From the moment Donald J. Trump announced his candidacy for President of the United States in June 2015, I knew he was going to win. Honestly, I did. I know that is easy to say now, but considering the state of our country at the time- the growing discontent over Obama- and who would certainly be his opponent- Hillary Clinton- I knew he a shoe-in.
I know the American people, I know myself.
What I didn't know was just what kind of fight he and his supporters were in for. The liberal establishment did NOT want Donald Trump anywhere near Washington, D.C. It was clear they were carefully tilting the scales for a Jeb Bush candidacy, someone they believed Hillary would easily beat. At the very worst, Jeb would have been a typical political President that would kowtow to global special interests.
But low and behold Trump did what he has been discussing since the 80's. And wouldn't you know? He won.
With Trump taking the Oath of Office today, replacing Barack Obama as the 45th President of the United States, I wanted to go over some of the expectations the American people have for his presidency and write about why these issues are so important.
And I have some advice for Trump detractors.
1. Building the Wall
Let's get right into it. One of Trump's first and biggest campaign promises was to build a wall across the U.S.-Mexican border in what he believes will be the best deterrent to illegal aliens entering our country.
This idea had been mocked by the left long before Trump ran for office. When I first heard it, I didn't believe it would happen. I considered it a brilliant tactic by Trump. He put forward the most extreme solution to solve our alien problem; perhaps once in office, a more reasonable compromise would be found.
But the more he campaigned, and the more the wall was discussed, I learned that he meant it. I learned that what Trump says, he means. And he's incredibly good at getting things done.
I know some people don't like the idea of a wall, but here is why it's needed. Our illegal alien problem has gotten out of control. Thanks to Obama's weak (and at times illegal) attempts at helping aliens, we've got a serious problem. I don't have to drag out this shocking statistic again, but I will: in 2011 alone there were 70,000 sexual assaults by alien criminals. 70,000 rapes that could have easily been avoided. And that doesn't address the numerous other deaths and crimes committed by people who shouldn't be in the United States.
Clearly, what we are doing isn't working. And it's putting American lives in jeopardy. A wall will strongly enforce our immigration laws and actually encourage people who want to come to America to do so legally, and earn the respect and dignity every person deserves within our country.
2. Drain the Swamp
Donald Trump had so much goodwill from American voters because he was an outsider. He was by no means a Greenleaf; as a businessman, he worked with politicians, negotiated deals, and employed thousands. He understands what it means to be a good leader and how to get things done.
In almost every way he is the opposite of what Americans perceive Washington, D.C. as being. Even in the age of Obama- a popular figure loved and respected by many- the gridlock and insider games in our government frustrated Americans and led to unpopular legislation, such as the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act and The Affordable Care Act.
What critics don't understand is that Trump's decisive and uncompromising leadership style will cut through the typical bureaucratic holdup in Washington. He literally wrote the book on making deals. Already we've seen his influence- directly and indirectly- reverse the decisions of Carrier and Ford Motors to ship jobs to Mexico. If he can do that in the private sector, he can surely bend a few elbows in Washington.
A big goal of the Trump administration is to rob lobbyists of their strangle hold on D.C. He promised to eliminate lobbyists completely from Washington. He's even put forth a 5 year ban on government leaders from taking lobbyist jobs after they leave office.
3. Jobs
Job creation has been a major tenet of the Trump campaign. I've already written about how Trump's influence in the wake of the election is bringing jobs back into America.
I believe this will continue once he takes office. His intentions to cut taxes, renegotiate trade deals, and work with our allies will certainly shift economic factors in our favor.
4. Military and National Security
Yesterday I discussed the dismal state of our national security. In the last year and a half, the United States and her allies in Europe have suffered terrible acts at the hands of ISIS and their supporters.
Our military under Obama has looked like a social experiment, with the priority being transgender and gay issues, rather than the protection of our citizens.
Already we know the military will be put back in order, thanks to Trump's pick for Secretary of Defense, Gen. James Mattis. This marine has the kind of no-nonsense leadership style that will not only inspire our men and women in uniform, but put the fear of God into our enemies.
Trust me when I say no one will mess with the United States when Mad Dog is in charge.
5. Infrastructure
Trump made rebuilding our nation's roads, bridges, and other infrastructure a large part of his campaign. It is something that hasn't been seriously addressed since Eisenhower in the 1950's. Younger people may not understand why we need to rebuild our nation, but anyone that's driven across the country or flown on a regular basis, knows how badly managed our basic services are.
As a native New Yorker, trust when I say, the roads are deplorable.
But this need is often neglected because government funds are wasted on bloated social programs. Trump promises to invest $550 billion in our infrastructure, so that we have a safe, modern America. This will mean many, many jobs across the country.
And you better believe that a former real estate mogul knows how to get it done on time and under budget.
A Word to Detractors
You don't have to look far to hear the kind of disgusting and disgraceful slander Trump receives online by bitter liberals. Some are just trolling for attention; others genuinely believe that Trump is a fascist, the next Hitler, a racist, xenophobe, homophobe- the next Stalin.
Not to mention a sexist.
Putting aside the reality that they can't back up their insults with facts, you need to understand something. Trump is going to be the next President. If you truly believe he is wrong for this country, or that his policies won't work, attacking him with schoolyard level insults will only give him more power.
Learn a lesson from the media, whose pathetic attempts at tarnishing his reputation have consistently failed. They are only painting him as a martyr- a wrongfully accused victim of their bias.
If you want a seat at the table, you first need to respect the leadership. You need to acknowledge their authority in this country and base your arguments on reason and facts. Throwing your hands up in the air and stomping off- as many Democrats have done today, Inauguration Day- will only brand you as a part of the larger problem.
Democrats, independent liberals, and everyone else need to learn how to cooperate with Trump's leadership. Citizens that want their voices to be heard, that want the issues most important to them to be addressed, cannot play the insult game. They must make informed and rational pleas to our leaders, pleas that respect our country and leadership, and prove that you deserve a seat at the table.
I can go on to discuss my feelings about Trump, how I consider him to be the next Teddy Roosevelt, who's bold attitude will bring significant reform and change to our country. But I'll stop right here, and let the man prove his worth, in the next four years.
