When Donald Trump sauntered into the election season, his pitch was simple: “I’ll fix everything.”
It’s the same greatest hits album MAGA’s been playing on repeat since 2016. But while Trump’s fan club is still busy chanting “Make America Great Again,” the guy’s out here doing the opposite of what they’d expect. He’s apparently decided to make your life a tad more miserable by… fighting to increase your bank fees. That’s his latest flex.
Now, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, is sounding the alarm.
I am not making this up: Republicans have introduced legislation… to increase your bank fees.
— Pete Buttigieg (@petebuttigieg.bsky.social) February 18, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Reportedly, Republicans are trying to overturn a key Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) rule that would protect consumers from predatory overdraft fees. The CFPB rule, which caps overdraft fees at $5, was designed to stop banks from scamming their customers to maximize profit. The CFPB estimated that this cap could save Americans $5 billion a year. However, saving Americans money is a bridge too far for Trump. House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill (R-AR) and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) have introduced Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions aimed at overturning the CFPB’s overdraft fee cap. If the CRA resolution passes, it would effectively nullify the CFPB’s overdraft fee cap.
Meanwhile, Americans are already dealing with record-high costs of living and stagnant wages. Instead of offering solutions, Trump and his team are working to make things even harder. Even though his entire brand is built on the idea that he’s “for the people,” are you really “for the people” if your policies keep punching them in the gut? Speaking of gut punches, Stephen King took to social media to ask a simple question to the MAGA:
Drudge Report dubs the Prez Comrade Trumpski. MAGA, is that what you voted for? A coward bowing to Putin ?
— Stephen King (@stephenking.bsky.social) February 18, 2025 at 10:25 PM
The man who gave us It and The Shining now presents a horror story that’s all too real. For a long time, Vladimir Putin has been working to restore Russia’s superpower status. Thanks to Trump, Putin’s closer to his goal than ever. Trump has repeatedly handed Putin exactly what he wanted, often without asking for anything in return.
Take Ukraine, for example. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine started in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea. Since then, Ukraine has been fighting to protect its sovereignty, relying heavily on Western support. But Trump? Instead of standing firm alongside Ukraine, he sent mixed signals at every turn. His administration delayed military aid to Ukraine — aid that had already been approved — while Trump himself pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to dig up dirt on Joe Biden, using that aid as leverage. At one point, Trump publicly questioned why the U.S. was even supporting Ukraine at all.
Shrugging off one of America’s closest allies in Europe while cozying up to Putin sent a dangerous message. It told the world, loud and clear, that the U.S. under Trump wasn’t all that interested in defending democracy or standing up to authoritarian bullies.
Furthermore, Trump’s foreign policy moves have consistently benefited Russia. He has pushed for Russia to be reinstated into the G7, despite the fact that they were kicked out for invading Ukraine. He has openly questioned the value of NATO, the very alliance designed to counter Russian aggression, floating the idea of withdrawing the U.S. from it entirely. Now, as talks between the U.S. and Russia resume, Ukraine isn’t even at the table. Zelenskyy has called this exclusion a “surprise.” The end result of all this? Putin didn’t have to make a single concession. If you’re a dictator looking to expand your territory, just wait for the U.S. to blink.
So here’s the question. How does MAGA reconcile its love for Trump with his actions? Is this really what they signed up for? Did they vote for making their lives expensive and a president who bows to Putin? Both Buttigieg and King are trying to wake people up.
