He threw a Nazi SS officer out of the country, when no other president for the past 14 years cared.
The man named Jakiw Palij, who served in the SS at the death camp in Trawniki, was convicted in federal court and sentenced to deportation in 2004. But there was no country willing to accept him as a deportee; so he stayed at home in New York, a free man for 14 years.
So yes, folks, let’s say it out loud: Trump did the right thing. After no other president cared enough to make an issue of it.
Sure, we can say nit pick and say that it was really due the ambassador Trump appointed, not Trump himself.
But the rules of the game say that in politics, the credit goes to the guy at the top.
So let’s all agree that at least once, a tiny gleam of light shone out of the Trump era.
(on edit: note to mods: I didn’t realize I was in GD. I’m not trying to start a debate, since there’s really no issue here in contention. Maybe move it?
He likes deporting people. This particular one happened to genuinely be a bad guy. Most of them aren’t.
He’s also issued one or two pardons that were actually a good thing, but he also pardoned Arpaio, and is failing to pardon many victims of the drug war.
The US has been trying to deport the man for well over a decade. The problem was that no country would accept him. Germany finally agreed. chappachula, can you please provide cites that indicate Trump was involved in this process and what his role was in the deportation?
This. Your statement “when no other president for the past 14 years cared” is factually incorrect. And since it is the foundation of your argument, you have failed.
“President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions were clear and his leadership crucial to getting a former Nazi guard deported from the U.S. Our President is focused on protecting the promise of freedom and the rule of law.”
Richard Grenell
I would believe that Trump’s leadership was crucial except for at least one thing. Trump and his administration lie ALL the time. Like non-stop. What’s the latest average per day for Trump personally? 7.5 lies per day! If they told me the sky was blue, I’d have to go outside and check it hadn’t turned green. So while it is great that it has happened, I have deep reservations about attributing this to Trump. What seems more likely is that Germany’s new foreign minister deserves most, if not all, of the credit.
Also, as others have pointed out, your basic premise is flawed that no other president has cared.
I too would like to know what specifically trump did to deport this guy that other presidents didn’t do that leads you to give him credit for this. My understanding of the situation is that the decision to deport him had been made a decade ago, but there wasn’t a country willing to accept him to deport him to. What made this happen now is not some kind of Trump magic, but instead that Germany decided to accept him even though the guy isn’t a German citizen.
It’s complicated. They have a system for doing so, but I saw an interview with the (a?) German official involved in (in charge of?) such matters, and he said he wasn’t sure they would be able to. It gets more difficult each year.
The FRG might be a little cautious about getting into another Demjanjuk case. But they wouldn’t have to prepare for it very long before it became moot.
I think the best we can say at this point is that Trump did not stop it. That he was actively involved in executing the action is questionable, at best.
Aye, this seems like the most reasonable conclusion given the evidence, and the history of those involved.
Now, if somebody can show me evidence of somebody with a non-political reason for saying Trump facilitated this by doing X, then I will give Trump what portion of credit (1% to 99%) that he deserves for doing X.
Until then, Trump and his team are liars who MUST have asbestos throughout all of their clothing. Hmmm… wasn’t there an announcement recently about facilitating importing asbestos? I may have just figured out why.
And what made Germany suddenly decide to accept him now?
I would say it was exactly what Trump’s ambassador said: he mentioned the issue constantly.
So it only took a few months of action by a new ambassador who cared, after 14 years of inaction by previous ambassadors and Presidents who did not.
They got a new foreign minister (on March 14 2018) who explicitly said that Germany must own their past. I’m not sure why you put so much weight in statements from administration officials from an administration infamous for routinely lying.
By the way, the ambassador may (and likely) deserves some credit. I have severe doubts that Trump deserves any at all.