I have been thinking about this post for a while. Given the most recent events, now is as good a time as any.
What to make of Donald Trump? Well, that isn’t really my question, but something like that. More like, now that we have had five months’ experience with Trump 2.0, where do we stand? Are we headed toward an off-ramp, or are we still going full speed toward a head-on collision?
BTW – for purposes of this post, I don’t care if Trump is unwilling or unable or disallowed. It makes no difference to answer the question: off-ramp or head-on collision?
The Good
Let’s talk about the good – none of which would have happened with anyone else as president.
Stopped the border – he seems to have done this effectively
Stopped DEI – yes…and no (more on the “no” in a minute).
MAHA – perhaps the brightest spot so far.
The Bad…or Ugly
Now for the bad / ugly – which is equal to or worse than what anyone else as president would have done.
I will end that war in one day - The only way to have done this – stop the funding, write an order stopping all aid, stopping all involvement by US personnel. Anyone with half a brain knew this was the only way to end the war in a day. So, I guess I assumed Trump had half a brain.
That war would never have started if I were president – you mean like Israel and Iran? Let’s just say it really turned out to be great news that Trump didn’t bring back Bolton and Pompeo.
Reduce spending – Musk was right to call out Trump on this.
Free speech – a new DEI now aimed at protecting the most privileged group in all of the United States.
Conclusion
When Trump 2.0 began, I wrote that we would know which way we would head within 12-18 months (or I wrote something like this). I think it is safe to say, there is no off-ramp.
A couple of months’ ago, I asked some friends: in four years, do you think we will be in worse shape than today because Trump was president? I think the answer is a clear YES.
Whatever comes after Trump, it will be tyranny. Trump has further opened that door for the left, if the left wins; and if the right still doesn’t get what it wants from Trump, and the right wins, they will want an absolute tyrant.