Everyone Deserves a Chance
“Give him a chance.” This is the mantra I have heard since Trump’s election win on November 8th. It has been one month now of “giving him a chance”. Before anyone goes off on me and says it has only been a month, please stop. Donald Trump is the President-elect of the United States of America, and the clock for him to prove himself began immediately on November 8th when he won the election.
He was not voted chairman of the PTA. He was elected President of the United States. Every action he makes, every word he speaks, every tweet he chirps is weighed against his responsibility to every citizen of the United States to lead our country effectively.
Trump ran a campaign that spoke of rounding up millions of illegal aliens, creating a registry for Muslim Americans, accused President Obama of making the racial divide worse in America, and taking more than a week to denounce a former leader of the KKK’s endorsement of him. Throughout his campaign the divisions between Americans of different races and religions widened.
In his acceptance speech Trump said, “I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be President for all of Americans, and this is so important to me. For those who have chosen not to support me in the past, of which there were a few people, I’m reaching out to you for your guidance and your help so that we can work together and unify our great country.”
I am one of those people who chose not to support Trump in the past. In his victory speech I heard his request for my guidance, and others like me, to work with him to help unify our country. I agreed to do that. For the last 30 days I have watched President-elect Donald Trump and I have been looking for ways to support him.
What Donald Trump Brings to the Presidency
Donald Trump is a non-political figure who campaigned on doing things differently, “draining the swamp”. He has no political experience, no experience running a government, or any single government agency. He has no foreign policy experience. He has no military experience. He is President-elect of the free world, arguably the most powerful nation on the planet, and he brings to the table his business experience. Is this enough?
Of course it is not. And I have been asked by President-elect Trump to come together and help unify our country. I am asked by his supporters to give him a chance. I actually believe these are fair requests.
I made a decision to give him a chance to surround himself with experienced and capable advisors to fill his administration. I made a decision to give him a chance to learn the issues our nation needs him to address. I continue to give him a chance to unite the American people, to show us his leadership to meet the challenges we face together.
Here is what I have seen him do in the last 30 days.
Political and Cabinet Appointments/Nominees
Steve Bannon: Appointment to Chief Strategist, one of the most influential positions in the White House.
Steve Bannon is not a man who unifies. Looking at his past activities he stirs up controversy and delights in the process. As leader of the Breitbart website he provided a platform for bigotry and hate to be spread throughout this country.
His organization posted headlines such as, “Bill Kristol: Republican Spoiler, Renegade Jew”, “World Health Organization Health Report: Trannies 49 XS Higher HIV Rate”, “Gabby Giffords: The Gun Control Movement’s Human Shield”, “Birth Control Makes Women Unattractive and Crazy”, “Roger Stone: Huma Abedin ‘Most Likely a Saudi Spy’ with ‘Deep, Inarguable Connections’ to ‘Global Terrorist Entity’.“
These type of headlines and the articles they represent, not only foster division, they represent personal attacks on people because of their race, religion, and abilities. It is disgusting and Steve Bannon condones and promotes it.
Mr. President-elect Trump, you are not helping yourself or me in unifying our country by appointing Steve Bannon, a man engaged in promoting inflammatory remarks of Breitbart.
I am giving you a chance to unify us sir, and you are failing.
Retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn: Appointment for National Security Advisor
Flynn formerly ran the Defense Intelligence Agency until 2014 when he was fired. In February of this year Flynn tweeted “fear of Muslims is RATIONAL”. In July he tweeted people should follow Mike Cernovich, a man who repeatedly makes inflammatory tweets creating racial divides. In July Flynn spread false news when he linked a tweet showing Hilary Clinton in a hijab stating she supported Islamic terrorism.
Mr. President-elect Trump, why are you appointing a man as National Security Advisor that has exhibited questionable judgment in the statements he makes, the people he supports, and the information he shares?
I am giving you a chance to make us feel secure sir, and you are failing.
Betsy DeVos: Nominee for Education Secretary
DeVos is a Michigan billionaire who never attended public high school or a public university. Her children have never attended public education. She has no degrees in education, or any degree that would afford her insights into public education. She will be the first Education Secretary to have never worked in schools.
President-elect Trump, our school aged citizens are scoring poorer in math, reading, and science, and as a nation we are becoming dumber by academic standards. Why are you nominating someone without any experience in education?
I am giving you a chance to help us excel sir, and you are failing.
President-elect Trump it is critical for you to surround yourself with advisors highly informed and skilled to address the challenges ahead. This is because you do not possess the knowledge or experience in doing any of this yourself. This isn’t meant as a derogatory comment, it is a fact of what you are bringing to the Presidency.
I am giving you a chance as President-elect sir, and you are failing.
Tweets from a World Leader
President-elect Trump, you are going to possibly be the most powerful person in the world. You have so much to learn, understand, and comprehend in order to your job well. I do not believe you have time to be tweeting.
You tweeted to Alec Baldwin that you are being treated unfairly by SNL and deserve equal time. I agree with his response that there is no equal time, only time for you to focus on the tremendous job ahead.
You publicly decried via tweet a Steelworkers union man. He said you lied in the numbers you reported about jobs not leaving this country with Carrier. This man is now receiving death threats because of your tweet against him. Have you no concept of the power you hold and the effects your actions can have, both intended and unintended?
Why are you tweeting a response directly to your critics? President-elect Trump please focus on doing your job. My future, my sons’ futures, America’s sons and daughters futures are at stake. You have work to do.
I am giving you a chance to show leadership sir, and you are failing.
People of America Speak Up
My question to every American is are you horrified by President-elect Trump’s lack of focus, attention, and detail to the task before him? Are you bewildered at who he is appointing and nominating to lead our government’s agencies? Are you aghast to who and what he is responding on Twitter? Are you speaking out that he stop tweeting his petty and childish comments, and fulfill the important and serious role he was elected to do as POTUS? #TrumpFocusOnYourJob
Please hold President-elect Trump accountable to do the job he was elected for. Make a simple statement on your social media platform. Let President-elect Trump know you expect him to appoint people proven and qualified in the areas of expertise required for the positions they will hold. #TrumpHireQualifiedLeaders
Let President-elect Donald Trump know you expect him to stop making personal attacks and remarks through his Twitter account. Tell him you expect him to focus on leading the 300 million people in this country. #TrumpFocusOnOurCountry
Tell President-elect Trump his current actions and behaviors are falling woefully short of his own promise, “and expect our government to serve the people — and serve the people it will.”
President-elect Donald Trump, in the first 30 days since being elected, I only see a man interested in serving himself and his own ego, not “the people”. You asked for my guidance.
You sir, are failing. #TrumpYouAreFailing
_____
This article originally appeared on The Huffington Post
Photo credit: Getty Images
Back in 08 I voted for a guy who had almost no management experience and was a junior senator. He had attended church lead by a virulent racist.
He appointed epic disasters such as Jide Zeitlin, Bill Richardson, Chas Freeman, Kathleen Sebelius Katherine Archuleta, Eric Shinseki and Eric Holder.
Read up on what these people did. Some were influence paddlers of the worst order, some were criminals, and some were so incompetent that lives were lost or put at risk.
Still feel that Trump is different than what came before him?
I checked them out Sidubyah. It looked like some nominees withdrew from consideration after business practices were deemed questionable, investigation of corruption surfaced, or questions were raised of personal beliefs that may be in conflict with the job requirements. Also some people who were confirmed did screw up, and then resigned. The others seemed more like issues of differing opinions if they were doing a good job or not. Regardless of whose administration it is, appointed positions should be filled with qualified people. I agree with that premise. In answer to your question, I believe Trump is different than what… Read more »