January 18, 2021. In the end, Trump’s narcissism and sensitivity did him in. It’s just as well. He left behind a terrible record of public policies. Here’s a partial list:
- Trump raised tariffs. All presidents should know that in every trade, both parties benefit. Anyone not benefiting would not make the trade to begin with. Also, the United States has had trade deficits during most of its years. The nation thrived nevertheless. Every effort should be made to cut tariffs, not raise them.
- For far too long, Trump gave his support to Anthony Fauci. Fauci’s outrageous mortality projections scared Americans out of their wits, paving the way for the disastrous and unnecessary lockdowns.
- Trump simplified the tax code and cut corporate tax rates significantly. How foolish can you get?
- He cancelled numerous Obama regulations that were throttling production.
- Both of the two items above boosted the economy to all-time new highs. They also elevated black employment to new highs, with black poverty and unemployment rates the lowest ever recorded. Sorry, Democrats prefer that the blacks remain poor, making them more likely to respond with their votes when the Democrats promise to help them.
- Trump appointed 239 federal judges, including three to the Supreme Court. They’re constitutionalist, meaning the judge interprets the ordinary meaning of the legal text, even if he or she doesn’t agree with the law.
- Dramatically improved the Veterans Administration.
- Arranged long-overdue maintenance and improvements to the national parks.
- Signed a law that makes cruelty to animals a felony.
- Signed right-to-try legislation, allowing terminally ill patients to try experimental treatments.
- Signed the First Step Act, which freed mostly black prisoners from unfair sentences, expanded opportunities for the rehabilitation of prisoners, and ended the “three-strikes” provision. The Act reformed sentencing laws to cut recidivism and reduce federal inmate populations.
- Approved drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, occupying for that purpose a microscopic percentage of its 19.6 million acreage.
- Combatted anti-Semitism on college campuses.
- Despite fervent opposition from teachers unions, Trump promoted charter schools and vouchers for private school.
- Stopped kangaroo courts on campuses that accused male students of sexual assaults without permitting them to cross-examine their accusers. (Leftists believe women who accuse men of sexual abuse should not be challenged. The women could be challenged, however, when Joe Biden was one of the accused.)
- Trump repealed the Obama rule that cut off aid from vocational programs of schools run for profit.
- Insisted that federal bureaucrats cancel two regulations for every new regulation being imposed.
- Enabled bureaucrats to be fired more easily. Previously, it took 6-to-12 months to remove a poor-performing bureaucrat and another 8 months to resolve appeals, with the individual being paid all along.
- Prevented bureaucrats from being paid for their professional work when spending full time on union activities.
- “No TPP” (Trans-Pacific Partnership) was the rallying cry among Bernie Sanders supporters at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Trump cancelled the TPP shortly after gaining office.
- Replaced the hated NAFTA agreement with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
- Withdrew America from the Paris climate accord, which has had zero impact in reducing atmospheric CO2, but was costing the United States considerable money.
- Withdrew America from the Iranian nuclear deal, which had not impeded Iran’s development of atomic weapons. President Obama had given Iran a minimum of $50 billion of “useable liquid assets” which had previously been frozen because of sanctions. This included $1.7 billion of green cash, to release three Americans Iran had imprisoned. Green U.S. cash comes in very handy for terrorist operations.
- Recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.
- Cut off aid to the Palestinian Authority for as long as it paid support to the families of terrorists.
- Set up major diplomatic agreements between Israel and an increasing number of Arab nations. (The dramatic-looking but usually-wrong John Kerry: “No no no and no. There will be no separate peace between Israel and the Arab world without resolving the long-standing conflict over Palestine.”) Middle East peace, now growing without such a resolution, will almost certainly improve the lives of the Palestinians.
- Trump strengthened the U.S. military.
- Created the United States Space Force.
- Focused the world’s attention on China’s imperial ambitions.
- Killed ISIS terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Iran terrorist leader Qasem Soleimani and launched air strikes against Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad for using chemical weapons. Trump has otherwise reduced U.S. military presence in the Mideast.
- Donald Trump was so incompetent that he failed to take advantage of the office he held to increase his own wealth, as do so many members of Congress and a recent vice president. According to Forbes, Trump’s net worth declined from $3.7 billion in 2016 to $2.5 billion in 2019. This didn’t leave the man poverty-stricken, of course, but the decline was 32%. Forebodingly, the 2020 lockdowns hit hotels and office buildings hard. Normal leverage on real estate can be devastating during such circumstances.
I understand that Mr. Trump planned in his second term to reduce individual tax rates and launch another round of economic growth. Aren’t you glad he lost?
