Donald Trump is a bombastic blowhard with an inflated ego and the maturity of a fifth grader.
And yet I fully intend to vote for him on election day.
What this post is not: I do not intend to try to convince liberals or leftists to vote for Trump. That is an exercise in futility. If you don’t hold values that are consistent with his, why would you vote for him?
No, this post is meant to directly appeal to those who have similar values to the ones Trump espouses, but who find the man distasteful and unappealing.
I won’t stay silent about a cause that means a great deal to me
I know by writing this article I invite all sorts of negative feedback in response. This holds true for critical writing in general, let alone for a topic as emotionally charged and potentially divisive as politics.
But I’m not going to stand by and remain silent regarding a cause about which I feel so strongly. I am a Christian man with strong conservative values who loves the principles upon which this country was founded. As the fabric of this country is pulled apart at the seams, I intend to clench the two sides together, or at least cling to the cloth woven together by our Founding Fathers.
I feel our country is irrevocably divided. One side of the aisle wants to uphold traditional American values. The other wants to alter it beyond recognition. Some people want to blame Trump for the division, but that is simplistic, narrow-minded scapegoatism. The fact is, Trump was the effect of a divided nation, not the cause of it. He was voted into office in 2016 precisely because of how far to the left the Obama administration pulled this country.
And if Donald Trump is what it takes to prevent the country from becoming an unrecognizable shadow of its former self, so be it. I’m on board. Even if it means receiving criticism in the process.
To vocally support Trump is to willingly accept blowback
We’ve reached a sad state of affairs in America when two people cannot engage in political discourse without negative remarks entering the fray. When a potentially explosive topic is brought up, we retreat to our respective political tribes and defend the bastion with all that we’ve got. Oftentimes, personal attacks are fired from both sides of the aisle, but they’re particularly heinous coming from the Left.
For instance, Trump supporters literally have been called racists based on nothing more than having light-colored skin and supporting a fallible, often contentious man. To the Left, it’s not enough to call Trump a racist — a claim short on evidence and long on conjecture. No, Trump’s supporters must suffer, too, for “enabling” the man.
I shrug my shoulders, of course, recognizing the slur for what it is: an ad hominem attack used to silence Trump supporters and distract them from real issues that they care about.
Still, it hurts to be called something you know that you’re not, which is precisely why the Left does it. If they can’t beat you via the mind, they’ll instead go after the heart.
Trump’s words and the Left’s attacks have swayed at least some Republicans and Independents
While I refuse to be swayed by negative attacks, the Left’s onslaught has indeed influenced at least some of Trump’s 2016 supporters.
By now, I’m sure most of America is familiar with the term “Never Trumper.” These are not Democrats, of course. No one would ever expect Democrats to support Trump based purely on ideological differences.
No, these Never Trumpers are Republicans and conservative-leaning Independents who can’t stand Trump’s rhetoric and style. Despite having more in common with Trump’s policies than they do with any politician from the Left, Never Trumpers won’t vote for Trump.
Many of the people who voted for Trump in 2016 have soured on him in 2020. They can’t stand his “mean tweets.” They don’t like how he’s not “presidential.” They’re turned off by his arrogance or egotism. They feel he’s a bad role model for our nation’s youth. (That last one is awfully frivolous, if you ask me.)
To all of those reasons, and many more, I scratch my head and say, “so what?”
Voting for President of the United States is not like casting a ballot for student council class president
In 2016, I voted for neither Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton. I didn’t like either choice and I thought both were personally off-putting. Not to mention, I live in the solidly blue state of Illinois (thank you very much, Cook County), so I didn’t feel my vote mattered anyway.
Sometime between then and now, I wised up. I thank conservative radio talk show host Dennis Prager for his wisdom and clarity to help me see the truth. And that truth is this: Americans place entirely way too much emphasis on the politician rather than the policies.
We’re not voting to elect kings or role models. At least, we shouldn’t be. We should be voting for our values. We should be voting for a candidate who will serve as a fighter and spokesperson for the policies that are important to us.
And for anybody to vote against his or her own values because they don’t like the personality of the politician advocating for them is a mind-boggling, egregious lapse in judgement.
Sometimes I feel like Americans are voting for the next student council class president. You can remember those days, can’t you? Students didn’t vote for the candidate they felt would best lead the student body. They didn’t throw their support behind someone who would fight for them and get things done. Frankly, they didn’t side with the classmate who would necessarily do the best job.
No, they voted for the most popular kid. The “cool” kid. The kid that they liked on a personal level. In other words, it was a nonsensical popularity contest.
