Despite the significant strides made by the Trump administration, it appears that his detractors remain unimpressed.
Regardless of whether he could miraculously cure cancer, establish global peace, eradicate poverty, or even enhance the taste of reheated French fries, his critics remain staunchly opposed.
According to Conservative Daily News, Trump's administration has received no recognition from Democrats for its successful efforts to halt almost all illegal crossings at the southern border. This achievement was seen as a desirable yet unattainable goal by his predecessor.
Despite facilitating the Abraham Accords in his first term and negotiating peace deals between Cambodia and Thailand, Azerbaijan and Armenia, and India and Pakistan in his second term, the Nobel Peace Prize seems to elude him.
The Trump administration's Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recently come under fire for its historic action against Amazon. Critics argue that the administration's efforts do not go far enough. The FTC announced a $2.5 billion settlement in a case that accused Amazon of deceiving customers into signing up for Amazon Prime and making it excessively difficult to cancel their subscriptions.
The FTC press release stated, Amazon will be required to pay a $1 billion civil penalty, provide $1.5 billion in refunds back to consumers harmed by their deceptive Prime enrollment practices, and cease unlawful enrollment and cancellation practices for Prime.
This settlement is a significant milestone by any measure. The civil penalty is one of the largest in FTC history and will compensate 35 million Amazon users. The agreement also includes third-party monitoring at Amazon's expense to ensure the company's compliance.
One might expect Democrats to offer some form of praise to Trump's Republican-led FTC for compelling the world's fourth-largest company, known for its union-busting tactics and poor treatment of delivery drivers, to pay up and cease its deceptive practices. The Trump administration is also actively pursuing two antitrust cases against Google, one initiated under Biden and one that has made substantial progress during his term.
Democrats could interpret this as a sign that the GOP is no longer blindly deferring to corporate interests and that bipartisan cooperation is possible on issues such as consumer protection and antitrust. However, their response seems to be dictated by their unwavering opposition to Trump.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) dismissed the record-breaking penalty as a slap on the wrist. Four progressive House members, including Squad member Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), argued that the settlement falls far short of the systemic change we need. They advocate for the reinstatement of Bidens click to cancel rule, which they believe would give customers more leverage in their negotiations with subscription services.
Lina Khan, former FTC Chair who oversaw the initial complaint against Amazon in 2023, trivialized the $2.5 billion as a drop in the bucket. The American Economic Liberties Project (AELP), a left-leaning think tank, claimed that the settlement let Amazon executives walk away scot-free.
These criticisms are not only misleading but also dishonest. The AELP is fully aware that a $2.5 billion penalty coupled with independent oversight is one of the most aggressive enforcement wins in FTC history. However, they seem more interested in raising their profile and soliciting more donations to fight corporate power.
The reluctance of Warren, Jayapal, Khan, AELP, and others to acknowledge this historic enforcement victory raises questions. Their unwillingness to recognize the achievement suggests that their primary objective is not to protect consumers but to keep the outrage machine running and the donor dollars flowing.
Their strategy appears to be to fuel their supporters' deep-seated animosity towards Trump, even when he accomplishes something that Democrats should commend.
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