Voting for Donald Trump was, for me, a difficult act, as I had no real appreciation for his crass and abrasive personality. I had, at the time, serious concerns about his character. I did, for a long time, consider voting for Jill Stein, so that my conscience would be clear no matter who won the election. This choice seemed like a cop out and I decided not to cast a vote for the third party candidates. I chose to vote for Donald Trump because, at the very least, he came from OUTSIDE of the Washington DC establishment bubble. He spoke about trade and business in a way that I agreed with, if only on a very basic level. When I cast my vote for Trump, I didn't feel guilty or upset but rather liberated and excited for whatever brand of chaos he would bring, because it was bound to shake the corrupt politicians that have held our government hostage for the last 20 years.

As someone who voted for Barrack Obama twice and straight Democrat in each midterm election since I was 18, I was nervous about what a Conservative President Trump would do once in office, but I must say, as of now, I DO NOT regret my vote at all. The Russia narrative being pushed by the Democrats only solidifies, to me, the inability of Corporate Owned Democrats to address any issues those to their left have about their political philosophies. I changed my registration from Democrat to unaffiliated after the DNC Convention and as of now, the party has done LESS than nothing to win me back. I am less and less inclined to rejoin their members who have this idea that UNITY is something natural that takes place because 'we are a team,' rather than a manifestation of a coalition making meaningful compromises in ACTION as well as word. I also find I am more disappointed in Bernie Sanders these days, rather than energized by him, as he seems to adopt whatever speaking points the rest of the party has to offer.

I have always been more drawn to INTEGRITY in my political allies, than rhetoric. While Donald Trump is an imperfect messenger, I feel he has done a lot to show his intentions are at least with the people who elected him. He has already walked out of the TPP, reinvigorated US business, met with Union Leaders (in a way they seem excited about) and moved toward investing in our infrastructure here at home, which will ultimately create jobs. I am not happy about his plan to unilaterally deport immigrants or to ban refugees, but I understand that as a conservative this is in line with his philosophy and not entirely in line with my own. I do understand the need to strengthen border security, I have now come to be more supportive of the massive project known as 'the Wall.' I don't think Trump poses any real threat to transgender or gay men and women in this country, but I will stand against him should he pass any truly discriminatory laws.