Donald J. Trump, a grudging admiration
By Dr. Harold A. Black
blackh@knoxfocus.com
haroldblackphd.com
Congratulations to Donald Trump who may be the most remarkable politician in American history. He is detested by the political establishment – both Democrats and Republicans at home and abroad – precisely because he is not part of the establishment. I cannot recall another successful presidential candidate completely devoid of political experience, save Dwight Eisenhower. Trump is not beholding to the establishment. He is his own man. He was smart enough to declare himself a Republican because he knew the attempt to run as an Independent would be futile – just ask Ross Perot. He knew that a significant amount of the electorate was sick and tired of career politicians. They were tired of being ignored. They were tired of seeing their values trashed, their religion ridiculed, government spending out of control, EV mandates, regulations that crippled initiative, boys in girls’ locker rooms and on girls’ teams, LBGTQ flags flying over the White House and government buildings, and all the rest of the leftist agenda foisted on us by the Biden Administration.
So when Trump announced that he was running to make America great again, millions applauded. Much to the dismay of the establishment Republicans, he started winning primaries and quickly became the nominee. Trump does not owe anyone anything. He can set his own agenda. Trump doesn’t want to rock the boat. He wants to sink it. Trump says that America is treated like a sucker abroad and he will change it. He will change unfavorable trade agreements. He will force NATO countries to pay their fair share. No wonder the Europeans don’t want to see him again. He will confront China. Although there are questions about what he will do with Israel and Ukraine, one thing is for certain, he will do something. He will drive energy prices and inflation back down by drilling, fracking, liberating natural gas and junking the Green New Deal. He will rewrite Title IX and return integrity to women’s sports.
It is interesting that a billionaire can relate to everyday folk better than their haughty elected officials. Despite the fact that he is crude, profane and possibly xenophobic and racist, none of that really matters to those masses that have been trodden upon by their politicians. People know that during his time in office, those faults were immaterial to the final result. They were better off than under Biden. Trump is not playing their game. Lobbyists hate him because they have little influence over his actions. Trump is the most successful grassroots politician in American history.
Trump has withstood all the persecution, indictments and lawfare from the Department of “Justice” and assorted Democrat AGs. The “Justice” Department has tried to intimidate his close associates. Biden wants to lock him up and has done that to some of Trump’s supporters. Goodness knows that Jack Smith, Alvin Bragg, Letitia James and Fani Willis have tried. It doesn’t even matter that 90% of media reporting is negative. Trump once said that if the Republican Party could purge itself of RINOS it would totally dominate politics. No wonder Mitch McConnell doesn’t like him. Still, McConnell kept Merrick Garland off the Supreme Court, so I will cut him a break.
Trump’s brilliance was showing the public that anti-establishment does not mean anti-rich. Even though Harris is playing the politics of envy card, the voters were not buying it. Trump’s negatives actually decreased as the attacks intensified. His negatives are less now than in 2016 and 2020. Maybe that should have sent the Democrats a signal that all this vitriol was not working. Harris kept calling Trump a fascist, a dictator, a threat to democracy and all the rest. Apparently, she was trying to scare the hell out of the voting public with her smear campaign. It did not work.
I don’t like Donald Trump, but I admire his tenacity, courage and fortitude in withstanding all the abuse heaped upon him and continuing to flip his finger at the establishment both left and right, home and abroad.
Some think that the left will take to the streets and start a real insurrection rather than like January 6 which was more like a frat party than an insurrection. Was this the first-ever insurrection with cell phone selfies instead of guns? If there are protests then why does the left loot and burn down their own neighborhoods? Can’t they rent a few tour buses and Ubers and go to the suburbs?
