The Case Against Trump in 2024
Donald Trumps appeal in 2016 was obvious, he seemed to have the qualities of some past, well respected Republicans without the stench of a politician. He was a man that understood what blue collar, working class people were feeling. He put America, and Americans, first. He espoused a Reaganesque “America is Great” message that resonated with so many of us. Like Newt Gingrich, he displayed an open disdain for an obviously corrupt media cartel. He believed in a strong military as a deterrent to unnecessary wars. He correctly said the best way for American businesses, both large and small, to thrive was for government to get out of the way and allow the market system to work. He called out the dangerous, leftist social policies that were destroying our justice and education systems. But foremost, he rarely added qualifiers when saying that the United States is the greatest country on the planet. Early on, Trump seemed to fulfill the promise of the man his supporters thought him to be.
His rhetoric referencing our strong military when interacting with other nations kept America from engaging in any new wars during his administration. Other countries may not have liked us, but they respected, or at least, feared us. They certainly weren’t laughing at us. He exposed the depth of corruption in the media merely by speaking often and directly to the American people, bypassing the leftist filter of the major media outlets. People could see what he said and compare it to the mangled interpretation that these outlets, often in lockstep, tried to feed to their audiences. By the end of his administration, this exposure led to the decline in trust in some of the largest cable news outlets whose audiences continued to decline to point where the only viewers of their propaganda seemed to consist only of other cable news outlets.
His unabashed message that America was born in greatness and remains great resonated deeply with millions of people that were weary of hearing politicians tell us that we are the source of evil at home and around the world. He pointed out the true evil of rewriting our history to fit a ridiculous narrative and to provide cover for those that are destroying many of our institutions including education, justice, and military.
I have read countless articles that say that Trump was necessary. He was the only one who could do these things. While not in this camp I can certainly see why this belief exists. Established politicians have been elected time and again only to stop fighting for what’s right once comfortably in the their position. Trump could not do this as he never had the luxury of this comfort. He was attacked daily, even hourly, in the press. A complete industry grew based on destroying Trump. Some media outlets sole mission became attacking Trump and those who defended him. Many self proclaimed conservatives found a financially lucrative opportunity in opposing and denigrating him. Social media tech giants made it difficult to impossible to see the truth on their platforms.
Trumps policies on regulation led to a robust economy and even brought back many manufacturing jobs that we were told were lost forever. His military policies led to a strong defense that kept our enemies in check which dovetailed into a foreign policy that bolstered our allies around the world including steps toward an unprecedented, relatively peaceful Middle East. His energy policies resulted in lower energy costs at home and made the United States energy independent and a net exporter of crude oil and refined petroleum products.
So, why is Trump in 2024 a bad idea? One reason is that I believe that there were, and are, others that could have accomplished these things without the colossal baggage and constant self-inflicted wounds that Trump brings with him. The second, and I believe the most consequential, reason is that everything is personal to Trump. If you disagreed with him on policy, he attacked you personally. If you contradicted his opinion, he fired you. If you worked to subvert his administration but complimented him, he kept you in a position of power to his own detriment. He was easily manipulated by those around him that understood that if you treat him like a five year old, you had free reign. One of the most glaring -and I believe most disqualifying- examples of this was his post-loss sabotaging of the Georgia senate runoff race.
Instead of promoting the Republicans in the race, Trump was more concerned about licking his election wounds by trying to convince everyone that voting in Georgia was useless because of the corruption that cost him the election. His message was heard, the Democrats won, and they gained control of the senate to devastating effect.
Trump had two central talking points during his campaign and in the early days of his administration; building a border wall and the corrupt media. These points resonated well with his supporters and were great applause lines during his rallies. The problem is that rallies do not equal governing. Trump had the ability to build the border wall he campaigned on and while some was erected, it is an unrealized promise. He never let up on the fake news however because, once again, it was personal to him.
Trump lost in 2020 for two reasons; a dishonest media that allowed Joe Biden to campaign from his basement while actively covering up the blatant corruption of Biden and his family, and the political reaction to covid-19. He had denigrated trust in the media to the point where he could have overcome the media coverage alone but when coupled with covid, it became insurmountable. This was another self-inflicted wound as Trump elevated Anthony Fauci from his proper role of advisor to a health czar that could, and did, constantly change his dictates on everything from mask wearing to vaccine efficacy.
At this point, a second Trump administration would be little more than Trump constantly declaring his vindication and seeking revenge on those he believed had wronged him while surrounding himself more sycophants. He will make some positive changes but, as in his first administration, he doesn’t have the skill, or inclination, to solidify those changes through the legislative process and the next liberal president will reverse them with the stroke of a pen.