Trump’s Panamization of America

Wow, Anna Lenzer is a superstar reporter. Her reporting on Trump’s Ocean Club in Panama City is most definitely deserving of a Pulitzer Prize. It misses no opportunity or detail in illustrating what our new president is really all about. This piece literally has it all.

I almost feel bad for Trump. Will he recuse himself from the decision on whether or not to extradite Ricardo Martinelli, the former president of Panama? And what does he want? Does he want to protect his investment by pleasing the current government in Panama or avoid alienating his good friend and business partner who might react badly to being told that he’s overstayed his travel visa and must go back to his home country, probably for a long stint in prison? While Martinelli received a nice invitation to Trump’s inaugural ball, he’s also one of those Latin American illegal immigrants Trump is always railing about.

Let’s say that Trump does recuse himself. How will Rex Tillerson decide what to do about a corrupt foreign official who takes hundreds of millions in bribes from international corporations. What would the CEO of Exxon/Mobil know about such things? And how does he please the president without knowing how susceptible he is to blackmail?

Trump isn’t making America great again. He’s making America into Panama.