Donald Trump is my president, but he doesn't represent me

Donald Trump is not the person I voted for (Gary Johnson was) or someone I particularly want to see in the White House (neither was Hillary Clinton). But he was the winner of the election which means he’s the president-elect of the United States. It also means he’s my president because my home state of Texas is part of America. He’d also be my president if I lived abroad, and was an American citizen. But it doesn’t mean I’m going to stand idly by and support every single policy he promotes, especially if it infringes on individual freedom. I don’t do blind loyalty.

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It’s weird, yet not surprising at all, to see the current disconnect in the U.S. There are people who are, rightly, worried about what Trump’s policies could to to the country. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings wrote in The Dallas Morning News he fears Trump’s trade policies would hurt North Texas’ economy.

As a businessman, surely Trump knows the best deals are those that create long-term partnerships. He conducts business in countries throughout the world and must realize that globalization is not going away. He surely knows that we need to lean into the world, not pull in our horns internationally. Doing so would hurt our workers, not help them.

Surely, he knows the power of currency, the fact that a world woven together by financial interests creates a safer world for all of us…

As for President-elect Trump, surely he will try to capture the energy of international trade and business instead of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs of growth for our region and the nation.

At least, I hope so.

There’s no hyperbolic #notmypresident claims from Rawlings or pronouncements Trump actually “lost,” unlike Michael Moore, but an honest worry about the future of the economy. You can debate whether or not governments should be the ones making trade deals or individual businesses, but Rawlings’ fear is clear. This is far from the anger shown by other Hillary Clinton supporters, with Gallup showing 23% won’t accept Trump as legitimate (as AP points out) or the fact a Texas mother decided to kick her son out of the home for voting for Trump in a mock election (whether it was a joke or not is anyone’s guess). The fact people are overreacting and making proclamations to “leave the country” (then reneging) shows how personal people need to stop taking things. It’s politics. There’s more important things out there.

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But this doesn’t mean those going out and protesting Trump’s election as president are all socialists looking to cause trouble (I refuse to use the term anarchist because of all the different branches of it). Almost all the protesters are airing their grievances against the government peacefully, and using their God-given rights to peaceably assemble. It’s guaranteed in the Constitution.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

The ones who aren’t acting peaceably should be arrested and prosecuted. But the ones who are just showing up to say Trump doesn’t represent their belief system have every right to gather together and yell/chant/hold up signs/etc, despite Trump’s misunderstanding of the First Amendment. They also have every right to try to lobby electoral college voters to not vote for Trump (not that I think it’ll actually happen), and, honestly, they have every right to sit there and say, “Not my president,” even though Trump won the election. I’m a little agnostic when it comes to blocking roads because I think it’s just plain dangerous to stand out there.

Accepting someone as president-elect doesn’t mean you have to decide to swear fealty, and vow to defend them until the end. There are going to be plenty of times when Trump proposes policies which violate the Constitution and are just anti-freedom in general. I’m certainly going to explain my disagreements, and try to suggest an alternative policy. Conservatives, libertarians, and leftists should do the same thing. Trump’s upcoming presidency makes me nervous, but it doesn’t take away from the fact he is president-elect and will be living inside the White House. He is my president, even if I plan on fighting him almost every step of the way.

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John Stossel 12:30 PM | November 24, 2024
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