Many people for whom I have a great respect have been supporters of the presidency of Donald Trump from the beginning. When I wrote "What Is a Trump Supporter?" back in December 2016, I thought I knew only two of them. Since then, I have realized that I know very many more: from among those who had previously been shy about revealing their support, and from the many subsequent converts. The population of current Trump supporters I know is now quite diverse, but my overall judgement of their intelligence, generosity, open-mindedness, compassion, and integrity still stands.
The following is a statement from one of the converts I know well.
How I Came to be a Trump Supporter
I have disliked the man for decades. Thought he was an arrogant New Yorker and immoral as well. Hated “The Apprentice.” In 2016 I voted for Ben Carson in the Republican primary. I thought Trump’s brash, abrasive approach was too much and unpresidential. Once he got elected, I hoped he would grow into the job. I wished he would never Tweet—what he said was often embarrassing or worse. However, many of his policies were good. His simplification of the income tax was good. His attempt to control the southern border was the right idea. His choices for Supreme Court justices seem good. His rule to get rid of two Federal rules for every new one created was great. However, this policy ran into the “be” team. The Federal bureaucracy. In a now infamous meeting with State Department officials a Trump appointee outlined some policies that Trump wanted implemented and they bluntly said, “No.” They explained that they were part of the “be” team, the people who would be there long after Trump, and whoever was next, were gone. They didn’t like the policy, so it wasn’t going to happen.
This was one of the first items that led me to believe the swamp really needs draining. We are supposed to be a government of the people, by the people and for the people, not of the bureaucrats, by the bureaucrats and for the bureaucrats. Trump's choice of JD Vance for VP will help to increase the chance that the draining of the swamp will continue post Trump. And now that RFK Jr. has joined the team, there is real hope that the CDC will be reformed.
Here is a list of Trump's accomplishments. Compare these to Harris’s rhetoric, much less her “accomplishments.”
Highest real median household income in history—a record that still holds from 2019.
Annual inflation rate of 1.9% throughout term.
Cut 8 regulations for every new one enacted and reduced taxes.
Better trade agreements with Mexico, Canada, China, Japan, South Korea and others.
Net gain of 7 million new jobs. 1.2 million in manufacturing and construction.
Net gain of 12,000 factories.
Created Opportunity Zones which has brought in hundreds of billions in investments to lower income neighborhoods.
Lowest unemployment rate in 50 years. Lowest unemployment for women in nearly 70 years.
Lowest unemployment in history for Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native Americans.
Lowest poverty rate in history for Black and Hispanic Americans.
Passed Right to Try drug law which has made life-saving treatments available to previously terminally ill patients.
Lowered drug prices for the first time in 51 years.
VA Choice reimbursed veterans who needed faster medical care outside of a VA clinic.
VA Accountability which allowed for the removal of abusive employees.
First president in 40 years to not start a war.
Deescalated nuclear war tensions with North Korea.
Middle East peace deals
Got fellow NATO members to meet their obligations.
Defeated ISIS. Net drawdown of overseas troops.
Massive upgrade of our military equipment. Launched Space Force.
Russia did not take any land under his watch, unlike during Bush, Obama, and Biden administrations.
Built/renovated over 500 miles of border wall.
Remain in Mexico policy.
15,000 Mexican troops guarding our southern border plus 10,000 on Mexico's southern border.
Achieved the lowest number of illegal border crossings in recorded history. (I don’t think they kept statistics in the days of Pancho Villa – 1916.)
Deported thousands of foreign gang members.
Passed Criminal Justice Reform.
Became a net exporter of energy for the first time in nearly 70 years.
I’d like to see more of this. So, despite his sometimes-grinding personality (which is the only side the mainstream media shows) I support him for his last term.
The fact they changed the law to go after him (statue of limitation changes) and gave a whole new meaning to “Trumped up charges” also made me realize that they shouldn’t be allowed to get away with lawfare or it will become the norm.
