2017: The year that Trump finally began to heal America
If you were to ask me in 2016 what 2017 would be like, I’m not certain that I could have provide d a clear and concise answer.
The former was the year that the elite and pundit class got it all so wrong leading up to President Trump 's election. Voters overwhelmingly rejected Hillary Clinton in the places that it mattered most and in an upset that surprised the political class, she lost in places that were previously solidly Democratic. Since his election, Trump has become the constant target of the mainstream media and liberal elites. That has ranged from celebrities attacking his family — including his youngest son Baron — to Kathy Griffin's portrayal of herself holding the decapitated head of our commander in chief.
Our nation has never seen vitriol at this level w ith any president prior to Trump. Despite it all, Trump has continued to move forward with his agenda of making America great again.
Immigration
Things have been rocky for the president, beginning with Executive Order 13769, commonly known as the “Muslim ban” or “travel ban.” Despite setbacks delivered by more than one court, the president persisted. That perseverance paid off when the Supreme Court finally vindicated him in deciding that he did indeed have the legal power t o impose su ch standards.
The president has also been persistent in signaling that national security and border security are priorities for his administration. He ended the Obama-era “catch and release” of illegal immigrants, which resulted in the release of violent illegals on American streets. We also saw an increase in resources dedicated to tackling gang violence by illegals. In all, 36 percent more criminal gang members have been arrested than in fiscal 2016. It's been a drastic change from the previous eight years, when illegal immigration was rampant.
Jobs and the Economy
The economy is growing at its fastest pace in more than two years and with the recent $ 1.5 trillion tax overhaul, many suspect things will only get better g oing into 2018. Think about it, w hen taxes go down for American corporations, the American economy reaps direct benefits. The net result will be positive because having the highest corporate tax rate in the industrialized world has hurt the economy and slowed job growth. The concept is simple: w hen taxes go down for the American people, our cit izens reap direct benefits. This year, Republicans have finally delivered on a twenty-year-old promise of reforming our outdated tax system to a system that restore s consumer confidence and fosters a pro-growth economy. Unemployment rates remain at a 17-year low, which helps all Americans, particularly often forgotten poor whites and minorities.
With the increased growth, the administration has also focused on other areas that have diminished growth, such as job-stifling regulations. As a growing small business owner, I can tell you firsthand that small b usinesses are over- regulated. With small business representing 49.2 percent of private sector jobs, government should deregulate industry to allow small business to keep more money to expand or hire new employees. President Trump signed an executive order that would remove two regulations for every one that’s created, effectively ending the mountain of duplicity that’s often found reeking from the government. To date, an estimated 8.1 billion has been saved as a result.
Trade
American goods are now worth more today than they were a year ago. With the opening of NAFTA, we’re able to make better deals that will benefit American companies and workers. We’re also seeing major corporations come back to the U.S. such as Foxconn, Broadcom Lim ited, Toyota, Mazda, and others. If you’re a farmer, you’re going to get a better deal for your corn and wheat when it’s traded to places such as China or Japan. If you’re in the manufacturing space, you’re going to see our goods have more of a priority, which allows business to make more money that can be used to increase wages for employees and hire new workers. There’s an undeniable chain effect that such changes will impact where the results are positive for goods made in America. Our enhanced trade practices should become a norm for American workers that will have tremendous benefit and so will the economy.
Conclusion
Despite his detractors, President Trump has delivered on many of his promises and the net results have been overwhelmingly positive for the American people. He has passionately promoted and staunchly defended his agenda, and he has done so despite the overwhelmingly n egative push back from Democrats in Congress as well as the mainstream media and liberal elite. He has remained steadfast, honest and true.
The size of government is shrinking, companies are keeping more of their profit, which benefits workers, and we are seeing our competitive edge return after years of the belief that because of our prosperity we are obliged to allow others to take advantage of it. Those days have finally coming to a screeching halt and we all will benefit from it.
Is there more work to be done? Of course, there is. Is the president imperfect? Absolutely! Could he improve in several areas? Yes. However, we all continue grow and mature from our experience, so as our country improves, and we should pray that our leaders do the same. This is only the beginning of the American turnaround, a recipe that puts America first and places us once again as the shining city on a hill.
Armstrong Williams ( @ARightSide ) is author of the brand new book, "Reawakening Virtues." He served as an adviser and spokesman for Dr. Ben Carson 's 2016 presidential campaign, and is on Sirius XM126 Urban View nightly from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern.
http://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/366440-2017-the-year-that-trump-finally-began-to-heal-america
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I have quite a bit to add to that short list.
