Opinion: Criticism of Trump ignores accomplishments

Posted 2/8/18

by Sharon Reiss

I write in response to Dick Polman's recent opinion column, the focus of which was his own list of President Trump's failures. [“Trumps Shutdown: A list of his failures,” Jan …

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Opinion: Criticism of Trump ignores accomplishments

Posted

by Sharon Reiss

I write in response to Dick Polman's recent opinion column, the focus of which was his own list of President Trump's failures. [“Trumps Shutdown: A list of his failures,” Jan 25]

Mr. Polman believes that the (pointless, in my estimation) 3-day government shut-down was caused by the "toxic problem-in-chief." I wonder if he was aware that many Democrat members of Congress, as well as some of the MSM, notably, the Washington Post, believe that Chuck Schumer was the person responsible.

Mr. Polman correctly points out that "repeatedly this month, Trump signaled tentative agreement on a bi-partisan deal to save the immigrant dreamers." What Mr. Polman did not say is that the President and Mr. Schumer actually reached an agreement to grant amnesty to some 700,000 dreamers in exchange for funding the border wall. After Mr. Schumer was bombarded with criticism from some in his own party, he pulled the deal off the negotiating table.

In an effort to maintain some balance in these extremely partisan times, allow me to provide my own list of some of President Trump's successes:

  1. ISIS has lost 98 percent of the territory it once held in Iraq and Syria
  2. The President has appointed federal judges who understand and follow the Constitution and the law, and do not legislate from the bench
  3. He has withdrawn from the TPP, and the Paris Climate Accord, both of which were extremely unfavorable to America's interests
  4. He refused to certify Iran's compliance with the so-called nuclear arms agreement, in the face of overwhelming evidence of ongoing violations by Iran
  5. He was able to pass the most comprehensive federal tax bill since 1986, which has already seen rnore than 100 "blue-chip" companies announce very significant bonuses and wage increases for their employees Case in point - Apple has paid $2,500 stock bonuses, is planning $30 billion in capital expenditures, and is adding 20,000 employees. This is just one of many examples.
  6. The economy has expanded at rates not seen in the previous eight years of the Obama administration
  7. The stock market has reached levels never seen before, and broke 26,000 for the first time in history.
  8. He fulfilled a promise made by both Presidents Clinton and Bush, and announced that the US Embassy in Israel will be moved to Jerusalem
  9. He has ratcheted up the pressure on N. Korea, and engaged China in the process
  10. December 2016 unemployment for blacks dropped to 6.8 percent - the lowest it has been in 45 years. Hispanic unemployment has also dropped significantly
  11. The backlog of Veterans waiting more than 125 days for a disability determination has dropped from 611,000 to 86,000
  12. Veterans are getting their benefits faster.
  13. He has kept his promise to prioritize the safety and security of American citizens over those who are here illegally, many of whom are criminals

I do not agree with many things that President Trump says and does, and certainly wish that he would, at times, act more "presidential." My support for him as a Presidential candidate was lukewarm at best. But I also believe that the constant, unrelenting criticism, while ignoring the many positive achievements, is disingenuous. Furthermore, it is perpetuating a divisiveness in America that will serve no one's purpose and is potentially dangerous. We have much to be thankful for as Americans. It is time for all of us to remember that.

Sharon Reiss is a Mt Airy resident and frequent contributor to the Local's reader forum.

 

opinion