Opinion: The CFPB fight exposes Trump as a phony populist

To the editor: The battle over who will now lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a proxy fight between Republicans and Democrats in their long-standing debate over deregulation. (“Sooner or later, Trump will own the CFPB,” editorial, Nov. 28)

The Great Recession occurred because the subprime mortgage market was unregulated and the banks were largely deregulated. The resulting financial crash caused millions of people to lose their jobs, houses and savings.

Republicans claim that deregulation produces jobs, growth and prosperity. The Great Recession proved that to be untrue. The GOP opposes regulation because it costs businesses money.

President Trump is a phony populist who is really just a typical Republican looking out for Wall Street and the corporations. And that’s the real reason why Republicans want to trash the CFPB.

Michael Asher, Valley Village

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To the editor: The fight between Mick Mulvaney and Leandra English over the helm of the CFPB is a great illustration of how the Obama administration holdovers are continuing to try to undermine our sitting president.

Ex-Director Richard Cordray’s naming of English as his successor was clearly out of line and a blatant attempt to further former President Obama’s overreaching agenda for that agency. It won’t stand in court, as the president has the right and duty to appoint agency heads.

As they say, elections have consequences. The Obama clan should stop acting against Trump and suck it up.

Rick Kern, Incline Village, Nev.

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To the editor: This is much ado about very little. People are acting as if this fight will settle the permanent leader of the CFPB.

Here’s how it should work: Under the Dodd-Frank law, English is the acting director until the new one is confirmed. If Trump had any sense, he would immediately officially nominate Mulvaney as the CFPB head.

Republicans have a majority in the Senate, so they would confirm Mulvaney, who would take over in an orderly way. Mulvaney’s stunt may be good for TV news ratings, which Trump loves, but it’s a smokescreen.

Theda Snyder, Sherman Oaks

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