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Trump Said The COVID Relief Stimulus Checks Should Be $2,000, Not $600, And Democrats Thought He Was Finally Making Sense

Even a stopped clock is right twice a day, as the saying goes, but outgoing president Donald Trump has been correct far less than that. Still, on Tuesday night, a mere two days before Christmas Day, he took a break from fuming at people like Mike Pence to deploy one of his patented leftfield bombshells: He called the long-, long-, long delayed (and poorly received) coronavirus relief bill a “disgrace,” taking particular issue with the size of the stimulus checks that would be sent to the majority of Americans. And you know what? Democratic lawmakers completely agreed with him.

The news arrived in the form of one of Trump’s strange, rambling, epic videos — a 10-minute bout that began with him railing against Democrats in Congress for holding up the works (ignoring that it was Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who’s been sitting on a sizable relief bill for around half a year). And yet he still made some salient points.

“It’s called the Covid relief bill, but it has almost nothing to do with Covid,” Trump said, echoing sentiments made by many who have long opposed him. “Congress found plenty of money for foreign countries, lobbyists and special interests while sending the bare minimum to the American people.”

He then took aim at the paltry size of the checks that the majority of Americans, a good many of them struggling, would receive. “I am asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 to $2,000,” Trump declared.

And you know who was completely on-board with immediately putting Donald Trump’s latest demands into action? Democrats.

“Republicans repeatedly refused to say what amount the President wanted for direct checks,” tweeted Speaker of the House (and frequent Trump combatant) Nancy Pelosi. “At last, the President has agreed to $2,000 — Democrats are ready to bring this to the Floor this week by unanimous consent. Let’s do it!”

Chuck Schumer, Senate minority leader, got her back.

As did The Squad, who pointed out a bill with $2,000 stimulus checks has long been ready to go.

As did one of said bill’s authors.

And Bernie

While Democratic lawmakers were rearing to go, plebeians rejoiced in the sight of Trump seemingly putting a knife in Mitch McConnell’s back.

Of course, others — risking being Debbie Downers — pointed out that maybe, just maybe, a well-known liar and conman is not to be trusted.

Indeed, Trump’s declaration came right after word broke about a ream of end-of-administration pardons that included the freeing of actual war criminals who had been convicted of murdering, among others, children.

And if you stopped watching Trump’s speech prematurely, you might have missed him suggesting he was ready to serve another term, despite…everything.

(Via The New York Times)