Trump Golfs As Unemployment Benefits Expire For 14 Million Americans

Last updated on January 17th, 2021 at 05:21 am

As Donald Trump golfs and tweets from his country club in Florida, millions of Americans saw their unemployment benefits expire in the midst of a public health and economic crisis.

The benefits expired on Saturday because the outgoing president refused to sign a multi-billion dollar relief and spending bill that Democrats and Republicans approved last weekend.

According to Reuters, “Millions of Americans saw their jobless benefits expire on Saturday after U.S. President Donald Trump refused to sign into law a $2.3 trillion pandemic aid and spending package, protesting that it did not do enough to help everyday people.”

To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.

As the report notes, leaders in both parties are shocked that Trump is blocking the bill since the White House had said it supported the legislation.

More via Reuters:

Trump stunned Republicans and Democrats alike when he said this week he was unhappy with the massive bill, which provides $892 billion in badly needed coronavirus relief, including extending special unemployment benefits expiring on Dec. 26, and $1.4 trillion for normal government spending.

Without Trump’s signature, about 14 million people could lose those extra benefits, according to Labor Department data. A partial government shutdown will begin on Tuesday unless Congress can agree a stop-gap government funding bill before then.

Trump vacations one last time as America burns

Donald Trump hasn’t lifted a finger over the past 10 months as COVID-19 tore apart the lives of millions of Americans, whether because they lost a family member to the virus or got laid off as so many business struggle to survive.

Now, at the eleventh hour, Trump is trying to play hero and pretend he cares about the millions of suffering Americans he spent months ignoring as he was too busy golfing, holding superspreader campaign rallies, and working to overturn an election he lost decisively to Joe Biden.

As America burns, Donald Trump is taking another vacation. The good news is that this will be his last.

Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook and Twitter

Sean Colarossi

Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.