What another Trump term would look like?
Most 74-year-old men are not inclined to change what they do or how they think. It is also well known the best predictor of future performance is past performance. Put the two together and it is easy to predict some of what would have happened had Trump won his election, regardless of which party controlled one or both houses of Congress.
• He would have continued to tweet, issue executive orders and seek media attention, all designed to make him the news of the day.
• He would have continued to lie.
• Due to his veto power, it would have been more difficult to make progress on climate control, tax fairness, health care, infrastructure, immigration policy, influence of lobbyists, trade policies, voting rights, gun control and budget approval.
• He would have continued to argue against expert advice from the Centers for Disease Control about what to do about covid-19, resulting in a continued rise in infections, hospitalizations, deaths, high unemployment, poverty and the national debt.
• He would have continued to embarrass us when he is dealing with either our allies or the autocratic dictators he likes.
• Partisan behavior by both congressional members and White House executives would have continued because they know Trump watches what they say or do and are afraid of displeasing him.
• He would have continued to pardon or commute the sentences of friends and others who don't deserve them.
• The racial divide in the country would have increased .
• Violence by white nationalists would have increased.
• We would have continued to worry about the security of the nation due to Trump's unpredictable and unthinking behavior.
• He would have continued to nominate unqualified loyalists to high-level positions resulting in continued administrative dysfunction.
• We would have had large demonstrations across the country as people reacted to his actions and words.
• We would have continued to find it hard to attract qualified persons to serve in the federal government.
• Resignations and early retirements by well-qualified, experienced government workers would have continued.
• Millions of increasingly scarce taxpayer dollars would have been spent to fund golf trips to his resorts.
• Russia would have continued to sabotage our democracy, including tampering with our 2022 and 2024 elections.
• The stock market would have continued to be volatile due to impulsive comments and actions by him based on questionable data and advice and his personal beliefs about trade, tariffs and the economy.
• We would have continued to have sleepless nights
In short, more of what we had lived through for four years. I don't know about you, but I am like the alley cat who has been having an affair with a skunk. I have enjoyed all I could stand.
Jim Hammons
Fayetteville