jim hancock: Labor Day White House Costume Ball . Donald Trump

Monday, September 01, 2025

Labor Day White House Costume Ball . Donald Trump

OK. Last one.

Donald J. Trump, seen here cultivating a pro-worker image

There's a big picture of Donald J. Trump hanging from the side of the Frances Perkins Building — where the United States Department of Labor is housed — in Washington, D.C.

The caption says "American Workers First."

It might be enhanced to read:

Donald Trump, Working It on the side of the Department of Labor building,
while Frances Perkins - Labor Secretary for 12 years, cries out from the grave

A few worker-related examples related to the villainous work of The Diddler

This year, Donald Trump has affirmatively acted to remove hourly wage protection from child care workers, domestic workers, disabled workers, people who work overtime hours, people working in private sector companies on federal contracts, and people who provide home care — including health services.

This year, President Trump has actively obstructed operations of the independent National Labor Relations Board. He put a hold on NLRB regulations to end unlawful non-compete and stay-or-pay employment requirements and unlawful confidentiality, non-disclosure and non-disparagement employment and separation conditions.

Former union member Donald Trump, this year initiated orders to exclude workers from collective bargaining for government employment [Mr. Trump, who benefited from union representation in collective bargaining, resigned from the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists in February 2021, reportedly to preempt removal from the union for his role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Subsequently, Trump was permanently barred by the SAG-AFTRA board from rejoining the union.]

There's a pervasive sense of cosplay surrounding the Trump administration. Almost none of them came to their job prepared to actually do their job. Beginning with the orange picker himself.

I'm humming the tune to YMCA as I conclude that saying they are pro-worker this Labor Day is just one more false note. And believing them when they say it is just tone deaf.

The Labor Day White House Costume Ball draws to a close...

Thank you to everyone who is actually doing the real work of democracy, genuine community, and honest commerce.

May your work endure long after their pretense is dragged by honest hands to history's dumpster.

Sources

https://webapps.dol.gov/elaws/elg/minwage.htm

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-trump-administration-is-quietly-gutting-minimum-wage-protections-for-millions-of-workers/

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/trump-just-cut-the-minimum-wage-for-hundreds-of-thousands-of-private-sector-workers/

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/07/07/2025-12534/employment-of-workers-with-disabilities-under-section-14c-of-the-fair-labor-standards-act-withdrawal

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/workers-with-disabilities/section-14c/certificate-holders

https://www.nlrb.gov/guidance/key-reference-materials/national-labor-relations-act

https://www.nlrbedge.com/p/read-the-trump-email-firing-member

https://www.nlrb.gov/news-outreach/news-story/gc-25-05-rescission-of-certain-general-counsel-memoranda