It's pivotal to deliberate whether citizens should vote based on character. Donald Trump's character has been under scrutiny for almost a decade now, with some believing that that alone is enough to stop him from winning the presidential election. Many young voters have argued that while they agree with most of Trump's policies, they cannot support his presidency due to his persona. This raises the question:
Are Trump's policy achievements sufficient enough to overshadow the discourse about his character?
Trump's businessman mentality is arguably one of his best assets and has helped this economy immensely. Trump's tenure saw noticeable economic changes, including decreased unemployment and record-high median household income. On top of this, Trump's administration created a plan known as the "Blue-Collar Bloom" that allowed workers' wages to grow faster than the wages of their managers. These achievements should be noted and are vital to evaluate when considering the overall economic impact of Trump's presidency. Voters should understand that Trump made living more feasible for Americans. In contrast, Harris has been criticized for failing to address policies sufficiently and making vague promises without statistical data showing how she and Biden have improved our economic state.
Biden and Harris have both used Trump's character and rhetoric to sway the opinions of voters who may be on the fence, however, people do not fact-check this to see what policies have truly benefited both minority groups and women in America. Poverty rates reached record lows for African Americans and Hispanic Americans, while unemployment rates for women were the lowest in 70 years under the Trump administration. On top of this, Trump was able to repair a broken supply chain and allow the United States to become a stronger country through trade. Most comments made by Trump have been taken out of context, usually short clips taken from longer videos. The issue with this is that it shows the issue of news outlets being biased and trying to sway voters in a particular direction by depicting the other candidate as a villain instead of discussing what truly matters: Policy.
Regarding the stock market and inflation, Trump is noted to have performed better than Biden's administration. Another significant issue is the national debt, which individuals have claimed Trump made much worse. Once you look more into it, you'll see that this is not the case. In the past three years, Biden has already surpassed the amount of government spending Trump spent in all four years of his presidency.
Post-presidency, it's argued that the U.S.'s international rapport has decreased, compromising national security. Trump's "America First" doctrine, emphasizing strategic engagement with NATO, Russia, and North Korea, alongside skillful trade negotiations, underscored his approach to leveraging commerce for diplomatic advantage and national benefit. This can be noted in instances such as Trump being the first president to step onto North Korean soil. Putin also declared the United States an enemy after Biden became president. While people disagree with many actions of the North Korean and Russian leaders, it should also be noted that having solid relationships with other influential leaders can benefit our country and protect our citizens more. Something that Trump had more success with than the Biden-Harris administration.
A considerable controversy of Trump's campaign is his immigration and abortion views. Individuals have argued that even under the Trump administration, illegal immigration still existed, which is true. The issue is that illegal immigrants receiving free money from the government is a source of government funding and is causing a rise in inflation. Immigration is not an issue, but there is a process to doing it, and allowing people to come to this country and receive free handouts while American citizens are on the streets is not something that Trump supports.
When it comes to his abortion views, many politicians have tried to paint Trump as an individual who wants to ban abortion altogether. I, too, used to believe that until I researched it more on my own. Allowing the states to have control over abortion rights does not back up the argument that he wants abortion wholly banned. By giving states control, he will enable each state and its citizens to have more of a say in finding a compromise between the state residents' views versus having a federal bill that goes against many people's views and only pleases a percentage of the population.
While Trump may not be the president known as having the best character, individuals should remember that there are bigger things to focus on regarding who they will vote for in the upcoming election. Americans want a president who will create change. People want a president who will help with the housing crisis, the national debt issue, and the growing problem of illegal immigration and its effects on citizens in this country.
Donald Trump is the answer to solving these issues regardless of how he is painted in the media.
Photo Credit: Doug Mills/The New York Times
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