Frankly, Americans have to stop focusing so much on a candidate’s personality and instead focus on the policies he or she advocates and fights for.
Donald Trump has earned my vote this election cycle
I learned my lesson after not voting for Trump in 2016. I didn’t think he was a true conservative, nor did I like his personality.
But even if he wasn’t a “true conservative” — note: he has been — I still should have been wise enough to realize that his policies were far more conservative and in line with my values than those of Hillary Clinton. And I should have voted accordingly.
I don’t plan to make the same mistake again. I still live in deep blue Illinois, so my vote isn’t exactly going to move the state out of the Joe Biden column on election night. But I can at least leave the polling place feeling good that I voted for my values instead of voting for or against either candidate’s superficial qualities.
Here are 10 reasons why I am supporting Donald Trump for re-election. But more specifically, voting for the policies I care about and want a president to champion.
1. Trump is an unashamedly, outspokenly pro-life president
The list of reasons for me to support Trump can realistically begin and end with this one. Among the bad decisions made throughout our country’s history, there are two that stand out above the rest. Two of them leave repugnant stains on our country’s legacy: the institution of slavery and the decision on Roe v. Wade that gave women an unconstitutional right to murder babies in the womb.
The former stain was rectified. The latter, I pray, will one day soon follow.
The most famous line in one of the most important documents in the history of mankind is this:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Declaration of Independence
Did you catch that last part?
“Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
“Life, Liberty…”
“Life…”
As George Costanza says, “It’s the first one!”
God made all of mankind in his image. He knows babies in the womb, and has made plans for them even before then. For women — aided by doctors — to end the human life God made, and deny the right to life declared in the Declaration of Independence, it is a tragic miscarriage of justice.
Trump has been one of the most pro-life presidents in modern history, and certainly since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973. He was the first President to publicly participate in the March for Life. He reinstated the Mexico City policy which prohibits federal funding for private organizations that perform abortions. And he has taken a number of other steps to protect the sanctity of human life.
2. Trump has filled the judiciary with constitutionalists / textualists / originalists
The meaning of the constitution, like the bible, cannot be changed.
Oh, the constitution surely can be amended. And an amendment is what is required to alter the meaning of it. But it is not a living, breathing document that is open to interpretation based on the changing culture and the whims of its population.
Alexander Hamilton argued that the judicial branch was the least dangerous of the three great branches of government. The reason was simple: it could not make laws, implement taxes, or create war. The duty of the judicial branch was — and is — to interpret the laws as written.
Unfortunately, in recent years, the judicial branch has become all too powerful. Liberal justices have been “legislating from the bench” and interpreting the constitution through today’s lens, rather than when the laws were written.
Frankly, that’s a breach of their duties. Thus, it’s imperative, for the good of our country and the sustainment of our founding principles, that our judiciary be filled with constitutionalists. Call them what you want: originalists or textualists. Either way, this type of judge properly interprets the laws as written at the time of their ratification, and doesn’t let personal opinion or public sentiment alter their judgement.
One of the most dangerous forms of government, which happens more often than it should, is when one political party controls both houses of Congress as well as the White House. When this occurs, the party in power is essentially able to ram through any legislation they want with very little resistance.
Fortunately, our Founding Fathers knew the importance of the judicial branch as an additional check and balance on government overreach. If the executive or legislative branches overplay their hand, the Supreme Court can rein them back in by declaring something unconstitutional.
But, alas, if the Supreme Court ever became a “super-legislature” that acted as an additional house of congress, there would be nothing that separated us from governmental tyranny.
Many Democrat leaders have advocated “packing the Supreme Court” to put more liberal justices on the high court. If this ever happened, and the Democrats also controlled the White House, Senate and House of Representatives, there would be no “check and balance” on the federal government.
It’s a scary thought, and a huge reason why I will vote for Trump and the Republican party.
3. Trump is a staunch protector of religious liberty
As I’ve already mentioned, I am a Christian. Being able to worship, speak, and practice my faith freely without government intervention is one of the most important fundamental rights that we have as Americans.
As a Christian, there is nothing more important in this world to me than God. He is the creator of everything. Before there was the United States of America, there was just this big chunk of land that would one day house the greatest nation ever created. He is responsible for all. I thank him for my daily breath, for food and shelter, and for my family and friends. These are just a few of the things I’m thankful for.
