Donald Trump: Notable Goods and Bads

I am an Equal Opportunity provider of criticism for both Harris and Trump.  Recently, I have found more to say about Harris.  So now it is time for more about Trump. 

We have a Hobson’s Choice between the Presidential candidates – both are far from perfect.  My objective is to provide helpful information to make a voting decision.

Trump can produce good policies as shown in the Accomplishments below.

However, his personal style and communications are hard for many citizens to accept.  The “Good News and Bad News” is his transparency.  He loves to talk, and whatever comes into his mind is spoken out loud.  It is not always attractive unless you are a solid MAGA fan.  At least everyone knows where he stands.

It is off-putting when he uses derogatory names and carries a belligerent message.  He would be well served to tone down and focus on a message of how he can improve America from its current problems.

However, Cogport does not view it as likely that Trump will change his spots.

The biggest failure in Trump’s term in Office was an inability to unite the Parties and the American people.  In fact, the divisions grew larger than ever.  We are at a point where no meaningful governance is possible between the President and the Legislature.  Members of the two major Parties have devolved to calling each other liars and disregarding the facts.  A sad state of affairs.

Following are some details of Trumps performance in Office.  The Notable Good and the Notable Troubling:

Notable  Good  Accomplishments:

• The U.S. economy experienced significant growth, with the unemployment rate dropping to 3.5% in December 2019, the lowest in 50 years. The stock market also reached record highs during his term.

• Created legislation for Opportunity Zones, which provided tax incentives for investments in economically distressed areas, many of which are in minority communities. The goal was to encourage development and job creation in these areas.   The unemployment rates for African Americans, Hispanics, and other minority groups reached historic lows.  It also helped revitalize low income neighborhoods with $75 Billion in private investment.

• Renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), resulting in the USMCA, which took effect on July 1, 2020. The new agreement updated trade relations between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada with more favorable terms for American workers and industries.

• The First Step Act, signed into law in December 2018, was a bipartisan criminal justice reform bill that aimed to reduce recidivism and improve prison conditions. It reduced mandatory minimum sentences for certain nonviolent drug offenses and provided inmates with more opportunities for early release.

• Pursued a significant rollback of federal regulations, particularly in the areas of environmental protection, business, and energy. The administration claimed to have eliminated eight regulations for every new one enacted.

• Brokered peace agreements between Israel and several Arab nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco, known as the Abraham Accords. These were seen as significant steps toward Middle East peace. 

• Initiated Operation Warp Speed after the start of Covid with a public-private partnership to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID vaccines. The program succeeded in the rapid development of several vaccines.  These were brought to market before the end of his term, something that his opponents ignore when they blame him for the Covid pandemic, a virus made in a China laboratory.

• Implemented a series of strict immigration policies, including the travel ban on several predominantly Muslim countries, the "zero tolerance" policy leading to family separations at the border, and the construction of portions of the border wall with Mexico.

• Withdrew the U.S. from several major international agreements, including the Paris Climate Accord, the Iran nuclear deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), as part of his "America First" foreign policy.  All these agreements put the U.S. at a global disadvantage and subsidized countries that did not even try to comply with their obligations.

• Signed legislation aimed at improving veterans' care, including the VA MISSION Act, which expanded veterans' access to private healthcare and reformed the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Notable  Troubling  Actions:

• Passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in December 2017, which was the largest overhaul of the U.S. tax code in decades. The law reduced the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and temporarily lowered individual tax rates.  It is questionable that corporations needed a rate reduction of that magnitude. 

• Did not take on the need to reinvent the Federal Tax system.  The System needs more than an overhaul.  It needs a whole new vehicle.  It will take extreme courage and building of a bipartisan coalition to create a policy that is simple and fair to individuals and companies.

• Left Office with a show of resistance on the election results.  Whether or not there was election fraud, it was not a graceful way to go out.  The January 6th debacle at the Capitol was started as a protest, but it turned violent.  It may not have been Trump’s intention, but he should have seen it coming. 

• Does not provide any new approach that would bridge the division between the Parties.

As a voter, you must weigh the good against the bad.  Compare this information to his opponent.

We will follow-up in the next Cogport post with an overview of Kamala Harris, good and troubling.

David Hollaender           August 17, 2024

Cogport.com