Even those who did not support his presidential campaign will admit that President Elect Donald Trump is a phenomenal businessman. However, there is some debate as to whether his “outsider” ways are an advantage or disadvantage when it comes to the presidency. On one hand, Donald Trump IS NOT a politician – a term generally associated with a negative connotation. On the other hand, he is not familiar with the way things work in Washington. Sure he has been able to run his business efficiently and yes he is successful, but being in charge of a business and being able to make decisions without the approval of anyone else isn’t exactly how the presidency works.
One of the topics we discussed was the fear that President Elect Trump would surround himself with cabinet members that only reinforced his weaknesses. Considering he is relatively new to the world of politics, he will most likely be relying on the advice and guidance of his appointees. Trump does seem to have potential to be a bipartisan president. Some believe he identifies as an independent, only seizing the republican party to use as a vehicle to win the presidency. This was such an incredible election different from any we have seen. His promises include “building a wall”, saving the coal industry, getting back all the manufacturing jobs the United States has lost along with maintaining economic growth and low inflation rates. This is a lot to take on for someone new to not only the presidency, but the world of politics. In a little over a week, the tone for the next four years will be set. The 2017 Presidential Inauguration will truly be a turning point in United States history.
One may ask, since the popular vote was so close, what factor put Trump over the edge and made him the victor of the 2017 presidential election? It has been 68 years since we have had a third term democratic presidency. Statistics show that all of the minorities and groups of people that Secretary Clinton believed would vote for her (African-Americans, Hispanics, young people and women) are actually drastically less likely to vote than white males. Clinton did end up receiving the majority of the minorities’ votes, but Trump pulled ahead gaining the majority of votes from both educated and uneducated whites which make up a large portion of the voters in the United States. It is debatable, but some believe Clinton simply did not campaign as hard in cities and states whose votes she believed she already had. Another theory is that she spent too much time raising campaign funding and not enough time actually campaigning. Regardless, it seems as though Clinton’s political career has come to and end just as Donald Trump’s is beginning.
We were privileged to meet with Alex Wong, the Foreign Security Adviser and General Counsel to Senator Tom Cotton, in the Russell Senate building in D.C. to discuss some of the foreign policies that Senator Cotton supports. A couple examples being
that we need to increase defense spending and invest in our nuclear capabilities. Mr. Wong was
the Foreign Security Adviser for Governor Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign in 2012. Although the republican party lost the 2012 election, Wong is hopeful for the Trump administration and had many insightful opinions to offer ranging from the kind of cabinet members Trump should appoint to Trump’s friendly relations with the Russian President Vladimir Putin. It was clear he also believes his own boss, Senator Cotton, will continue to rise in the world of politics.
After a long day discussing the Trump Presidency and foreign policy, we ended day 2 with a walk around the city visiting the United States Capitol building, the Democratic National Headquarters and Union Station. The city of D.C. is promising with a new administration on the horizon. There is a lot of anxiety and anticipation as far as what to expect, but we have made it through 44 presidencies as a nation so bring on number 45!