In December last year, after his election, we asked our readers to pray that President Donald Trump have a presidential moment. He was so un-presidential acting during and after his election. As did we, millions of Americans did not expect him to be our next president. His election sent earth-fracking tremors throughout American’s political system.
Remarkably, this week his first speech before the joint session of Congress was very presidential.
During the campaign, we viewed him as a reality television celebrity, self-acclaimed, self absorbed billionaire businessman and philanthropist, self-anointed military genius, thrice married, adulterer, nationalistic apologist, racist hate-monger, megalomaniac capitalist, shameful misogynist, xenophobic, braggadocios taxpayer manipulator, unrepentant bully and vitriolic litigious tormentor.
Was our characterization grossly overstated and unfair? We hope so for the sake of this country.
We quote excepts from his worthy speech, some of which, if they become true, will be beneficial, especially to inner city residents. Of course, there are other aspects of his speech to which we take exception and absolutely do not endorse.
In his appearance before Congress, Trump’s speech was a “message of unity and strength” that was “deeply delivered from my heart.”
He said, “My job is not to represent the world. My job is to represent the United States of America.”
“We’ve financed and built one global project after another, but ignored the fates of our children in the inner cities of Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit — and so many other places throughout our land. He spoke of revitalizing our neglected inner cities, promising a rebirth of hope, safety, and opportunity.
He promised that our “crumbling infrastructure will be replaced with new roads, bridges, tunnels, airports and railways gleaming across our beautiful land.”
He said to the Congress “every problem can be solved. And every hurting family can find healing, and hope.”
He said his “administration wants to work with members in both parties to make childcare accessible and affordable, to help ensure new parents have paid family leave, to invest in women’s health, and to promote clean air and clear water, and to rebuild our military and our infrastructure.
He said “we will stop the drugs from pouring into our country and poisoning our youth — and we will expand treatment for those who have become so badly addicted….
“We want all Americans to succeed –- but that can’t happen in an environment of lawless chaos. We must restore integrity and the rule of law to our borders.”
The problem with President Trump is we find it difficult believe him. His private dealings with Russia and the hacking the Russians did to assist him in his political campaign against Hillary Clinton are still unresolved, which cannot be ignored.
He refusal to release his tax returns is also an unresolved issue. Does he have undisclosed business ties to Russia, which are inimical to the interests of the United States?
Will his tax returns reveal the nature of his international private business relationships, particularly with his alleged connection to Russia? or other foreign government? What is he hiding?
When President Ronald Reagan and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev were negotiating an arms control treaty in 1985-1988 in Geneva, Reykjavik, Washington and Moscow, Reagan had come to realize that the evil empire might be a negotiating partner.
So Reagan adopted a Russian Proverb made famous in dealing with the Russians: “We must trust but verify”.
Before he spoke to Congress.the 40 days leading up his speech, President Trump had a reputation of not telling the truth on many issues. His facts where characterized by his Special Assistant, Kellyanne Conway as “alternative facts”.
When he dislikes a news reports not favorable to himself, he dubs the news as “fake news”.
In his speech before Congress, the fact checkers revealed he did not again tell the full truth on his claims of new jobs creation, on the costs savings he achieved in the F-35, on middle east spending, on the federal debt, on unemplyment, trade deficit, and the impact of illegal immigration on crime, taxpayer money and jobs and other claims. Contrary to his assertion any massive tax cut will go to wealthy and paltry sums to regular Americans.
As difficult as it appears, Trump is still our President. But just as President Reagan regarded President Gorbachev, we must regard President Trump. We must trust him but verify.
We must continue to pray that he acts presidential.
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