Donald John Trump (DJT) is now the 45th President of the United States (POTUS). Since many people apparently won’t accept that the campaign is over, I allude to election results by calling this column, “The Early Returns are Promising.” We can now make the clear distinction between what DJT said, and what he now does as POTUS.
As I write this, DJT is finishing his first week in office. In a flurry of actions, that included 12 Executive Orders (EO’s), he has rescinded the ACA, approved the XL Pipeline, stopped funding abortions done abroad, rescinded NAFTA and announced there will be an honest DOJ investigation of voter fraud in California.
Many people did not realize that Obama had rescinded a Reagan EO stopping the practice of taxpayer money being used to pay for abortions outside the US…Trump put Reagan’s EO back in place. The North American Free Trade Act (NAFTA), involves Mexico, Canada and the USA. Trump and private sector unions agree it caused American jobs to leave the country. Trump articulated his goal throughout the campaign; he wants to renegotiate a new NAFTA, one that puts “America first.”
And a long overdue investigation will now take place, the DOJ will delve into the Democrats long standing election fraud practices. Anyone who suggests that illegals did not vote in 2016 – people who do not have the right to vote because they are not citizens – is being disingenuous at best. The fact is that Democrats have long resisted a requirement for picture ID’s to vote (like we have in SC), because they rely on votes being cast by illegals and on behalf of deceased people. This is not a joke it is a serious assertion, and one that will be “proven” by an honest DOJ investigation. Stay tuned on that.
Trump is also going ahead with a wall on our southern border, and temporarily suspending immigration from largely Muslim and Middle East countries until we get “extreme vetting.” That last will include some medical tests, slowing the huge increase in diseases such as TB. Prior to when Obama’s refugees started arriving TB was all but eradicated. If having hundreds of active TB cases among “refugees” from Somalia in places like Minnesota doesn’t scare you, it should.
Trump also announced he intends to defund Sanctuary Cities. Sanctuary Cities are a simple issue, liberal bleats notwithstanding; they are knowingly breaking existing federal laws by sheltering illegals. Trump on his own authority can withhold federal funding from programs such as “Block Grants,” Sanctuary Cities like Chicago and San Francisco rely on those dollars.
The Senate has been slow to confirm most of Trump’s Cabinet nominations thus far. Only four of them have been approved at this point (4/15), because Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has allowed Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to delay the process for no good reason. That was not a typo, the majority has allowed the minority to deliberately obstruct the confirmation process…wow.
But already one of the approved fab four, “Mad Dog” Jim Mattis showed why he was picked to lead the Pentagon. On his first day after being confirmed as Defense Secretary, Mattis unleashed 31 air strikes against ISIS targets in Syria, Iraq and Libya…on his first day. Trust me when I say that American pilots were doing their happy dance as they walked to their planes after 8 years of being told to “stand down” by Obama. For anyone to suggest Obama was even “containing” ISIS as he claimed, is patently absurd. Starting with ISIS, Trump/Mattis will show the world what America can, and now, will do to its enemies.
Also approved before the GOP headed to its annual “Retreat,” were Trump’s choices for the UN, CIA and Homeland Security (DHS). It is ironic for the GOP to label its annual meeting a “Retreat.” Ostensibly the confab is held for the purpose of setting policy goals for the year. Actually, that is perfect, as it accurately describes what the GOP has done and continues to do in Congress…retreat.
Trump also put a hiring freeze in place for federal jobs, except hiring for military and DHS functions like the Border Patrol.
DJT put an immediate hold on EPA regulations for the Clean Air Act. Most of Obama’s EPA overreach had already been declared illegal by federal judges multiple times. In his usual brazen fashion, Obama/EPA just ignored rulings that were adverse to his agenda. That is called disdain for the rule of law, and Obama showed it for 8 years.
Donald Trump is on the job, and “The Early Returns are Promising.”
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David W. Thompson worked in government, education and the non-profit sector for more than forty years. A graduate of Westminster College and Harvard University, he resides in Easley, SC. You can follow him
on his blog, Smokealarms2015.com.