Trump Signs Transgender Ban, Pardons Racist Sheriff — and Continues to Ignore Hurricane Harvey

Trump Signs Transgender Ban, Pardons Racist Sheriff — and Continues to Ignore Hurricane Harvey
Evan Guest via Flickr
It's been a busy Friday night for President Donald Trump. If you're in South Texas, you'd think (hope) that would be because a Category 4 hurricane is twirling ferociously toward you and the place you call home. But, no.

After jetting off to Camp David (after telling Texans "Good luck!"), Trump has managed to sign a memo officially banning all transgender Americans from serving in the military and has pardoned former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio — the racist poster boy of the anti-immigration movement known for detaining hundreds of Latinos based solely on the suspicion that they were in the country illegally. Arpaio had been convicted in July for not following strict court orders to stop arresting people he simple "suspected" were Latino.

The trans ban also prohibits the U.S. Department of Defense from covering any medical treatment regimens for trans individuals currently serving in the military.

This metaphorical shitstorm all happened in the course of about two hours, as Texans watched Hurricane Harvey (an actual storm) grow in size and ferocity. Meanwhile, Trump has yet to respond to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's 1 p.m. ask to declare a federal disaster declaration for Texas — a move that would open up needed disaster relief funds.