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After many years of conjecture and speculation, Donald Trump confirmed that he belongs in the species offshoot of humanity known as “homo ignoramus/barely erectus” with this comment when asked what the Declaration of Independence means to him.
Oof.
After actually reading the Declaration (questions remain about the cognitive and reading abilities of homo ignoramus), most homo sapiens would say that it is a document that, first and foremost, lists the grievances of the colonists against being ruled by a lawless King. 27 grievances to be exact.
Let’s examine a few of these grievances against King George III - some may seem familiar when applied to today’s USA (credit to the website Founders of the Day for all translations below):
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Grievance #1: "He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good."
Translation: The King refused to let the colonists pass basic laws (and ignored the ones that had been passed).
TODAY’S RELEVANCE: The self-professed King of Executive Orders ignores existing laws and does what he wants.
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Grievance # 5: "He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people."
Translation: He shrugged off legitimate complaints.
TODAY’S RELEVANCE: While the Orange Whale hasn’t yet “dissolved Representative Houses”, he is clearly ignoring state and federal electeds and laws to, again, do whatever he wants.
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Grievance #7: "He has endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands."
Translation: The King stopped the colonists from being able to attract new settlers to the colonies.
TODAY’S RELEVANCE: Do we even need to waste our time and precious breath to connect this grievance to this Administration’s policies and views on immigration?
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Grievance #9: "He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries."
Translation: The judges that were appointed were paid by the King, and therefore did what he wanted instead of what was right and fair.
TODAY’S RELEVANCE: Along with a pliant Congress, Trump has appointed unqualified judges beholden to him and a reactionary ideology supported by reactionary organizations (The Federalist and Heritage Societies).
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Grievances #11 and #12: "He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures." and "He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power."
Translations: He gave dictatorial power to Generals that used the military to suppress cities; He filled the streets with a police force whose procedures they had no control over.
TODAY’S RELEVANCE: Ummm… Troops in Washington, DC?! ICE everywhere?!
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Grievances #16: "For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world".
Translation: The King and Parliament cut off our trade with the rest of the world.
TODAY’S RELEVANCE: Ummm… Imposing historically high tariffs (only accomplished by wielding a power given solely to Congress by the Constitution) by declaring imaginary emergencies?!
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Grievances #22: "For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever".
Translation: They claimed to control all of the laws in all situations.
TODAY’S RELEVANCE: Trump and his band of miserably dour pranksters ignoring the Constitution, court decisions and laws to impose their way.
This is five alarm fire folks. The colonists who wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776 were not just writing about their current situation. No, they were presaging the fall of the United State Republic in 2025.
Finally, perhaps the “originalists” on SCOTUS should reread the Declaration - to see why our Founders were willing to risk everything - if they truly want to rely on our country’s reasons for being when they see fit to rule on current matters. Just a crazy thought…
Let’s shout this stuff from the rooftops!
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