After my birth, the resident who delivered me immediately booked a session with a psychologist—probably to process what can only be described as a real-life game of “where does this body part go?” I was, shall we say, a bit of a puzzle: my spine zigzagged like it couldn't make up its mind, twisting right, then left. I had an extra little “finger” chilling out on my hip and another hanging out near the bottom of my spine, just for fun. Three of my actual fingers were fused together like they were planning some kind of team-building exercise, and my right leg had decided to bend at a perfect 90-degree angle, though the webbing was a bit overkill. My left leg was bent, but clearly less committed, only angling a bit over 30 degrees.
And then, plot twist! My heart had decided to set up shop on the right side of my chest, casually flipped upside down and lying flat, probably tired from all the rearranging. Fast forward 26 years, and I discovered that not only was my heart feeling rebellious, but my abdominal muscles and uterus had joined the mutiny and were lying sideways. Oh, and as for my appendix? Your guess is as good as mine—probably hiding out in my little finger or plotting its next move.
The resident, perhaps a little shell-shocked by this game of anatomical bingo, said something he clearly thought was profound, or at least team consensus. “It would be better if the baby didn’t make it,” he said, as if reading aloud from a fortune cookie with a dark sense of humor. “The living hell she will put her parents through far outweighs the temporary sadness they’ll feel if she dies.” Yup, that’s a direct quote from my medical records. Real charmer, that one.
Donald J. Trump, it seems, feels the same way. Allegedly, during a meeting with his nephew, Fred C. Trump III, who was advocating for his developmentally disabled son, Trump supposedly dropped this compassionate gem: “These people, all the expenses. They should just die.” That’s one way to look at it, I guess—assuming you’ve got a heart made of stone or a credit card company’s sense of empathy.
Not one to stop at just one offensive remark, Trump famously mocked a reporter for his disability, as if the bar hadn’t already been set low enough. He’s also had thoughts on traumatic brain injuries, reportedly calling them “not very serious,” which, coming from a guy who thinks diet soda is a health plan, tracks. He even tried to cut support for disabled veterans, because apparently, making sacrifices for your country isn’t serious either.
And if that wasn’t enough, Trump’s administration managed to fire 24% more disabled employees in 2017 than the year before. Gold star for efficiency, right?
Speaking of which, Trump’s proposed 2017 budget was practically a masterclass in missing the point. It suggested lowering unemployment benefits for disabled veterans and had ideas about privatizing Medicare—because who doesn’t want their healthcare to come with a side of corporate greed? And let’s not forget his desire to end the Affordable Care Act for some vague “concept of a plan” that still sounds about as solid as a wet paper bag.
Then, of course, there were the lawsuits. Trump’s track record with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is as smooth as a speed bump. His administration also scaled back fines for nursing homes where residents were, you know, neglected or abused. Just a casual rollback of accountability, no big deal. He’s also on record calling Social Security a “Ponzi scheme,” which makes you wonder if he thought Bernie Madoff should’ve been running Medicare.
Now, Trump has tried to distance himself from Project 2025, despite the fact that over 140 of his former administration officials are working on it like it’s some kind of dystopian reunion tour. In 2022, he even praised the Heritage Foundation for “laying the groundwork” for what their “movement” will do with their next “colossal mandate.” Their President, Kevin Roberts, casually mentioned that he’s had personal chats with Trump about Project 2025, because, you know, nothing says future like privatizing Medicaid and making sure people like me face sky-high out-of-pocket costs and time-limited coverage. What could possibly go wrong?
Oh, and fun fact—Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, even wrote the foreword to Kevin Roberts’ book Dawn’s Early Light, which is mysteriously delayed until after the election. Maybe it’s because everyone’s waiting to see just how high the premiums can go!
I'll probably be adding to this story, because, let’s be honest, life keeps throwing new material at me like it's trying to help me write a sequel.
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