Amen and Amen to your awesome 😎 and right on 👍👏 seed. Many thanks for seeding it here.
Haaha
That is yet to be seen.
Correction: Trump has had a very good year!
Indeed he has and so have we the American people. A great year for America.
So what you're saying is Obama did nothing for the lower and middle classes. Both lower and middle class have less disposable income, but hey at least they have worthless health insurance that doesn't cover anything because of the high deductibles and copays. I did have customers that had good health insurance until Obamacare, PPACA, ACA whatever you want to call it made their plans illegal, so they went into the exchanges sure their premiums are lower but the deductibles are so high that they are paying out of pocket for their healthcare and therefore cutting back on other services of which I was one of them. I still don't get where 22 million people now having to pay health insurance premiums and having less disposable income is a good thing for the economy. Of course it would be good for the evil insurance companies having people being forced to buy their insurance, oh wait a minute that's right they aren't evil anymore.
Great seed. It is right on the mark. 🎯 Trump is getting our economy growing again.
So to sum up:
Immigration: America is browning less quickly, a boon for white nationalists.
Jobs and the economy: Continuing the growth under Obama plus huge give-away to corporate America and the top 1% make the rich even richer and stocks continue to soar. Unemployment still dropping at the same rate as under President Obama, so far only a .6% gain. Wages still stagnate. A handful of corporations giving bonuses because they got their way with dismantling net neutrality which is going to cost us all more in the long run and hamper tech startups not able to pay the coming premiums to deliver their digital products.
Trade: Nafta still in effect, no major trade deals signed. We already had Toyota, Foxconn and others investing and plants planned years ago starting construction. A lot of promises for farmers but nothing to benefit them yet, corn prices still way below their 2011 peaks.
Conclusion: Trump made a lot of promises, has kept almost none of them. His major achievement passing the tax bill barely helps middle and low income Americans but benefits himself and his family to the tune of hundreds of millions along with other billionaires. White nationalists, white supremacists, Nazi's and the KKK are excited because of all the dog whistles and outright support Trump has shown them making them feel like the America they long for, one of inequality and discrimination, is possible again. Corporate raiders, dirty fossil fuels and other non-renewables are happy since regulations are being cut so they can damage the environment as much as they want, reap all the profits for their shareholders while paying rock bottom wages and leave the government tax payer to finance the superfund cleanup later. Trump is a boon for heartless industrialists and dictators everywhere and his 35% base is cheering him on with hopes they get some of the table scraps.
OMG, what does that mean? Are you viewing our immigration crisis through a racial lense? Maybe your'e a progressive trying to convince the immigrants that their is a racial bias against them or you believe that America is or was browning. I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but although the groups known as Hispanic are people of many races - the predominant race among Hispanics is white. America is not browning - never was. Hispanic's are also of European ancestry & mostly Christian. You may convince the more recent arrivals that they owe the democratic party a vote, but they are one demographic (and a big one) that will ultimately be Republican.
Jobs and the economy: Continuing the growth under Obama
Wrong. Obama was the only President never to see 3% GDP in any of his 8 years. He also never claimed to be looking to grow the US economy. If you recall his mantra was fairness (and social justice). The Stock Market & business was delighted when Trump won and before Congress passed his tax legislation, Trump had already dismantled most of Obama's stifling regulations.
Trade: Nafta still in effect, no major trade deals signed.
You may want to look back at the article. Nafta is being renegotiated.
Conclusion: The Trump phenomenon continues. The recent tax legislation which WILL put more money in the hands of workers begining in February and stimulates the US economy will eventually give the GOP a super majority in the Senate in 2018. You heard it here first!
I don't have to convince anyone of that, it's an obvious truth when Trump and his supporters show their prejudice against people from Mexico and pushing a Muslim ban.
"Obama was the only President never to see 3% GDP in any of his 8 years. He also never claimed to be looking to grow the US economy."
There were several quarters that far exceeded 3%, one as high as 5.2%. What ignorant Obama haters fail to take into consideration is that the GDP was NEGATIVE when President Obama took over so he had to bring it back from nearly -3% to the close to 2% he ended up averaging. That's a turn around of 5% if you're able to count. The dishonesty Obama haters have over his years is ridiculous. He could of had the terrorist who killed thousands of Americans on 9/11 taken out and they wouldn't even give him credit for that, oh wait, he did and they don't.
"Nafta is being renegotiated."
"On May 18, 2017, following consultations with relevant Congressional committees, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer informed Congress that the President intends to commence negotiations with Canada and Mexico with respect to the NAFTA."
