This past week I received a few not so pleasant letters in the mail objecting to my comments about the dysfunction in Washington and the conduct of the President of the United States.
I take pride in my writings because they reflect what I believe is the thinking of the majority of the American voters who want what I want, which is an America to be proud of. But in the interest of balancing the scales I will lay out the arguments pro and con about Donald Trump and let you pick what is your thinking.
On the plus side is the fact that the President has stimulated an open discussion about North and South Korea relations. He has secured the release of three American hostages as well. Perhaps his bullying of Kim has worked.
Some of my friends who invest in the stock market call it a “Trump Market” because it has risen so dramatically.
Many of the people who voted for Mr. Trump said they did so because he was a successful businessman and that he talks tough at a time when tough talk is timely.
His tweeting may be annoying to some but he maintains that is how he speaks to 100 million Americans and no one can disagree that he gets to his people with the flick of a few cell phone buttons.
Unemployment is at an all-time low and the latest announcements from Wall Street say that there are more jobs available now than ever before.
We live or die by statistics so for purposes of bragging about the president, his supporters point to the low unemployment and say that is part of his success.
Even if the crowds who attend his rallies are part of a loyal base, they come out in large numbers and cheer his every word.
We can argue about statistics but with all the tumult enveloping our country the President holds on to his people.
Come this November that base will be tested, as they will have to match the dissidents with vote for vote to be a real base.
As proof of his strength, many members of Congress continue to be loyal to him and support his every word. So there is no doubt that he has the strong support of a portion of our country.
I weigh all of these accolades with what I consider are the serious negatives about his presidency.
We live in a time when as the world’s leader we must work closely with our traditional allies such as England, France, Japan and Germany.
We would not have survived as a nation during World War II without England as an ally and we very much need those other countries for our economic survival.
Yet sadly, each and every day of the week the President disses them with thoughtless acts and angry words.
When he campaigned for the White House, Donald Trump pledged to “drain the swamp.” Regrettably, each day the swamp gets deeper thanks to his appointment of some of the most unqualified people in American history.
Education Secretary Betsy De Vos is a sworn enemy of our precious public school system. Interior Secretary Zinke is an accident waiting to happen with his lavish spending and daily undermining of the environmental quality of life.
Housing Secretary Ben Carson has turned on the very people who should be applauding his work and every day shows his vast ignorance of government and how it works.
Steve Schmidt, a lifelong Republican campaign advisor described the White House contingent in graphic terms. “From a personnel perspective, we’ve never quite seen the assemblage of crooks, just outright weirdos, wife beaters, drunk drivers, complete and total incompetents that’s been assembled.”
And last, but by far not the least is what Mr. Trump has done to the office of the president. For now, it is not the place that any normal child can point to and say, “I want to grow up to be like him.”
Put the pros and cons on the scale and then draw your own conclusion as whether or not you support President Donald J. Trump.
