The Morning After, A Hard Pill to Swallow

WASHINGTON (11-06) – Nobody said democracy was an easy form of government and the quest to maintain it is quite realistically described as organized chaos. The challenge of course is that since our inception as a nation we have attempted to follow the preamble of the Constitution in order that our collective efforts through governing should be directed “in Order to form a more perfect Union.” Something that has eluded us to this day.

So as the reality of a second Trump victory settles in, the mood here is one of remorse and anxiety regarding what comes next. All the progress made during the last four years in reestablishing the destruction from the first Trump administration and the moral high ground that America has touted to the world in the end will diminish our standing as a convicted felon and morally bankrupt, misogynistic despot takes the helm.

The mood on the streets today in the aftermath of the election was a mix of calm with great anxiety for the future. Fortunately, there were no arrests or civil disturbances of any kind here overnight contrary to what was expected might happen in the wake of the election.

Lafayette Square outside of the White House saw several people protesting a second Trump presidency and foremost among them was a former Mexican immigrant and Texas artist, Roberto Marquez, who was painting a large Picasso, Guernica-esque stylized portrait of Trump with a woman, framed between a Mexican and American flag. He titled his painting “Unity.”

Marquez, as one magazine described him, is “Texas’ Disaster Artist.” The self-taught Marquez uses his artistic talent in criticizing injustice and helping express tragedy and healing of those affected from mass shootings, war and natural disasters among other calamities. He has painted large murals across the US, in Türkiye, Mexico and during the war in Ukraine as he travels from one disaster to the next. Once finished, he leaves his painting behind when he moves on.

This “disaster artist” taking up temporary residence outside of the White House to execute his painting today is a fitting tribute to the mood half the country is feeling with Trump’s return.

Among the crowd in the park were other small groups of protesters including some dressed in orange jumpsuits with black headcovers who roamed around in calling attention to the ongoing imprisonment of detainees in Guantánamo. Some of whom have been scheduled for release have yet to be freed after waiting for years. The protesters remain hopeful that Trump would begin releasing the detainees during his second term in office. Trump, however, is presently awaiting sentencing this month for his New York convictions on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

To hold him accountable for his actions, on August 24, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced legislation “reaffirming that presidents do not have immunity for criminal actions, in an attempt to reverse the Supreme Court’s landmark decision.”

Schumer’s “’No Kings Act’ would attempt to invalidate the decision by declaring that presidents are not immune from criminal law and clarifying that Congress, not the Supreme Court, determines to whom federal criminal law is applied.”

Among the crowd in the park, too, throughout the day were others with signs expressing their personal concerns on various issues facing the nation and the world.

This afternoon in reflecting on Harris’ loss, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued a statement that in part said, “Rather than listening to the clear majority of Americans who support both a ceasefire and a suspension of weapons to Israel, Vice President Harris only struck a slightly more sympathetic tone toward Palestinians while sticking with the substance of President Biden's disastrous stance. This led to an unprecedented shift of support from Muslim, Arab, and other communities who traditionally vote for Democratic presidents.”

“No politician or party has ownership of the Muslim vote. Going forward, we expect all elected officials to genuinely address the urgent concerns of Muslim voters. This includes President-Elect Trump.”

Lest we forget that it was none other than Trump who issued Executive Order 13769, the “Muslim Ban” during his first administration in January of 2017. And it is highly conceivable that the next Trump administration will show no constraint whatsoever in arming and financing Israel who will undoubtedly take full advantage to continue the prosecution of their war in Gaza and with Iran while enjoying Trump’s full backing.

Early this evening, a Trump supporter driving a motorcycle circled the streets surrounding the White House with a massive white “Trump Won” flag in celebration of the victory much to the chagrin of those still trying to make sense of yesterday’s election.

Report and photos by Phil Pasquini

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