NAFTA has not been "renegotiated", it still remains just as it has since 1994. Just claiming that we're going to "support higher paying jobs in the US" doesn't actually change anything.
"The recent tax legislation which WILL put more money in the hands of workers begining in February and stimulates the US economy"
Don't go spending your whole $66 a month extra in one place now...
As middle and low income Americans feel almost no relief from the new tax bill they will undoubtedly vote out the incompetent Republicans come November 2018. There is a tide that is rising against Trump and his 35% base will not be able to withstand it.
You've been doing it for decades - dividing America
There were several quarters that far exceeded 3%, one as high as 5.2%
A quarter is not a year, I never even seen a quarter like that under Obama. The FACT remains: Obama NEVER had a year of 3% growth - the ONLY President who failed to do it
NAFTA has not been "renegotiated"
from August:
Don't go spending your whole $66 a month extra in one place now...
Between 1 - $2,000 for most.
Suddenly liberals are worried it hasn't enough?, you haven't got anything right, just leftist talking points
Pushing for equality for all regardless of race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, faith or lack thereof is not dividing America, those who work against that American ideal because of their bigotry and prejudice are the ones continuing to divide America. Not all Trump supporters are Nazis, neo-confederates or KKK members, but all Nazis, neo-confederates and KKK members are Trump supporters and there's an obvious reason for that.
" A quarter is not a year, I never even seen a quarter like that under Obama."
The first quarter we hit 3% this past year Trump supporters and Trump himself were claiming he had turned the economy around and was averaging 3% which just wasn't true.
2nd quarter 2014: 4.6% , 3rd quarter 2014: 5.2% , 2nd quarter 2015: 3.2% -
Your own link on NAFTA admits it hasn't been renegotiated yet, they are still in negotiations, and says to do it by the end of the year "won't be easy".
" Between 1 - $2,000 for most."
The average will be $800 to $1200 a year for the middle income Americans. $800 divided by 12 = $66 a month, as I said.
" Suddenly liberals are worried it hasn't enough?"
Liberals and progressives have always been for tax cuts for the middle and low income Americans, we just don't support trickle down economic tax cuts for the obscenely wealthy or large corporations who are doing just fine right now. This tax cut is a huge boon for the top 1% including Trump and his family while giving chump change to middle and low income Americans.
BS! Youv'e been pushing for reparations & retaliation, telling people they are victims to gain their vote and trying to expand rights that were already established. Your elected leaders have called white Christians clingers & deplorables. You've promoted violence and wev'e had cops murdered in addition to Republicans shot at during a baseball practice. Youv'e made the country polarized and unsafe. Don't tell us that your'e noble
Liberals and progressives have always been for tax cuts for the middle and low income Americans
No you haven't. Youv'e pushed giveaways and redistribution and youve left this country $20 trillion in debt
Besides all the other BS in your comment, that piece of feces takes the cake. We had about $1 trillion of debt when Ronald Reagan took office, by the end of his two terms he had over doubled it to $2.6 trillion. Bush Sr. then added another $1.5 trillion leaving us with $4 trillion by 1992. From 1992 to 2000 Bill Clinton added $1.6 trillion, almost the same that Bush added in one term, and had balanced the budget leaving office with a $128 annual surplus instead of a deficit. George W. then took a $128 billion annual surplus and exploded it into a $1.4 trillion annual deficit by 2008 adding a whopping $5.5 trillion of debt and leaving us in two unfunded unnecessary wars, an economy in free fall, a -3% GDP, 10% national unemployment and $11.9 trillion of debt by the first month President Obama took office. President Obama took that -3% GDP and turned it into nearly 2% GDP growth, cut the $1.4 trillion annual Republican deficit down to $500 billion, cut unemployment from 10% down to 4.7%, the stock market from record lows to all time highs. Yes, during his time another $9 trillion was added to the debt but if he had just left the Republican deficit run it would have added $12 trillion, so he actually saved us $3 trillion over his two terms and rescued the economy. Just because conservative Republicans in the middle of nowhere who relied on dirty coal jobs and manufacturing jobs got left behind and might still be out of work doesn't mean everyone is feeling the same. 70% of those manufacturing jobs were lost to automation, not immigration. Blaming Democrats for $20 trillion of debt is beyond dishonest, it's blatantly false ignorant rhetoric.
A historically unpopular president pushing unpopular policies in between his McDonald's-fueled rage tweeting while enjoying widespread and unprecedented support from white nationalists (aka domestic terrorists) is neither normal presidential behavior nor aspects of a man leading a healing nation.
That was a purposeful run-on, in case anyone was wondering.
I can’t wait for a second four years and another Trump administration.