The State of Our Union

Watching the Left react to Trump’s first few weeks in office has been surreal.  And not to be overly glib, but watching their reactions isn’t dissimilar from watching a frenzied hyena clan turn a peaceful African savannah into a cacophony discordant sounds and aggressive posturing.  However, unlike the democrats, hyena clans are a) well-organized, b) have a leader, and c) work together for mutually beneficial purposes.

Sometimes the ink hasn’t dried on one of Trump’s executive orders before the Left starts caterwauling that Trump’s action is undemocratic, unconstitutional or simply unamerican.  For example, when the president spoke about placing tariffs on Mexico & Canada, Senate Minority Leader Schumer was quick to tell the closest TV camera how Corona beer was going to cost more on Superbowl Sunday (even though 95% of the Corona sold in U.S. is made in the U.S.,) and how the cost of our guacamole dip at those SB parties would skyrocket.  But to Schumer’s chagrin, before he even finished his tirade the Mexican president had already acquiesced to Trump’s demands.  Such is life in the world of Trump.

Trump learned a lot about the swamp and its denizens during his first term, and this time around he’s prepared for them.  And his lighting-like rate of issuing executive orders are Trump’s version of shock and awe and they’re driving the democrats crazy.   Donald Trump understands Washington’s tempo, and being the ever-astute businessman, he’s moving at warp speed while the democrats are unsure if they’re on foot or horseback.

The Panama Canal, Greenland, two genders, no men in women’s sports, ending racial indoctrination in K-12 schools, reinstating service members discharged under the COVID-19 mandate, ending DEI, restoring merit to government service, restoring merit-based promotions in the military, getting his cabinet approved, making Canada the 51st state, rebuilding the Gaza Strip, reimposing sanctions on Iran, exiting the Paris Climate Agreement (again), re-aligning our refugee admissions program, designating the Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, DOGE, withdrawing from the World Health Organization, unleashing Alaska’s resources, An ”America First” directive to Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, reviewing FEMA in the wake of its ineptitude (whether accidental or purposeful) in western North Carolina, assessing the need for the Department of Education, removing criminal illegal immigrants from our shores, and btw, did I mention DOGE?

This is a man on fire, a man with a purpose, and a man with a short window of time to get his agenda implemented.  And what does the left counter with?  Maxine Waters screaming about Elon Musk “No one elected your ass!” and Elizabeth Warren, the Senate’s very own part-time Cherokee Indian princess, criticizing the president’s every move before it’s been made and Corey Booker shrieking how the Left must “fight, fight, fight.”  By the way, what are they fighting for?

And just like hyenas on the savannah, the Left’s whooping and jaw-snapping is ear-splitting, but without a leader or a clear message save for its tread-bare mantra, “whatever Trump proposes must be stopped at all costs,” the Democrat Party is wandering in the dark.  Meanwhile, my wife Bobbi said something really interesting when she rhetorically asked, “How can anyone who loves their country be against what Trump is doing, especially regarding the removal of criminal illegal aliens?”  I’m not a democrat so, I couldn’t answer that question but did comment about what has really gotten under the democrats’ collective skins – Elon Musk and DOGE!

~ Reagan Tried & Failed ~

Donald Trump thinks outside the box, but he’s not the first president in modern times to go after an out-of-control Washington.  In February 1982, Ronald Reagan announced at a press conference that he would form a group of “outstanding experts from the private sector” that would conduct an in-depth review of the entire Executive Branch and make recommendations for eliminating waste and inefficiency.  On June 30th he issued the Executive Order establishing the President’s Private Sector Survey on Cost Control in the Federal Government (PPSSCC), which was popularly called the “Grace Commission” after its Chairman J. Peter Grace, the CEO of W. R. Grace & Company.  And in doing so, President Reagan used the now famous phrase, “Drain the swamp”.  The Grace Commission, unveiled 2,478 recommendations on January 10 to cut $424 billion from Federal deficits over three years, however, most of the recommendations, especially those requiring legislation from Congress, were never implemented and with a democrat-controlled congress, Reagan never pressed the matter further.

~ Trump’s Turn ~

But now, the republicans control congress giving Trump two-years to implement his agenda. To that end, Trump engaged one of the most successful entrepreneurs in history to examine how our government does business and to make suggestions about how to best weed out fraud, inefficiency, and wastefulness.

Meanwhile, the United States is currently – wait for it –  $36,000,000,000,000 in debt!  Let that number sink in for a moment, and then ask yourself, why not approach our national spending problems from a different perspective?  Yet the Left is doing everything in its power to keep the status quo and prevent DOGE from examining the books, begging the question, “Why?”  Unfortunately, I can’t answer that, but I can offer a suggestion to the democrats, which may be an antidote to their collective cognitive dissonance  – they should try fixing something!