A new kind of politics has swept into the nation’s capital.  Trump version two is like nothing America has ever seen – not even like Trump’s first term as President.  Nothing could have prepared us for a Presidency like this one!  

It almost feels like a fairy tale – but it is real.

It is a radical change from typical politics – which at other times in history has meant the rise of a would-be dictator, above the law.  But Trump’s allure is that he fervently believes in the American ideal of freedom and a constitutionally-limited government.

Trump version two, if anything, lays bare for us how destructively counter-American was Biden’s Presidency.  America’s resounding November election, if anything, re-affirmed that Americans have not forgotten the freedom they have that means so much; they emphatically sent Biden’s corruption and Kamala Harris’ anti-freedom socialist agenda to rot in history’s dustbin.

Headlines Say It All

The news headlines in the week since Trump’s inauguration say it all.

“Donald Trump is our president and Democrats have no idea what to do”

The Democrats have been ardent advocates for ever-increasing socialism since the Woodrow Wilson Presidency of 1913-20 and Franklin Roosevelt’s election in 1932.  But the more blatantly socialist the programs the Dems introduced, the less Americans liked what they saw.  

The 2024 election was a resounding rejection of the Democrat agenda – not only with Trump’s win, but putting the GOP in control of both the Senate and the House.

“Democrat strategists concede party brand is 'in the toilet' - and that's being 'generous'”

The careers and lives of Democrat politicians have been dedicated to a political purpose voters have clearly rejected.  Democrat politics have no place in a world of resurgent freedom and capitalism; indeed, what can Democrats do?

“President Biden pardons his siblings just minutes before leaving office”

The two-fold nature of Democrat politics was laid bare for all to see:  the issues included not only socialism, but also corruption.  Outgoing President Biden issued a blizzard of pardons in his final moments as President – not just for people already convicted of crimes, but also for people not even yet suspected of criminal behavior.  Are they guilty of something of which the public is unaware?

“Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government”

The corruption also included Biden’s use of the Justice Department (the FBI, etc.) to harass Trump and to even convict the former President of some imagined crime.

Biden’s pardons were an effort to avoid the consequences of a similar retaliatory effort which he expected would be taken by Trump.  “Lawfare” was clearly a policy Biden considered the norm.

But on January 20th, Trump’s first day as President, he issued a Directive, titled “Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government”.  

That document includes the words, “The prior administration and allies throughout the country engaged in an unprecedented, third-world weaponization of prosecutorial power to upend the democratic process.”  Trump subsequently made clear that such actions have no place in his Administration.  

“Coast Guard commandant terminated over border lapses, recruitment, DEI focus”

From the very beginning, Trump has made it clear that job performance is the sole criteria for Federal employment.  Prejudicial attitudes and criteria such as “diversity, equity, and inclusion” have no place in Federal employment, and will not be tolerated.

“Trump to deploy military to border, end Biden parole policies”

In another sad twist on the Democrat agenda, Biden was the first President to “unsecure” American borders.  The influx of illegals coming into the country was in the hundreds of thousands.  

Construction of the wall along the Mexico border begun by Trump during his first term was halted, and Biden even tried to sell the materials stockpiled for the wall.  Texas, which has to deal with those illegals, sued in court to stop the sale.  Construction of the wall will resume with Trump’s return.

“Parole policies” refers to a process allowing thousands of immigrants into the U.S. illegally – who presumably would be grateful to the Democrats, and vote accordingly (i.e., as has been done in the past, Democrats would appear at the residences of often-illiterate immigrants, saying, “Let me show you how to vote.”).

"Unleashing American Energy"

Energy reserves in the U.S. should make it a leading energy exporter.  But recent restrictions have reduced energy availability for American families, raising the cost of living.  Trump’s executive order “Unleashing American Energy” removes those restrictions.  

That executive order also encourages the requirement for the U.S. to become “the leading producer and processor of non-fuel minerals, including rare earth minerals” reducing “the global influence of malign and adversarial states”.  That is a direct reference to China’s dominance in the production of rare earth minerals.  Rare earth minerals are essential to the production of advanced electronic chips – particularly those used in combat aircraft.  Depending on China for such materials is certainly contrary to the interests of America and its allies.

The executive order also eliminates the “electric vehicle (EV) mandate”, with the intent to” promote true consumer choice, which is essential for economic growth and innovation”.  That mandate was clearly not in the best interests of Americans generally.  

A long list of mandates and directives made by previous Presidents were also revoked and eliminated.  Any analysis of this executive order will quickly reveal that the impact will be substantial, fostering a substantial level of economic well-being and improvement for Americans’ lives for many years to come.

One Week After Inauguration

A week after his Inauguration, the President met with Republicans from Congress.  His goal was clearly to galvanize their support and readiness to act on the legislative agenda which is needed to match the changes originating from the White House.  

First-term House Rep. Mike Haridopolos of Florida said, "This is exactly why we ran for office, to turn around this country as quickly as possible.  The president was in full form tonight.  And I'm so excited to be a part of this change.  You could feel the energy in the room, and I think people are very excited to get this agenda through, and more importantly see the results."

One Congressman summed up the result:  “Trump made politics fun again.”  

This Will Be One for the History Books

Historians will surely analyze President Trump’s two separate terms in office, contrasting that with what his second term would have been like if he had been re-elected in 2020.  

Having a four-year “halt-time break” surely has had a huge impact on Trump version 2.  It gave him time to understand where he made his mistakes, how to fix those mistakes, and the time to reflect on his political ideology, and to be more clear on which actions he should take.  It gave him time to pick a cadre of the best people for his second term, rather than dealing with the inertia from his first term.

History will also have to illustrate the conflict and contrast between Biden and Trump.  Biden’s dishonesty, corruption, missteps, senility, and lack of respect for the American citizenry become far more obvious in the period of the Presidential transition and the new President Trump.

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