Jerry Kremer returned to the 2016 election to question whether Donald Trump was really “the lesser of two evils.”
Undoubtedly many voters, including me, elected him on that basis. But after President Trump’s 15 months in office, Mr. Kremer’s conclusion that Hillary Clinton was the lesser evil makes it appear that he must have been living on Mars during this time period.
Not only has my affection for the president not “disappeared” since his election, it has grown immeasurably.
Kremer gratuitously cites the tax cuts as the president’s only accomplishment.
But this is only a drop in the bucket of his recent achievements.
Even the tax cut, initially derided by New Yorkers because of the $10,000 cap on state and real-estate taxes, has turned out to be a bonanza.
An accountant told me that, based on his what-if software scenario, 95 percent of his clients would have 2018 taxes reduced from 2017 by an average of $2,000.
Extensive domestic and foreign successes have resulted from the accomplishment of campaign promises.
Domestically these include the tax cut, the regulatory reform, Affordable-Care-Act improvements, approval of three oil pipelines and opening up areas to oil and gas drilling, repatriation of overseas cash holdings and more.
The unemployment rate, 4.8 percent at Trump’s inauguration, is now at 3.9 percent, the lowest in 17 years, and has not been lower in 49 years; since 1969 when it was 3.5 percent.
Moreover, Black and Hispanic unemployment are at the lowest rates since records were kept in 1972. Black unemployment is now 6.6 percent and Hispanic, 4.8 percent.
The stock market (S&P-500), even following the 2018 decline to date, has doubled since inauguration day.
This compares to a 41 percent rise under President Obama for the same time period.
Foreign successes have been similarly dramatic.
The Middle East has rapidly improved with Trump’s leadership from the front instead of from behind. The successes began with the rapid defeat of ISIS following no progress during the prior administration under which ISIS rapidly expanded.
We established an anti-Iran alliance with nations including Egypt, Jordan and Saudi-Arabia. We recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital with no opposition from these allies.
We enforced our red line against Syria with two bombings a year apart. President Trump is preparing to fix or cancel the weak nuclear agreement with Iran, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Our Middle East progress based upon peace through strength, and presidential warnings, redounded to an announced reversal of North Korea’s nuclear and missile program pending forthcoming negotiations.
President Trump is determined to avoid repeating previous errors, that enabled that program to progress, by insisting on actions as conditions for the meeting.
As a result, three American prisoners have been released from a labor camp and moved to a hotel pending release.
President Obama received a Nobel Peace prize at the very outset of his term of office and must have disappointed the Nobel committee. President Trump was proposed as an awardee by the president of South Korea based on Trump’s achievements to date.
President Trump’s accomplishments bear out the adage, “You cannot tell a book by its cover.”
They are a victory of substance over style. From his improvement in the polls, many agree.
Didn’t Jerry Kremer know about all the above?
Len Mansky
Roslyn
