Trump and de Blasio in Europe: A study in contrasts

President Trump and New York City mayor Bill de Blasio were both overseas this week, within a few miles of each other. In fact, the president and the mayor were in Hamburg, Germany for the same exact event. Yet the contrast could not be starker. After a very successful trip to Poland, President Trump is tending to state business of the highest order at the G-20 summit in Hamburg. Despite the countless violent, rogue, and lawless protesters, the president is moving our country's agenda forward at the summit, as he temporarily leaves behind an America that is in far better shape than it was half a year ago. New employment and economic data were just released, confirming the great progress. ISIS is on its knees; things are good.

In contrast, Mayor de Blasio is in Hamburg to join the protesters. The mayor, whose background includes support for the Sandinista regime and who announced last month that he would happily march in New York's Puerto Rican Day Parade despite the parade's plans to honor a just released terrorist – his leftist tendencies should hence come as no surprise – leaves behind a city that this week lost a police officer to a violent murder, which last week saw another violent murderer gun down people in a hospital, and which has a plunging quality of life problem, increasing homelessness and subway crime, a corrupt child welfare system, and a crumbling infrastructure. The media loves de Blasio, yet his accomplishments are few, and the problems that arose under his leadership are quite many. One man in Hamburg is hated by the media and may not always come across as people would like, but look at what has been accomplished under his leadership. The other man in Hamburg is loved by the media and is as polished as the queen's sterling, but look at what he has (not!) accomplished. The sages of the Talmud taught that Joshua merited to be appointed as Moses's successor due to Joshua's many decades of staying the course as Moses's devoted assistant and disciple. During those years, Joshua was not a popular public figure, but he was doing all the right things and steadfastly getting much done, whether or not people realized it. His sustained work and study paid off. America has leaders who are loved by the media but who accomplish little, as well as leaders who get things done yet are often lambasted or ignored by the media. The story of President Trump and Mayor de Blasio in Hamburg speaks volumes about this phenomenon. It is a study in contrasts, and we all know who comes out ahead where it matters most. Avrohom Gordimer is a senior rabbinic fellow at the Coalition for Jewish Values, a public policy institute reflecting traditional Jewish thought. He serves on the editorial board of Jewish Action magazine, is a staff writer for the Cross-Currents website, and is a frequent contributor to Israel National News and a host of other publications. He is a member of the Rabbinical Council of America and the New York Bar, and he works as an account executive at a large Jewish organization based in Manhattan. The views expressed in the above article are solely those of the writer.