The President-elect opposed a bill that would finally clear the Taunton casino project
To say that Donald Trump is no stranger to controversy would be an understatement. His involvement in politics, however, brought additional attention to his sincere and direct, if sometimes offensive, opinions. In one of his latest posts, Trump slammed a bill in Taunton, Massachusetts.
In his publication, the President-elect said that Republicans should reject HR 312 – a special interest casino bill, which would allow the Taunton casino to finally come forward. What truly struck some people, however, is Trump’s claim that the bill, backed by, in his words, “Elizabeth (Pocahontas) Warren,” does not treat Native Americans equally.
Trump’s sharp statement once again rustled the spirits of many Americans, with some supporting his statement, and others calling him “racist” for it.
Trump’s Rhetoric Is Dangerous, His Opponents Claimed
US Rep. Joe Kennedy III, another supporter of HR 312, slammed Trump as someone who “lies for a living” and noted that the bill “threatens the very existence of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe that welcomed the Pilgrims to these shores.” He called Trump a racist and slammed his rhetoric as dangerous.
Mayor Tom Hoye, who is supportive of the project and its potential economic benefits regretted that Southeastern Massachusetts has received yet another slap. However, he is convinced that the tribe will find other ways to generate economic benefits for its people even if the casino never comes to fruition.
Conversely, attorney David Tennant praised the President-elect for recognizing the “rule of law.”
For others, it was not so much about the bill itself as it was about Trump calling Warren “Pocahontas.” Many thought that this was a crude and perhaps racist remark. Even Michelle Littlefield, plaintiff in a case challenging the land in trust who largely supported Trump’s opposition to the bill, was not happy with the way he phrased it.
Following Trump’s post, Massachusetts lawmakers, who originally had planned to vote on the bill on Wednesday, pulled it from the fast track for noncontroversial measures. Instead, they will now run it through the regular process.
The Taunton Casino Has Been in Limbo for Years
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe secured land in 2015 and commenced construction of the casino shortly after. Just a few months later, a US District Court judge agreed with locals that the Department of the Interior had overstepped its authority when it took the land into trust. The reason for that was the fact that the tribe was not under federal jurisdiction in 1934 at the time the Indian Reorganization Act came into force.
Since then, the tribe has been involved in a lengthy legal battle. Trump’s recent post and his potential ability to veto the bill only added to the Mashpee Wampanoag’s woes.
Trump, who has himself owned casinos, has been outspoken against tribal casinos, which he believes compete on an unequal footing.