Now, imagine a country in which everything I just wrote in the previous paragraph could get me arrested and/or executed. Sadly, Christians around the world are, in fact, being executed for their beliefs. As recently as last year, a BBC report noted Christian persecution is at “near genocide levels.”
We are blessed as Christians to live in this great country and not have to face physical persecution like others abroad. But that doesn’t mean our faith isn’t being attacked in a number of different ways.
Christians are verbally shamed by many secularists. They are mocked and ridiculed for believing what they do. One of the most prominent Christians at this moment is our current Vice President, Mike Pence. He takes the brunt of scorn for his views.
For instance, I think of the time Pence said he doesn’t dine alone with a woman who is not his wife. Given the temptation that comes with such a compromising situation, along with the appearance of impropriety, many Christians hailed him for the decision and called it “honorable.” Of course, for secularists, it was viewed as sexist and illegal, and deemed to “hurt women.”
Words are just words, so I don’t mind hearing the rebuke. After all, I believe in one of the other most fundamental rights we have as citizens: free speech. What I don’t like and won’t tolerate is the government’s insistence that we do something against our beliefs, or that the government would ever prohibit us from doing something according to our faith.
Trump has been a champion for religious liberty. The secularism of the Left is moving away from this basic and fundamental freedom.
4. Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and advocates lower taxes in general
“In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes,” said founding father Benjamin Franklin.
Every human comes to this epiphany at some point when they realize what our taxes pay for. The primary duty of a government is to protect and defend its citizens. Most Americans of all political stripes can at least agree upon that.
The problem comes into play when the role and size of government is discussed (more on that later). As government increases, and as more entitlement programs are introduced, taxes need to go up in order to pay for them.
As a conservative, I want as little government intrusion into American life as possible. Thus, taxes should be as minimal as possible to achieve basic operation and defense.
In short, I want to keep my money — or God’s money, technically. I want the individual responsibility to determine how to spend my money, and to whom to give it.
The government is terrible with money. It is best explained by why we’re $27 trillion — give or take a trillion — in debt. It doesn’t know how to properly handle money.
The bible, on the contrary, spells out very specifically how we should handle our money. We must take care of our household first, for if you do not you are worse than an unbeliever. We should leave an inheritance to our children’s children. It is important to give at least a tenth to the Lord, to our local church or ministry. We are called to take care of the widows and orphans and others truly in need. We should give generously because God loves a cheerful giver. And yes, “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.”
Many Democrats take these commands as though the government should be doing all the giving. But that’s missing the point. God, indeed, loves a cheerful giver and he wants us to become givers. If we have our money taken from us, we’re not exactly “giving generously,” are we?
Not to mention, we don’t get to earmark what our taxes are paying for. It’s not like we can say, “please put 75% of my taxes toward the military, 15% toward the police, and 10% toward infrastructure.” No, our government officials choose where our money goes, and oftentimes it’s toward a cause we don’t believe in. That’s why I continue to support the Hyde Amendment, which bars the use of federal funds to pay for abortion.
Trump gave America a tremendous tax break with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017. When that passed, my paychecks increased. Cynics and critics of the President claimed that it only benefited the most wealthy. But, I’m nowhere near “the wealthy” whom many on the Left claim were the sole beneficiaries of the tax cut.
Studies have shown that most Americans, despite the skepticism, paid less in taxes.
5. Trump has triggered the greatest economy and lowest unemployment pre-pandemic
A sign of good times is a growing and thriving economy. Under Trump’s leadership, America was prospering at record levels. The stock market was at an all-time high and unemployment was at record lows across all demographics. Things were going great … and then the China virus hit.
(And for the record, no, it is not racist or xenophobic to label the virus by its country of origin.)
Unemployment probably wouldn’t have hit the levels that it did this year had it not been for the country going into lockdown. As it is, many Democrat-led states continue to siphon the life out of small businesses across the country with overbearing lockdowns and regulations.
And yet, in spite of our slow ascension from the disaster that is the pandemic, the economy is on the rise and the stock market is once again strong. And this is an indicator that investors feel good about the direction of the country despite the pandemic. If Trump was able to do it once, he will do it again. I have no doubt that if he is re-elected, the economy will once again soar as the virus is brought under control.
Many Democrats make the false claim that Trump inherited this great economy and is riding Obama’s coattails. This is wrong for at least two reasons.
First, when Trump took office he immediately started cutting regulation. He implemented a 2-for-1 regulation requirement: two regulations must be eliminated for every one new regulation put forward. This deregulation has allowed businesses to grow, and coupled with the tax cuts, the economy thrived. Therefore, if Trump cut regulations and taxes, thus differentiating his model from Obama’s, wouldn’t it stand to reason that the economy would get worse, not better?
