(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .



Trump says broadband access for rural communities is racist [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-05-14

There are three strikes against the Digital Equity Act meant to get high-speed internet to rural areas that would never get it otherwise.

First, the act was passed by Democrats (and Republicans, too), as part of the huge Infrastructure Act, and Joe Biden was all for it. Second, it has the word Equity in the title. Instantly racist and unconstitutional to Trump. Third, it wasn't giving his big business buddies a piece of the pie. Elon Musk wanted that piece with his expensive internet terminals that would use up the budget for the program earlier than expected and leave no permanent infrastructure behind. This time, Trump didn't think of Musk.

Trump's ignorance and stupidity is on full display here. The program to hook up rural America would help his white rural Trump voters. But Trump is either brainless, or he no longer cares who he harms now that he's elected and never needs to worry about voters again. He did say during the campaign that he didn't need their votes, but if they did vote for him, they wouldn't need to worry about voting ever again. Maybe he was really serious about that.

It's still another impoundment of funds appropriated by Congress, which he cannot do, but Congress isn't stopping him.

Trump is facing criticism from all corners. He would hate just the name of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance that was going to help the act get implemented.

The government website for BroadbandUSA, part of the National Telecommunications and Information Agency, is still up without modifications. Still shows the grants to states that are available.

There are four grant types that are available:

Planning grant Capacity grant Competitive grant Capacity grant program: Native Entities

The latest news of the program was on January 17th, 3 days before Trump was inaugurated. There were many grants awarded in a flurry before that. The information grant portals are still open. It gives the appearance that nothing has happened.

In order to stop the flow of money using the Impoundment Control Act, Trump has to send a request to Congress to rescind the funds. The rescissions are complicated. Grantees can challenge the government for the grants they were awarded as well as well as expenses incurred in anticipation of the grant funds. There would be a sizeable number of lawsuits, including the states who were benefiting.

Donald found a way to waste more taxpayer money under the guise of saving it. Contracts are contracts. You can't stop the lawsuits that will come.

The whole idea was to get fiber optic out there in the wilderness. Then we heard that Starlink would be used instead. Starlink has this bandwidth and latency problem from all the translation back and forth between the satellites and the ground stations. It's nowhere near as good as fiber optic.

Now we have Trump trying to cancel the whole program because he heard the word "equity." Instantly racist and unconstitutional, when it is nothing of the sort. He is cutting off his own voters from getting quality internet access. Well, they don't need it because they'll always be farmers. Just like Lutnick saying factory workers will always be factory workers.

Fortunately, there will be those instantly fighting back with so much at stake. All because Trump can't understand three words: Digital Equity Act.

If Biden did it, it's got to be wrong.

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/5/14/2322177/-Trump-says-broadband-access-for-rural-communities-is-racist?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web

Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/