Trump Cancels Plans for Labor Day Fun, Shows Washington What Labor Day Really Means
One of the more ironic aspects of the Labor Day holiday — a day set aside in honor of the organized labor movement and the economic and societal contributions American workers have made for the country through their employment — is that it is celebrated by millions of Americans who take the day off from laboring and working.
But while millions of Americans enjoy a day off, millions of others still report for duty at their job, either out of choice or necessity. This year, President Donald Trump falls into the latter category, as he spent Labor Day working at the White House on behalf of the nation.
According to The Hill, it initially seemed as though Trump would take the day off, as he was spotted around 11 a.m. dressed casually in a polo shirt and white cap.
The White House press pool had already gathered in vans in anticipation of following the president somewhere — most likely his golf club in Northern Virginia, where he played on Saturday and Sunday — and their suspicions appeared to be confirmed when they spotted a Virginia State Police patrol car and saw Secret Service agents wearing casual khaki pants and polo shirts instead of dark suits and ties.
But after Trump emerged and chatted with staffers outside for a few moments, he abruptly turned and went back into the White House and the press pool was shortly thereafter released for the day.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told The Hill that Trump had decided against going anywhere, instead staying at the White House “to make calls specifically on trade and other international issues.”
There is no doubt that some of those calls “specifically on trade” were in relation to ongoing negotiations with Canada, who are now at risk of missing out on a deal after Trump and Mexico reached a bilateral agreement — which Canada can sign on to — in place of the soon-to-be-scrapped North American Free Trade Agreement.
One thing Trump definitely found time for in between the important phone calls was to make prolific use of Twitter, posting or retweeting at least 10 different posts since starting his day.
Those tweets included his thoughts on the holiday, specifically the historically low unemployment rates and improved trade deals. One of those posts was a short video that delivered Trump’s “Pledge to America’s Workers.”
In July, President Trump announced the Pledge to America's Workers. In little more than a month since, MILLIONS of new opportunities have been created for our workforce. https://t.co/uw4a2nwQdM
— The White House 45 Archived (@WhiteHouse45) September 3, 2018
The president also took a shot at his beleaguered attorney general, Jeff Sessions, and mockingly dismissed the rumors that former senator and Secretary of State John Kerry was considering a 2020 presidential run against him, among other things.
Trump could easily have taken the day off like millions of other Americans, and though the media would have complained about it — then again, they complain about everything he does — the vast majority of the American people would have thought nothing of it.
Meanwhile, where is Congress today? To be sure, there are likely a few members and staffers roaming the halls of the Senate and House buildings, but they are decidedly in the minority as most of Congress has taken the day off after working as little as possible over the past month.
And therein lies the greatest disparity.
Trump was hard at work in the White House on a major holiday while his critics and detractors in Congress and the media enjoyed a day off — on a day dedicated to working. And that is but one of the many reasons why Trump is favored to win re-election in 2020.
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