Second, America is on the path to recovery. I don’t know if we’ve hit a V-shaped recovery or not, but it definitely has rapidly improved from the doldrums over the summer and immediately following the lockdowns. If Trump hadn’t taken the steps he did early and throughout his term to remove burdens from small businesses, I don’t think we would have seen the bounceback that we have. In fact, we might have seen an even worse economy at the moment.
6. Trump believes in smaller government and advocates states rights
The beauty of America is that we are a republic. And yet, too many Americans have forgotten or failed their high school civics classes.
We are not one country beholden to a federal government that thinks it knows what is best for Americans who live in all parts of this great land.
No, we are the United “States” of America. There is a division of power between federal and state governments, and for good cause, too. What is good for the people of one state does not necessarily hold true for those of another.
Thomas Jefferson once wrote, “A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.”
Plato once said, “Does not tyranny spring from democracy?”
We are a representative government. We give power to those we elect, and the republic protects the rights of the minority.
The 10th Amendment came to be a reaffirmation of our system of federalism. It further defined the limited powers of the federal government and stated that any powers not delegated by the constitution would be reserved for the states.
Of course, my family lives in a Democratic stronghold of Illinois and we’ve seen the corruption and destructive policies firsthand. But it’s nice to know that if things ever got so bad, a quick jaunt to a state that promotes values more in line with our own could be an option.
7. Trump believes in “America First”, has defended Israel and brokered peace
In short, Trump’s foreign policy has been one I’ve almost completely agreed with.
For starters, he built his campaign on a message of “America First” nationalism. While it’s important to have good relations with our neighbors and allies around the world, we must think about our own interests first and foremost. It does no good to get into pacts with other nations that put us at a disadvantage and cost us more money than it does other countries.
Trump renegotiated a better trade deal with Mexico and Canada (the USMCA). He withdrew America from the Paris climate accord, which would have raised energy prices and cost the country thousands of jobs. He wisely withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal — one of the worst blunders of the Obama administration.
Trump opened dialog with Kim Jong Un and North Korea, which drew a lot of backlash from members of his own party as well as from Democrats. They felt it legitimized the dictator on a national stage. I have mixed feelings on the summits. But one thing for sure is that it has kept North Korea relatively quiet from conducting intimidating missile tests.
One of the best foreign policy decisions Trump has made was to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and he has been a staunch defender of our Middle East ally throughout his presidency.
Trump also brokered the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement, a peace deal between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, which opened up trade and travel between the nations.
And finally, less than two weeks to election day, he achieved one more win in foreign policy when he announced a peace deal that would normalize ties between Israel and Sudan.
These peace agreements are a big deal. A very … big … deal.
8. Trump has rebuilt and forged a strong military and has worked to end overseas wars and interventions
Trump has pledged since he first began running for president that he intends to stop America’s involvement in overseas wars. That is a promise made and a promise kept. Not only is he ending foreign conflict, but he hasn’t started any new wars, either.
Trump also understands, and I agree, that tough negotiation and a large military is often enough to serve as a deterrent to certain bad actors on the world stage.
If and when a military strike were ever needed, we are in a much better place today than we were four years ago after the Obama administration bowed down to our adversaries and cut back funding to our military.
9. Trump believes in merit-based immigration and recognizes the importance of strong borders
Ronald Reagan one said, “A nation that cannot control its borders is not a nation.” Donald Trump paraphrased that when he said, “A nation without borders is not a nation.”
Many folks on the Left agree with this sentiment and simply don’t care. They want to live in a globalist society and couldn’t care less about the uniqueness and greatness of American values.
The fact remains that if we wish to have a secure, safe and prosperous nation, we need to have strong borders. We need to know who is coming and going lest a terrorist cell form in our homeland and we become unable to contain it. That’s a worst-case scenario, obviously. But the other dangers we face, which are very much real and alive, are a flow of illegal drugs and dangerous criminals like MS-13 into our country.
If you dismiss the threat of illegal drugs and/or MS-13, clearly you listen to the mainstream media. But there are, in fact, active members of the gang infiltrating our streets who commit the most heinous of atrocities. Just read some of the things they do to their victims and it will make you cringe.
We must have strong borders so we can keep our cities safe. Democrats support sanctuary cities that harbor suspected or convicted criminals. These criminals often are repeat offenders who commit additional crimes after these cities release them back onto the streets. It’s baffling to me how anybody can think this is wise policy.
