There has never been a more predictable, more steadfast or more constant president than Donald J. Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump’s critics — these days led by Anonymous, author of a New York Times op-ed and Bob Woodward, author of a new Trump book — accuse him of being an “erratic,” “unpredictable leader” who inhabits “an alternate universe” that will destroy the economy, end the Western alliance and start World War III.
What planet do these critics inhabit? There has never been a more predictable, more steadfast or more constant president than Donald J. Trump. In public policy, he is the gold standard in staying the course.
In trade, Trump said he’d get out of TPP, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and he did. He said he’d re-negotiate NAFTA and he’s doing it. He said he’d impose tariffs on any country that didn’t agree to his terms and he has.
In the economy Trump said he’d cut taxes and he did, in spades — with the first major tax reform bill in 30 years. He said he’d lower the unemployment rate and it’s now down to levels not seen in decades, while reaching historic lows for minorities. He said he’d bring back manufacturing plants and they’re coming back — and without the “magic wand” former president Barack Obama mockingly said he’d need.
He said he’d achieve four-per-cent economic growth and in the last quarter it reached 4.2 per cent. He said he’d cut red tape and he has — 860 regulatory actions have been scrapped or shelved since he became president, making him the biggest deregulator of all time.
In foreign policy Trump said he’d rebuild the military and he’s doing it through a massive funding bill he got through Congress. He said he’d recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and he has. He said he’d demolish ISIS and he’s doing it. He said he’d tear up the Iran nuclear deal and he did. He said he’d quit the Paris climate accord and he has.
In domestic policy Trump said he’d appoint conservative judges to the Supreme Court and lower courts and he has, setting records for his number of appointments in the process. He said he’d approve the Keystone XL pipeline and he did. He said he’d repeal and replace Obamacare and he’s been doing it, step by step. He said he’d repeal Net Neutrality and he did. He said he’d work to get the black vote and he has — the latest Rasmussen poll shows him with 36-per-cent approval among likely black voters, compared to the eight per cent who voted for him in 2016.
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Trump’s critics mistake his tactics, which are short-term and subject to change, for his strategy — getting to the long-term deals that he’s after. He’ll threaten a country with tariffs, then zig with an offer to negotiate, then zag by threatening it with doubled tariffs, all with the ultimate end in mind. Or he’ll publicly browbeat his military allies, threatening to end treaties, and using trade relations as leverage, to convince them to contribute more to their own defence, and to the common defence of the free world. These tactics may be diplomatic no-nos, but they succeeded, and in short order, in contrast to the decades of failure endured by Trump’s White House predecessors. If it’s unpresidential to keep America safe and return it to prosperity, America can use more unpresidents.
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Originally Posted by Swordsmyth
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