(Todd A. Smith)
Warning: Sarcasm below.
After weeks of stressful bipartisan negotiations, and input from Paramount Pictures, President Donald Trump has secured the signature victory of his second term.
His approval ratings, which have stayed in the dumps recently, is sure to see a huge improvement.
That is because President Trump has successfully persuaded Paramount Pictures to distribute a fourth installment of the “Rush Hour” film franchise.
Congratulations are due because this is so important to the American people, me included.
Not lower grocery prices.
Not Lower healthcare prices.
Not protecting democracy in America.
Not protecting the sovereignty of Ukraine.
Not reparations for descendants of enslaved Black Americans.
Not a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, who work hard, have been in the country for years and have not committed any crimes.
Not uniting the country, regardless of political ideology, religion or race.
Those are things that former Vice President Kamala Harris would have been working on if she had become the first woman and second Black American to serve as President of the United States.
But Trump would label Vice President Harris a loser.
Therefore, thank God Americans do not have a leader concerned with their everyday needs and problems.
Instead, America elected Trump to his second term.
And as a result, America has a president determined to persecute and prosecute his perceived political enemies.
America has a president who has sent the military into United States cities, under the guise of an illegal immigration and crime crackdown.
Americans still struggle to afford groceries.
Americans still struggle to afford rising healthcare costs.
Americans are seeing President Trump try to limit the First Amendment.
Furthermore, America has a president who takes the side of a brutal dictator like Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Instead of standing up for justice and liberty, Trump used the powers of the presidency to pressure Paramount Pictures into making “Rush Hour 4.”
The buddy comedy movie franchise featured Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan.
And before MAGA members blast me by saying that Trump just said this via casual conversations, former President Barack Obama got criticism from people for completing NCAA Tournament brackets on television during March Madness while in the Oval Office.
Former Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski said former President Obama had more important things to focus on than March Madness, and I agreed with him.
Therefore, Trump should not be above my criticism when I think he should be worried about more important things than a movie.
On Nov. 24, Brandon Caldwell of The Grio reported, “Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan’s ‘Rush Hour’ series has generated tons of laughs and nearly $850 million at the global box office. While talks of a fourth film have been ongoing since at least 2008, there’s one person who might want the movie more than Tucker or Chan: President Donald Trump.
“According to Semafor, Trump hopes newly minted Paramount owner Larry Ellison can revive ‘Rush Hour’ as Ellison also stands in line to offer a large bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. Warner Bros. was the distributor for the first three ‘Rush Hour’ films.
“Trump, a long-time fan of ‘80s and ‘90s action movies, particularly loves ‘Rush Hour’ and has personally encouraged Ellison to bring the new film to life.”
If you are Trump, ask and you shall receive as Ellison said that Brett Ratner will return to resurrect the “Rush Hour” franchise.
First, there is nothing wrong with Trump loving “Rush Hour.”
Presidents deserve some downtime just to be human beings.
Many commanders-in-chief have hosted special screenings of new movies.
All have had hobbies such as playing golf, attending baseball and football games and playing basketball.
While I believe Trump is not the sharpest pencil in the box and I disagree with most of what he stands for, I agree with him on wanting a fourth installment of the “Rush Hour” franchise because the lackluster third installment cannot be the last that we see of Carter (Tucker) and Lee (Chan).
In defense of Trump, I did like his criminal justice reform legislation.
But that’s about the only thing I have liked, until now.
I just wish the president would focus on more pressing issues, like improving the living conditions of the people he serves.
Furthermore, I wish he would not use the presidency to force the hands of business owners to bend to his will, especially those that need FCC approval for their next business move.
However, Trump has always had an unhealthy obsession with being a strongman, even though he is anything but a strong man.
Furthermore, Trump has always had an unhealthy fascination with celebrity and the entertainment industry, often obsessing over the television ratings of the programs that he dislikes like “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”
His efforts to get Jimmy Kimmel fired from ABC was a clear violation of the First Amendment and should make all sane people nervous about the direction of America under a second unhinged term for Trump.
Moreover, America should fear that it has a leader concerned with renaming the Republican Party to the “Tepublican” Party in reverence of himself.
The United States should be apprehensive that it has a commander-in-chief that is concerned with having the Washington Commanders name their future stadium after him.
The greatest country in the world should be concerned that the president is spending so much time on how well Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders is doing as the team’s starter.
Maybe if he was concerned about pressing issues, America could become great again.
And that is not me being sarcastic.
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