Icing on the cake: Republican Party focused on Trump's birthday as nation burns

In American cities from coast to coast, peaceful protests of social injustice give way to violence and destruction perpetrated by opportunistic agitators from the far right and left.

The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus pandemic increases to 104,000, and the infection rate goes back on the rise as the number of Americans sickened by COVID-19 climbs to 1.7 million and counting.

Unemployment reaches Great Depression levels — more than 40 million Americans are now out of work. But hard-hit businesses are looted and torched.

America needs a leader to bind our wounds, unite us and help us move forward compassionately and proactively.

But President Donald Trump reacts like a dictator by signaling he’ll invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy the U.S. military to states. He mangles the intent of the act, which limits presidential authority, and assumes he has power he doesn’t. (As of press time, he had not formally invoked the act.) He blames Democratic governors for the unrest, calling them “weak” and demanding that they “dominate” protesters. He inflicts our nation with threats that recall racist rallying cries (“when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”). He says antifa will be declared a terrorist organization, but makes no mention of the armed white supremacists who are seen on the periphery of the Black Lives Matter protests. Nor does he acknowledge that antifa shielded nuns from assault in Charlottesville, Va., from the group he described as having “good people” — the white nationalists who chanted “Jews will not replace us” while carrying torches through the streets.

Meanwhile, Trump’s de facto lead adviser, Sean Hannity of Fox News, goes on air proudly wearing a lapel pin signifying QAnon and vigilantism.

And all the while, the Republican Party celebrates Trump and pushes him forward as he fans racial hatred and rips at the political wounds that have divided Americans. The GOP is promoting a “Happy Birthday President Trump” message on social and digital media, urging people to sign an online card for Trump ahead of his birthday June 14.

Happy birthday. With everything that’s happening — the nights of flames, the days of economic despair and medical suffering — the Republicans’ birthday campaign couldn’t be more inappropriate or tone-deaf.

Yes, Americans are in anguish, but according to the GOP, we shouldn’t be thinking of ourselves and each other. Instead, we should really all focus on making sure Trump has a merry old time as he turns 74.

Real leaders would have suspended this campaign. They would have changed it. It could have reflected these times.

Not these people.

So happy birthday, Mr. Trump, from the Boogaloo Bois, the heavily armed, far-right extremists whose name is a code word for civil war or violent confrontation with authorities. Happy birthday from the armed thugs who invaded the Michigan Legislature and other protesters who ganged up at the governor’s mansion. Happy birthday from Hannity as he dog whistles to provoke vigilantism and civil war.

Now, the president who cowered in the White House for days rather than lead announces he will use the “unlimited power” of the U.S. military on American soil.

If anyone is happy with the America that we see now — sick, dying, burning, divided, unequal, unemployed, weakened, mocked around the world, pushed around by our global rivals, corrupt and in the pocket of wealthy donors — by all means wish him happy birthday and vote for Trump in November.

But for Americans who remember our country as working to better itself, that was respected around the world, that had power and influence, that wasn’t broken from top to bottom — you know, the America of four years ago — then it’s time to run Trump and the GOP out in November.

In that way, we can wish America a happy birthday next July 4 as our nation turns 245 years old, as opposed to sending greetings to Dear Leader.