Trump Gets Real

There were real accomplishments in President Trump's first 100 days, despite obstruction from Democrats and many in his own party. Granted, these accomplishments were less than one might hope, but they do confirm the president's intention of actually fulfilling his promises. Unlike his predecessor, who was so concerned about managing spin that he never got around to governing, Trump is a doer. He resides in the real world, not in the world of fake news and fake politics. In less than four months, Trump has rescinded some of the Obama-era regulations on energy and financial services, provided much-needed moral support for our military and our police, and appointed an outstanding conservative to the Supreme Court. For many Americans, the president has also restored a sense of hope, evident perhaps in a rising stock market and increasing small business activity. Certainly, Trump's promises were overblown to begin with, and many of his legislative reforms will be blocked, at least for the moment, by Democrats in the Senate. But there seems little doubt that he will continue to push his agenda.

Trump has identified serious problems in our government and society, and his response is that of a builder: take action to change things. That recipe for success seems obvious, but to most on the left, it's not. The progressive mind can't get past the rhetorical level where they declare themselves a "champion for workers and families" and rant about how they will "fight, fight, fight." That was Hillary on the campaign trail. Now there's DNC chair Tom Perez. Without a single concrete proposal for actual improvement, he's reduced to swearing at the president. Gutter talk directed at the president of the United States is a new low. Along with riots, flag-burning, and physical assaults on Trump supporters, it's evidence of the Democratic Party's estrangement from the real world. President Trump is not a politician – he is a builder. The American people, who are wiser than all of the talking heads put together, recognize that quality and find it attractive. Trump's strength is his understanding of how the real world operates. That is not the instinct of a politician. It's the attitude of a man who, despite his wealth and fame, never divorced himself from listening, negotiating, and solving problems. That's the difference between a president who thinks in terms of actually winning and one who just issues empty threats and makes empty promises. For Obama, the "red line" was just words. For Trump, the red line is real. "My whole life is about winning," Trump said. "I don't often lose." In just four months, the world has begun to respect America once again, and the likelihood of crossing the red line has greatly diminished. A man who is focused on accomplishment doesn't need to engage in babble to maintain support. The public will continue to support him if it sees the country making progress – and the signs of progress are irrefutable. It's to the president's credit that he labels the media "fake news" ("Their priorities are not my priorities, and not your priorities," he said in Harrisburg) and that he won't kowtow to politicians from either party. Trump's comments on Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer struck a chord: Schumer, the president said, is a "weak leader" whose "rudderless" behavior is "hurting innocent Americans." "Rudderless" is another way of saying "uncommitted." The Democratic Party seems uncommitted to any value other than political advantage. When Trump was losing, he pressed on, certain that his values were those of the American people. He understands their needs: the need for real wage growth, the need for security in a dangerous world, the need for an end to the kind of political correctness that undermines all faiths and traditions. Let the babblers in the media and the Democratic Party, including the Democrats' current babbler-in-chief, Tom Perez, say what they like. None of that can change the fact that Trump intends to restore America to what it should be – the world's greatest economy and greatest military power. And I suspect that the president hasn't lost any sleep over any of his critics on the left. That's one reason the left, and the so-called mainstream media, hate him so much. He literally doesn't speak their language. And the one word that is least a part of their vocabulary is "winning." The progressive mind is focused on abnegation and defeat. They believe that Americans should be ashamed of their military power and their standard of living. The solution, from their point of view, is to bring America down. That's why Obama spent more time apologizing for America's sins of the past than working for future success. The idea that Americans should be proud of their power and success drives the left nuts. But isn't it better to win than to lose? What would be the consequences in the long run of losing to the Chinese or to Islamic radicalism? Clearly, Donald Trump thinks in terms of action rather than words. His immediate response is not "Whom is he going to offend?," but "How can I help the economy?" or "How can I make us safer?" That's the kind of mind that puts the real world ahead of political theater. During the campaign, Trump pledged "to never stop working for us," and that persona of a "worker" and a "doer" is key to the president's identity. Donald Trump is not a Martian. He is very much of this Earth – and of the earth. And he doesn't have his head in the clouds of rhetoric. He is a man who knows how to get things done. Despite obstruction from Democrats in Congress, the president is going to accomplish a great deal during his four, and hopefully eight, years. Jeffrey Folks is the author of many books and articles on American culture including Heartland of the Imagination (2011).