A More Measured Trump 2.0 Was Never Going To Happen

Think back for a moment to the “good old days” of 2019 when the economy was humming along and, ignoring the Democrats’ desperate attempts to impeach and convict President Trump, things were going quite well, comparatively speaking. That is, until the Covid-19 monster hit our shores and all hell broke loose in 2020, including a crazy-quilt election that threw Trump out of office.

What followed during the Biden years was an over-the-top orchestration by the Dems to destroy Trump, or at least damage him to the point that he’d never have any political viability again. And with multiple efforts on different fronts dominating the headlines for several years, they almost succeeded. Between his survival of all the legal actions against him, as well as a miraculous avoidance of an assassin’s bullet tearing through his brain, we hoped and maybe even expected to see a more measured and mature Trump in his second term. Unfortunately, we’ve gotten pretty much the opposite. 

If there’s one thing Donald Trump has in common now with Richard Nixon (besides both being called “fascists” by the left), it’s a paranoia about his political enemies. While his supporters will claim that this feeling is richly justified, one who wears the mantle of the presidency must put his worst impulses aside for the good of the country. Arguably, Trump has failed to do this, as evidenced by recent actions that, ironically, give the leftists some red meat for their “authoritarian” claims. 

For instance, the recent creation of the Anti-Weaponization Fund, a $1.8 billion Department of Justice carve-out specifically for victims of “lawfare” against Trump supporters. Although I’m as appalled as anyone about the harsh treatment of many January 6^th protesters who were given far worse sentences than they deserved, fighting this fire with another one is not the answer. Not in this case anyway. Especially when this fund is being established as part of Trump’s settlement with the IRS that, among other things, shields him and his family businesses from potential IRS audits in perpetuity. There is a better way, as explained below, to get back at the leftists for their anti-American actions.

At this point, it would be easy for Trump’s defenders to blame his excesses on fellow Republicans, especially those residing in the Senate, who have deflected and spun and weaved around promises they made to support Trump’s agenda, most notably the Save America Act. And I’d have to agree that I share in the president’s frustration with the Senate leadership and their inability to get even the most common-sense legislation across the finish line. To the extent that his support of pro-MAGA primary candidates such as Ken Paxton of Texas promises a more conservative, more assertive type of Republican in future Congresses, this is all for the good for the country. But this type of reaction – getting rid of roadblocks to the common-sense agenda - needs to be applied in a lot more areas across the board.

Referencing again the excellent book, Unhumans: The Secret History of Communist Revolutions, by Jack Posobiec and Joshua Lisec, the authors cite, as a valid response to extreme leftist actions such as doxxing, cancellation, etc., an equal response from our side. They base that argument on the Hammurabi Code of Laws established by a Babylonian king over 4,000 years ago, which includes the law of reciprocity that has proven effective down through the ages. That is, if a potential offender knows that he or she will face severe consequences if they go through with an unethical, immoral, and possibly illegal action on behalf of their “cause,” perhaps they will think twice before taking that action. 

The authors also suggest that we respond with humor to make fun of our opponents (which is really easy to do). This not only defuses the fears one can have when one’s life is being upended by leftists’ efforts to discredit and destroy reputations, but it can expose the humorless left for the “empty tombs” that they are. Bottom line: the cultural Marxists need to be seen for who they really are, and humorous jabs (such as outlets like the Babylon Bee do regularly) are effective tools that get us away from accusations of “whining” about double standards and hypocrisy. Although such complaints are valid, they have not stopped the leftists from turning the ratchet even further to the left in response.

A current example of discrediting a leftist opponent is the surprise candidacy of Spencer Pratt for mayor of Los Angeles. Since Pratt was directly affected (losing his home) by the current mayor’s woefully inadequate response to the Palisades fires, it’s easy for him to condemn her lack of action, especially when she shows no remorse or regret.

Perhaps the most important issue that needs to be dealt with using the law of reciprocity is the ongoing fight to deport illegal aliens who have committed violent crimes. Every effort must be made to discredit, including calls for resignation or impeachment, governors like Virginia’s along with the liberal judges and district attorneys that impede deportation of these undesirable illegal aliens.

One could argue that President Trump has already put the law of reciprocity to use regarding his deportation plans and his use of sarcastic humor to discredit political opponents. However, using the federal budget to shield himself and his family from possible government actions is a bridge too far in my opinion.