Many on the Left construct a straw man argument that “we are a nation of immigrants” and Trump closing our borders is somehow racist or xenophobic. This is just nonsense. Of course we’re a nation of immigrants. Nobody is arguing that point, so it’s trivial to say that. The country needs to be safe and secure and we need to accept immigrants who will offer something to our society, not those who will drain our resources and leech off government entitlements.
On the issue of merit-based immigration, I believe we need to accept the best and brightest into this country so that we can remain prosperous. That’s not xenophobia, that’s common sense.
10. Trump defends our police, recognizes the importance of law and order, and defends gun rights
The year 2020 has been a real eye-opener, and not just because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rise in violence, rioting, arson and looting in some of our country’s major cities has put an extra emphasis on the need for law and order.
The death of George Floyd after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly eight minutes set off a firestorm of anti-police hatred across the nation. There were peaceful protests, to be sure. But those were largely overshadowed by the literal burning of some of our nation’s cities.
Amid the calls for “police reform” have been other demands to “defund the police.” The idea of taking money and resources away from the police when they’re already underpaid and understaffed is asinine. In fact, one would think that the rioting and looting taking place would serve as evidence for more police resources, not less.
Trump ran in 2016 on a platform of national defense and security and called himself the “law and order candidate.” He wants to help the people of Minneapolis, Portland, Seattle, Kenosha and other cities where rioting and looting has taken place. But those cities, run by Democrats, were resistant to allowing federal authorities to come in and clean up the mess.
The choice is clear: Democrats are willing to look the other way in the face of wanton destruction of public property because they’re afraid of upsetting their base of supporters. By refusing to accept federal assistance and quashing the violence immediately, they’re essentially admitting that an “anti-Trump, anti-police” public policy is more important than law and order.
I heartily stand behind our police officers. There are no doubt some “bad eggs” out there, just as there are in every profession in the country. But our police are the last line of defense between civility and chaos. It’s where the term “thin blue line” came from. This is one area of government spending for which I’d be perfectly happy supporting an increased budget.
If Democrats took over and defunded the police, do you know who would have to make up the difference? Law-abiding gun owners.
Americans — humans worldwide, frankly — have a God-given right to protect their lives, families, and property. The founders of the country knew that Americans had the right to protect themselves against not just a foreign enemy but a tyrannical government as well. This is why they passed the Second Amendment and why it remains important to this day.
Interestingly, and contrarily, many of the same people who are calling to defund the police are also those who are calling for gun confiscation. So, in that event, who would protect you and your property, I wonder?
Conclusion
Ronald Reagan once asked Americans, “Are you better off today than you were four years ago?”
I can emphatically say that my life is better now than it was in the buildup to the 2016 election. And I’m not alone, either. According to a Gallup poll, a record 56% of registered voters say they are better off now than they were four years ago.
In the face of a pandemic, violent riots, and a strong political divide, that speaks volumes.
I also believe that the country and its founding principles and traditional values are better protected now than they were in the waning days of the Obama administration. Trump has been a surprising champion for conservative principles and Christian values.
In an ideal world, the President of the United States would walk on water. Literally. It would be Jesus Christ. But, alas, Jesus is not a politician and when he returns, everything will be different.
But my fellow Americans on the Left, along with any of those Never Trumper Republicans or conservative-leaning Independents, need to stop imagining that a sinless man like Jesus — the only sinless man ever — will go walking through the White House.
Politicians are human and humans are sinful, fallible beings. You need to stop looking to the President as a role model and instead look to Jesus. The Son of God will give you the direction on how to live your life. It is him whom you can point to and tell your children to emulate. That’s not the role of the President of the United States.
When you’re voting for President, or for any other political office, stop looking at “style” and focus on the policies. Does it make logical sense to abandon your policies and values and vote for someone who holds positions completely opposite from your own, simply because that person might be “nice?”
No, I urge you not to abandon you values in pursuit of a nonexistent, inerrant candidate. Voting for politicians is like choosing a cable package: you don’t like everything that comes with it, but you choose the package that best fits your preferences and suits your needs.
If you don’t like Donald Trump because you don’t agree with his policies, that’s fine. That’s what makes the world go ‘round. But if you don’t like him because he’s a bombastic blowhard with an inflated ego and the maturity of a fifth grader, I urge you to reconsider your motives for voting.
If you find him that distasteful, do what I do with vegetables: plug your nose and eat the broccoli. You may not find it enjoyable, but it’s good for you and the country.
