So, What About Trump?

My readers expect me to be honest, so allow me to do so. Trump's verbal style is not my style. I was never fond of the name calling during the campaign - from Little Marco to Lyin' Ted to Low Energy Jeb and even Crooked Hillary. It is just not my approach. I watched his recent press conference. I did not care for his interrupting of reporters before they could get their entire question out. And, as much as I did not like Obama making so much about himself (for example, when it sounded like he personally killed bin Laden), Trump is even worse. He is thin-skinned, and, yes, at times adolescent in his comments. And, at times he says things that are simply not so.

Having said all that, let me be very clear - I still support Trump. Why? Because I remain opposed to the left-wing agenda. Remember how the Democrats and the media complained that the Republicans would not work with Obama? What we are seeing is far worse with regards to the reaction to Trump. The constant demonstrations, the mainstream media's constant negative editorials, the histrionic and hyperbolic commentaries by the left-wing talking heads. And I do not believe for even one second that the multiple demonstrations are all spontaneous. Many are clearly organized by well-funded left wing groups and individuals.

Dan Rather, who resigned CBS news after his own scandal/controversy, said: "Watergate is the biggest political scandal of my lifetime, until maybe now (referring to now former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's contact with the Russian ambassador before Trump and Flynn were in office). It was the closest we came to a debilitating Constitutional crisis, until maybe now." Chuck Todd, of NBC and MSNBC, said we are in "day one of what is arguably the biggest Presidential scandal involving a foreign government since Iran-Contra." Here's what one Democratic Representative, Seth Moulton, had to say: "If members of the Administration are essentially conspiring with Russia, either with the campaign earlier, or now in the Administration itself, that's the definition of treason." Others have already called for Trump's impeachment. I have seen allegations that Trump is insane; as well as multiple predictions that his presidency will end shortly. Imagine all that happening within a month of Obama's presidency.

One CNN reporter, talking to Wolf Blitzer of the same station, complained that in the three press conferences given by Trump prior to the most recent one, that the reporters Trump called on have come from conservative media outlets. "I think, Wolf, there's no other way to describe it but the fix is in." How incredibly disingenuous. The fix was in for the entire eight years of the Obama Administration. The mainstream media had a love affair with Obama. Remember Chris Matthews having a "thrill going up his leg" upon hearing Obama speak? You would not know Obama had one single controversy or scandal from reading the mainstream media. This guy wants to talk about the fix being in? It was then CNN reporter Donna Brazile who fed Hillary Clinton debate questions and topics ahead of the actual debate. The lack of intellectual honesty from the mainstream media is so obvious to most, it easily explains the public's overwhelming distrust of them.

Trump says things that are not so - but so did Obama. Regular readers of this blog may recall lie after lie from the lips of Obama, lies that have been discussed and documented in this blog over the past eight years. Regular readers of this blog will recall how thin-skinned Obama was at times when he was under attack. But for the left, it would not matter if the President was Trump, Pence or Cruz. The attacks on any Republican carrying out the same policies as Trump would be the same. The reason is simple - we are in a mostly non-violent civil war in this country. One side supports traditional American values, supports the Constitution, and supports our allies, such as Israel. The other side does not - they do not support free speech, the right to gun ownership, the right to do business - in fact, they do not support the capitalist system at all. And they certainly do not support allies such as Israel.

While I may not like Trump's style at times, I generally do support his policies. I see the critics of his style as complaining more about form over substance. So, let's take a look at some of the substance in Trump's first month. In a 1/23/17 Presidential Memorandum, he ordered a hiring freeze on all federal civilian employees in the executive branch. He properly allowed department heads to make exemptions in the case of national security and public safety. And he ordered the OMB to develop a long term plan to shrink the size of the federal workforce. During the height of the recent recession under the Obama Administration, the Feds were hiring at a rapid rate, and often into high paying jobs of $100,000 or more. It made no sense, and I did discuss it in an earlier post.

In another Presidential Memorandum he ordered that the Departments of State, Defense, Treasury, Homeland Security and Energy, along with the DNI (Director of National Intelligence) and the CIA Director come up with a comprehensive plan to defeat ISIS. Not "degrade and defeat" a la Obama; just defeat. He has authorized the Secretaries of State, Interior and the Army to proceed with the Keystone Pipeline. In yet another Memorandum, he expressed his desire "to pursue peace through strength," following in the footsteps of Presidents Washington and Reagan. The Memorandum states: "It shall be the policy of the United States to rebuild the U.S. Armed Forces." Trump has strongly supported our ally Israel, signaling that the constant pressure on Israel imposed by Obama will be ended. He will not try to impose upon Israel a two-state solution, which would establish a terrorist state on Israel's border, and shrink Israel down to a size that becomes militarily indefensible.

Trump's appointees are almost all solid people. See last weekend's post on Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court. For a further example, General Mattis as Secretary of Defense, clearly knows what's what. Here are some quotes from Mattis: "Iran is the biggest destabilizing force in the Middle East and its policies are contrary to our interests." After commenting that the past three presidents have tried to enter into some type of partnership with Russia, Mattis said this: "...we must finally recognize Putin wants to be our enemy." Of course, Obama and Hillary mostly got a pass over Hillary's "reset button" with Russia, and Obama telling Medvedev to let Putin know that he (Obama) would have more flexibility after his reelection. No allegations there of conspiring with Russia were made against Obama or Hillary, no claims of treason.

The desire by the left to harm individuals and businesses that have publicly supported Trump is a further sign of our current civil war. This follows on the threats received by entertainers who announced they would perform at the Trump inauguration. Those are things we did not see advocated during Obama's term of office. It is simply astounding that the left believes that only they have the right to govern. They believe that only they have the right to determine social and cultural mores. I, for one, have no intention of bowing to the onslaught of coercion, intimidation and harassment from the left.