Donald Trump Has Not Made America Great Again

A year has now passed since Donald J. Trump took the oath of office to become the 45th President of the United States.


The sun still rises in the east and still sets in the west, but President Trump has not made America great again during his 12 months in office. In fact, he celebrates his anniversary in office by shutting down the federal government. So much for the art of the deal.


Many conservatives, of course, are happy with his deals such as they are. They are happy with his appointment of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, signing a new tax bill into law and gains made against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. These things are all well and good. But I think it is fair to say that conservatives were happy with President Bush's appointment of John Roberts to the Supreme Court. Who can say that Gorsuch won't write a majority opinion which upholds an unpopular policy of a future Democrat President? Whatever the reductions in marginal tax rates will surely be offset by the limits in deductions of state and local income, property and sales taxes not to mention healthcare premiums as Obamacare remains intact. It would also be premature to declare victory in Iraq and Syria as it was in 2003 or when President Obama declared al Qaeda on the run in 2012. ISIS might be in retreat today, but by this time next year it might have regrouped as terrorist organizations are want to do.


Some conservatives are undoubtedly happy with Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. But this recognition is nothing more than gesture politics so as long as Trump continues to exercise the presidential waiver keeping our embassy in Tel Aviv. The recognition of Jerusalem is also meaningless so long as the Iran nuclear deal remains in effect.


Whatever Trump's accomplishments this past year they are woefully overshadowed by his appalling behavior in public and on social media. Conservatives can argue that Trump's presidency has not resulted in a fascist takeover. Nevertheless this is a man who only last month said "I have absolute right to do what I want to do with the Justice Department." Trump certainly thought he had the absolute right to prevent permanent residents and dual citizens of Muslim majority countries from re-entering the country due. Fortunately, these measures were temporary, but only because of the much maligned judiciary.


Even more maligned than our judiciary is our media which Trump has seen fit to call "the enemy of the American people." If the media is our enemy than what does this make ISIS? If Trump believes both the media and ISIS are our enemies then how is that any different than when Hillary Clinton characterized Iran and Republicans as enemies?



President Trump has seen fit to accuse President Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower, berating Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull over the phone, firing FBI Director James Comey after he wouldn't pledge loyalty to him and refer to white supremacists as "good people" following the death of a protester in Charlottesville, Virginia. Trump would eventually condemn racist organizations, but he does so with the same enthusiasm Obama had in condemning Islamic terrorism.



How about when Trump saw fit to tell the pregnant widow of a fallen soldier "he knew what he had signed up for" and subsequently called her a liar on Twitter? White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders might call it fighting fire with fire, but what kind of leader fires upon a Gold Star Widow?



And now we have the spectacle of a President who refers to immigrants from countries like Haiti, El Salvador and Nigeria as "shitholes". NRO's own Deroy Murdock contends, "His supposed words apparently were aimed at shithole nations, rather than shithole people." Given the fact that Trump recently ended Temporary Protected Status for people from these countries while expressing a preference for immigrants of Norwegian origin it is quite clear what Trump meant just as he was clear when he said that Mexicans were rapists and bringing crime to America. Let us not pretend otherwise. President Trump governs out of malice.



With this in mind, I do not harbor any romantic illusions about the Obama presidency. Indeed, there would not be a Trump presidency if not for Obama's condescension, disinterest and general incompetence. We have merely exchanged one thin skinned man who overestimates his talents for another thin skinned man who overestimates his talents. Those who like Trump's tax cuts and lifetime sinecures for conservative jurists can have their thirty pieces of silver. When those pieces are spent what can be really said of the Trump presidency. Of course, Trump has three years left in his term and anything can happen. But I don't see Trump's behavior changing over that time and so long as conservatives see fit to enable that behavior it will result in the destruction of America's conservative movement. This is not a recipe for greatness.