When Trump won the first time, I told my wife (also a Coug) that we needed to give him a chance. He had the potential to do some good things. When his cabinet started to resemble a spinning door, my first thought was that government types were not used to working for a businessman, and that is why they were leaving. When military leader after military leader and foreign policy folks who had my respect bailed on him and eventually made it clear why, I was concerned. When he tried to get the Georgia election results falsified, claimed the election was rigged, and incited the attack on the capitol building...then did nothing as law enforcement pleaded for help...I was done. You don't abandon your troops on the hill (even Capitol Hill). Unless of course you viewed your troops as the skinheads and others attacking the place, rather than law enforcement. That day was my line in the sand.
At this point I honestly don't know whether I can believe anything that comes out of his mouth. Will he really do any of the things he says? His supporters hope he does the things they agree with and the saner ones hope he does not turn the military, DOJ & FBI against his political enemies as he has said he would do. They hope he does not bow to Putin and pull the rug out from under Ukraine. I don't want to see the federal government actively trying to stop all abortions; Trump has promised so many different things on this issue, I need a spinning wheel and a dart to know what is likely. It seems safe to assume that our government will now substantially ignore climate change and its effects...hopefully they will at least increase FEMA funding, since those needs are only going to accelerate...mostly in red states, ironically.
I know people who still think he will get Mexico to pay for a wall. I'd at least like to see some sort of agreement where they try to limit immigration and drug smuggling, in return for our limiting of arms smuggling and use of financial structures to limit cartel money transfers. That was next on Bush II's agenda, which got completely hijacked by 9/11.
Regardless of all that, the man is now president of the United States. He has responsibilities. We need to hope and pray that he puts people in place who are capable. The white house appoints a LOT of people in government. Hopefully they will be competent. Many people will want those jobs. I'm just not sure what kind of person will want those jobs this time around.
A lot remains to be seen. I'd guess that we'll have a pretty clear picture of direction by next summer. Maybe everything outrageous that came out of his mouth was simply rhetoric & lies. The problem is knowing which was which...and which he intends to try to actually do.
In the mean time I still support my church, my company, my family, and of course, WSU. They are some of my tribes. Maybe one day the Republican party will restore itself and again be one of my tribes; I hope so, but am not holding my breath.
