Reason for hope as Trump is inaugurated
DONALD Trump takes the oath of office Friday, and Barack Obama officially becomes a former president. It’s the end of one era, the beginning of another.
We weren’t fans of Obama’s policies, but like many conservatives we had significant concerns about Trump. Yet Trump’s actions since the election (his incessant tweeting aside) should reassure conservative skeptics, and the case for optimism is growing.
Trump promised to shake up the status quo. Many of his Cabinet nominees have sent a clear sign of follow-through on that important goal.
The Obama administration often exceeded its regulatory authority in pursuit of initiatives that were driven by ideological obsession, not the public good. For sure, the Trump administration will oppose flagrant pollution of natural resources, but it’s unlikely to try to regulate normally dry land as a “tributary” of sitting bodies of water. That’s a low bar to clear, but one that removes an impediment to economic growth.
Similarly, it’s hard to believe a Trump administration will micromanage public schools’ bathroom policies or impose constitutionally dubious review processes on college campuses.
While showing isolationist tendencies, Trump has also promised to strengthen the military. Once again, that will be a welcome change. U.S. weakness during the past eight years has only emboldened our country’s enemies. A strong military is a deterrent to war, not the cause of it.
Trump’s plan to revamp the tax code and free job creators is a tall order. But should he succeed, that effort also offers a big reward: strong economic growth for the first time in well over a decade. All Americans should hope he succeeds.
On education, Trump has been a voice for school choice and increasing opportunity, in particular for low-income children. He’s also vowed to focus on rejuvenating inner cities. Both efforts involve Republican outreach to communities that do not typically vote Republican, but whose needs are very real and have been ignored for too long.
The issues of trade and immigration may pose the greatest risk for Trump. Few doubt the United States could have better trade deals. But if those efforts turn into trade wars, it will be to the detriment of all Americans.
As for immigration, Trump appears to have moderated his stance, much to his credit. Mass deportation, which would be logistically difficult and economically destructive, appears to have been set aside. Instead, he has emphasized stricter enforcement of immigration laws combined with catching and deporting violent criminals who are here illegally. Few will argue with those goals.
Trump’s election has prompted the Washington press corps to rediscover the value of skepticism in covering a presidency. Press vigilance is a bulwark against corruption and abuse of power — if you doubt it, just look at how the Obama administration responded to the kid-gloves treatment it received from the national media for two terms. Thus, this development is also, ultimately, a positive thing, even if done for the wrong reasons.
Even conservatives skeptical about Trump have enjoyed watching the liberal meltdown in response to his election. Yet the goal of a Trump presidency isn’t to drive liberals crazy, but to make the nation safer and more prosperous. On this Inauguration Day, we join Americans of all stripes in hoping Trump succeeds in achieving those goals.