It’s now quite in vogue to bash the President and forget his accomplishments. An article in Vogue magazine describes Trump’s legacy:
“Amid the daily onslaught of noise and bluster and tweetstorms — and despite wishful thinking about how little a political amateur would actually be able to achieve —President Trump has packed his presidency with attacks on women’s reproductive rights, immigration, the environment, and the LGBTQ community, to name only a few.”
Vogue certainly doesn’t pull any punches. And while everyone is entitled to her own opinions, I think Vogue has forgotten that American presidents have come in all varieties, according to the wide range of political views and opinions of the American people.
Vogue continues raise the alarm throughout its article, making clear judgements in its claims that
“the approaching 2020 election is also a vote on the heart, soul, and future of the country” and that “the story we tell ourselves about who we are as Americans is completely at stake and at risk of being erased by this administration.”
But they seem to forget that the American people voted to elect President Trump, and many of those same Americans view his presidency much differently. Vogue, the women’s-fashion-magazine-turned-political, will only describe the picture painted by an ever-growing political elite, that only bigots, racists, sexists and worse could possibly vote for a president such as Trump.
I’ve written elsewhere on the Democrats’ concerns regarding the Supreme Court but here I’d like to counter the narrative woven by Vogue and others, and illustrate what Americans have gained during Trump’s presidency so far by focusing on three issues: healthcare, the economy, and immigration.
Trump has helped to create better healthcare choices
Slowly, throughout his presidency, Trump has been working the roll back the ACA. Even while Democratic presidential hopefuls propose larger and beyond-expensive new healthcare plans, Trump has been working to make the American health system more affordable. Taking away the healthcare mandate has released Americans to choose the health insurance that works best for them.
At the same time, President Trump has worked to increase price transparency, so that we can actually see what we’re paying for instead of being hit with a huge price tag. This transparency will help Americans shop for non-emergency services, chipping away at the inflated hospital prices and cutting out the middle-man, the insurance companies.
While Democrats work to create an even larger single-payer healthcare plan, leading to unprecedented costs and government spending, lack of access to care and long wait times, the Republican Study Committee has been working on a more productive and better healthcare plan. This plan, “A Framework for Personalized, Affordable Care,” is aimed at protecting and empowering Americans with their healthcare choices, while allowing them to personalize their plans to their needs.
The American economy is booming
The President’s critics continue to cry wolf as they watch a flourishing American economy with the lowest unemployment in 49 years. While they continue to shout insults at President Trump, concerned about women and minorities during his presidency, the Left ignores the fact that throughout his presidency, both women and minorities have had record job growth. The New York Times reports their rapid gains in an article titled “Minority Women Are Winning the Jobs Race in a Record Economic Expansion.” There, they admit the huge strides that Hispanic and black women have made in employment and wage gains. Even CNN admits the record low unemployment rates of minorities.
The Washington Post had similar good news to report:
“women are predominantly driving this trend, which is so powerful that even many women who weren’t thinking about working — because they were in school, caring for kids or at home for other reasons — are being lured into employment.”
This is important, as the very people that some claim to be attacked by President Trump, women and minorities, are thriving and taking advantage of all the opportunities which are open to them. As the Wall Street Journal highlights, the “U.S. Is World’s Most Competitive Economy for First Time in a Decade.”
U.S. Immigration needs urgent attention
President Trump has been criticized for his crack-down on illegal immigration. But US immigration is in crisis. Unprecedented numbers are crossing our Southern border and this porous border is also letting in more and more illegal drugs to further fuel our opioid crisis and threaten the safety of the American people.
While the Left decries the “cruel” treatment of illegal immigrants in shelters along the border, we need to recognize that allowing immigrants in without proper processing and documentation puts the American public at risk. Our country has long been without a long-term solution to the immigration issues that we face. While we wish to open the American Dream to all those who may seek it, the US government has a duty to protect our national security, and this means that we must be able to control our borders.
Our immigration crisis has continued but at least President Trump has worked to put the American people first and protect the citizens he has sworn to serve. American freedom and security must be put first, no matter how much our hearts go out to those who wish to enjoy life in America.
Vogue says that “the Trump presidency hasn’t been ‘just an attack on immigrants, but an attack on our democracy.’” Let’s not forget for whom this democracy was built – the American people. The U.S. isn’t the only nation to make difficult immigration choices, look at the many European nations facing the refugee crisis from the war-torn Middle East. Even with tighter border control, the US is still the most welcoming country to immigrants.
There are many issues that affect American life but we must remember and recognize the great progress that has been made. Instead of decrying policies that haven’t always followed our preferred course, we need to celebrate where we are today — living in the land of the Free, and work together to make it even better.