It is now two weeks since Donald J. Trump was elected to the presidency and the nation is as divided as it ever was. Protestors have taken to the streets to share their displeasure with Trump’s election, many claiming that the system was somehow rigged because he lost the popular vote (they also fail to realize that these demonstrations are doing far more to unite Republicans behind Trump than he ever could have). At the same time, it appears that some elements with pro-Trump feelings have engaged in racist attacks against Jews, African Americans and other groups. Additionally, pro-Trump people have been attacked for their views. The protests, racism and attacks are worthy of widespread condemnation. We, as a nation, are better and must be better than this.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, I opposed Donald Trump’s candidacy and did so vocally. However, the election is now over, Trump won fair and square, and he will be our president. President-elect Trump must rise to the stature of the office to which he was elected and prove me wrong. At the same time, it is imperative that we all give Trump’s administration a chance and help President-elect Trump however we are able. His success is our success. Furthermore, several of his policies are ones that conservatives and Americans should embrace.
President-elect Trump has signaled that he wants to fix the mess that is Obamacare, which has been a major factor in the insane rise in the cost of health insurance across the United States. He has also discussed a major infrastructure overhaul that is sorely needed, as America’s roads and bridges are in dire need of repair. There are other areas of policy that Trump is dead on, which is why he we should help him implement them, as they are good for the overall health of the United States.
However, it is important to remember that President-elect Trump has set the bar of success quite high for himself. During his campaign, he promised Americans that he would make their lives better. If he cannot achieve this, Americans will turn on his presidency. In order to avoid that Trump will need to do two things: give Americans a tangible result and an emotional result. A tangible result would be the implementation of a policy or program that Americans can specifically point to as the reason for their economic situation improving. The emotional result would be Trump making the nation swell with pride as he leads us through a tense situation, such as a disaster or major victory over ISIS.
Further complicating this is how Trump has a window of his first year to achieve the tangible result(s), as he will need the Congress to authorize his policies and programs. After 2017, Congress will shift to midterm mode and not be as willing to work together on legislation. Then, after the midterms, Democrats will be even less willing to negotiate and compromise with Trump and the GOP, as they will be holding out for their 2020 presidential nominee to win the presidency and thus give them a better deal. It would be Democrats engaging in obstructionism for the sake of their own political gain.
2017 is the year where America needs to come together and tackle big problems with bold solutions. Americans need to end the division and unite. For the good of the country, let’s all move forward together.