The election is finally over, and we have a new President-elect, Donald J. Trump. Personally, I’m elated. But many people who I know and care for are sincerely frightened. I feel for them, as the news has been hammering us with variations of “Trump is Hitler” since he first announced he was running for office, and if what they say is true then it logically follows that he is a clear and present danger.
Should you be worried? I don’t think so, and here’s why:
Depending on where you get your news, you might think that Trump is a misogynist (woman hater). For example, it was widely reported last week that Mark Cuban said that Trump is never surrounded by “strong, intelligent women.” Yet if that were true, what explains Trump’s VERY FIRST appointment — the nation’s first female chief of staff? Nobody is appointed to be White House Chief of Staff unless they are both intelligent and strong– it’s a demanding job. A true misogynist would NEVER appoint a woman to such an important position because that would be intolerable. Yet Trump was the first American President to do so. This should make you wonder if what you’ve been told about Trump’s misogyny is true. Hint: it isn’t.
Depending on where you get your news, you might think that Trump is a racist. But did you know that before running for President, Trump won the Ellis Island Award, along with Rosa Parks and Muhammad Ali and many others? While the award was not specifically for work within the black community, the Ellis Island Honors Society’s mission is “to honor and preserve cultural diversity and to foster tolerance, respect and understanding among ethnic groups”. Does that sound like an organization that gives out awards to racists? No, it doesn’t. Do you remember when Nelson Mandela toured the USA promoting the abolishment of apartheid before he went on to become the first black President of South Africa? Did you know that the only reason he was able to do so was because Donald Trump leased him one of his jets when nobody else would? Did you know that Trump DONATED office space to Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow/PUSH coalition? Did you know he had a black girlfriend before marrying Melania? A true racist would NEVER do any of these things, as they would be intolerable, but Donald Trump did all of them. This should make you wonder if what you’ve been told about Trump’s racism is true. Hint: it isn’t.
Depending on where you get your news, you might even think that Trump is in bed with Putin. This is utter nonsense. World leaders are SUPPOSED to talk to each other. Talking is how wars are avoided, not started. Tellingly, within TWO DAYS of Trump’s election, Putin publicly declared willingness to negotiate with Trump for a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine war, and even praised Trump for being courageous. Complimenting the other side is a technique used by good negotiators; and something bad negotiators often fail to understand. Trump is a master negotiator, and yes, he has praised dictators with whom he has had to negotiate. This is a technique that helps the other side compromise. Neither Putin nor Trump are amateurs at negotiation. Expect Trump to say positive things about Russia and Putin in the days ahead. I call it “negotiation lubrication”, and IT WORKS. Trust that Trump has America’s interests at heart despite whatever doomsday spin the press will put on it. Will Ukraine get everything it wants? Certainly not. Will Russia? This is also unlikely. But I predict the conflict will be over shortly after Trump takes office, if not before, and peace is better for both sides of the conflict. Not incidentally, ending the conflict will also be good for the US which has been funding this disaster to the tune of over a hundred billion dollars!! While in office last time, Trump reportedly told Putin that if he invaded any of his neighbors, he’d BOMB RED SQUARE. “No you wouldn’t” replied Putin. “I might” said Trump with a head nod. It’s funnier if you say it in Trump’s voice but the reality is that Putin did not invade any neighbors while Trump was in office. Would Trump bomb Red Square, or wouldn’t he? This is world-class strategic ambiguity, and it should make you wonder if what you’ve been told about Trump’s relationship with Putin is true. Hint: it isn’t.
Depending on where you get your news, you might think that Trump intends to be a dictator—after all, he did say he would be a dictator “on day one”. This is a great example of a fundamental misunderstanding that most anti-Trumpers hold, fed by a breathless media, and that is in taking him literally when in reality he is joking. Trump was asked by a reporter if he intends to be a dictator. This would be an offensive question to any sane person, but rather than be offended Trump joked “well, maybe on day one.” meaning that he would be issuing a number of Executive Orders on day one, as ALL presidents do. The press leaped on this quote and promoted it widely, as they do with anything he says which could be made to make him look bad. When Trump does not behave like a dictator, except on day one of course, you should wonder if what the press told you to think about Trump being our next dictator is true. Hint: it’s not.
If you believed all these characterizations, you might be wondering why the press so biased against Trump? Could they really be peddling lies? If so, why?? Is it because he’s an actual danger to the American people and DEMOCRACY ITSELF, or is it because he is a danger to “the swamp”– the thousands of unelected federal employees gorging on our taxes and those who make millions off the system? The majority of Americans have decided that it’s the latter and voted accordingly. Here’s a tip to help ease any potential future anxiety– if you hear Trump say something crazy, ask yourself “is he joking or serious?” Most likely he’s joking. He does that a LOT. If you’d let him, you’d find he’s actually very funny. Hilarious, even.
Trump is a happy, funny guy and happy funny people make jokes. Politics does not have to be so serious ALL the time, just enough of the time to be effective. Humor can also be a very effective persuasion tool. Let it go and allow yourself to laugh and you might even find that you might even ENJOY having Trump as your President again. Millions of Americans do already, and they sure seem happier than some of the glum faces walking around Portsmouth. Remember, most of the “crazy” things you heard he said were in fact taken out of context because the media hates him for exposing them as the “fake news” that they are. Ironically, this just makes the average American trust the mainstream media even less and it is clear that they are losing their influence. This is just one reason why they fight Trump so hard.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Either the majority of Americans knowingly voted for a Russia-loving woman-hating racist dictator, OR they were ALL fooled by the crazy red cult and unwittingly voted for the Russia-loving woman-hating racist dictator despite you knowing “the truth” about the man OR, just perhaps, YOU were the one who was misled by the media and most of what you think you know about Donald Trump is actually false.
I contend it is the latter and that fears about a second Trump term are unfounded. If I’m right–and I am– we can expect a time of American exceptionalism, peace, health, and unprecedented prosperity. Those who voted for Trump did so because they want America to be great again in all the ways a country can be great– not because they are racist, misogynists, or fascists. I believe Trump will deliver for everyone. Have faith America, we’re all in this together. Give the man a chance.
Guest Columnist Alan Forbes is the Chairman of the Portsmouth Republican Committee
