on a regular basis are also more likely to be minorities or elderly who live below the poverty line:

Among urban residents, 34% of blacks and 27% of Hispanics report taking public transit daily or weekly, compared with only 14% of whites. Foreign-born urban residents are more likely than urban dwellers born in the U.S. to regularly use public transportation (38% vs. 18%).

Meanwhile, Trump “the everyman” flies around the country in a jet or uses a chauffeured car. This man has absolutely no idea what it feels like to wake up three hours before his shift at work so that he can make sure that he is on time. He has no idea what it is like to wait for the bus in a thunder or snow storm.
He has no idea what it is like to sit next to weirdos who invade your personal space and stare at you. 

He has no idea what it is like to worry about whether or not he will have the $1.50 it costs to ride the bus. And again…he isn’t talking about this on the campaign trail and he is against raising the minimum wage.

3. No medical or dental insurance
Since President Obama’s Affordable Healthcare Act went into effect millions of Americans finally have the medical insurance they desperately need, but many still do not. More than 28 million people are still without insurance in our country.

That means millions of people are not getting the annual physical exams they need to stay healthy–this is not something Trump has to deal with. He has been seeing the same doctor for thirty years and even if he did not have medical insurance he could just pay his doctor bills without a second thought.

Further, even though 9 in 10 Americans now have health coverage, that does not mean they have dental coverage:

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) made dental care a required benefit for children’s insurance, but it did not extend this requirement to insurance for adults. Therefore, many adults who buy non-group insurance may still have no dental coverage. In 2008, nearly 70 percent of people who bought health insurance on their own did not have dental coverage. And without dental coverage, many adults struggle to get the dental care they need.

Trump has never woken up in the middle of the night in excruciating pain with a swollen face because of his inability to afford the dentist. He has never had to ask friends and family for money to have oral surgery. He has never searched his cabinets for old antibiotics. He has no fucking idea what that is like and wants to repeal the ACA.

2. Applying for assistance
For millions of Americans the only way to survive is to apply for government assistance. The vast majority of the 52 million people receive help are hardworking Americans who just have too much month at the end of their money.

They pay their taxes, work multiple jobs sometimes and just cannot stay afloat without help. And let me tell you, applying for it is the worst. Donald Trump has no idea what it is like to sit on pins and needles hoping the government deems you worthy of being able to purchase food. 

He has no idea what it feels like to go to bed hungry; and ironically, if he was ever put into a situation where he needed a hand up, he’d be one of those “moochers” his party talks about all the time. You know the one, the person the GOP claims doesn’t pay taxes but “expects” a hand out. Well, Trump hasn’t paid taxes in almost 20 years making him the ultimate moocher.

1. Poisoned water
By now you have all heard about Donald Trump’s visit to Flint, Michigan last month. Trump wanted the people of that city to know that he was on their side. His visit to the city came almost a year after America found out that the state had been poisoning the mostly African-American residents of the city for two years with lead-contaminated water.

Trump, the guy who lives in penthouses and mansions has absolutely no idea what it is like to worry about drinking poisoned water. This is a very real struggle for not just the people of Flint, but in every state across the country according to reports.

The idea that he can relate to this struggle is as preposterous as his visit to Flint. Furthermore, Trump is an anti-regulation Republican, so there is no chance in Hell that he is going to prevent this from happening in other cities around the country if elected.

These are just five of the ways Trump is nothing like us, but there are many more.

Trump also has no idea what it is like to run out of toothpaste or toilet paper and not have the money to buy more.

He has no idea what it is like to look at his children and tell them that he cannot afford a $5 toy.

He has no idea what it is like to not be able to get his children a pet because he cannot afford the vet bills.

He has no idea what it is like to watch his children go off to war so that they can hopefully live through it and get a free education.

He has no idea what it is like to go hungry, go without heat, go without shoes or any of the other things Americans face every single day.

He is NOTHING like us and we must do everything we possibly can to keep him out of the White House.


Author Shannon Argueta is a married, mother of one and is a speck of blue in the extremely red state of Florida. She became involved in politics after becoming aware of how broken the immigration system is while trying to gain citizenship for her husband. She has a degree in Criminal Justice and is a proud, loud Liberal. In 2012 she volunteered with President Obama's reelection campaign. Come join her on her Facebook page "Angry Liberal Bitch," and tell her how awesome she is.