Education, political experience, citizenship… are these qualities what “qualify” one to be president of the United States? We have heard in almost every media outlet that Donald Trump is not “qualified” to be president of the United States, but what does that mean? What qualifies someone to be the President of the greatest country in the free world?
Article II Section I of the Constitution states these very basic requirements for POTUS- “No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United States.”
Constitutional “Qualifications”:
- Must be a natural born citizen of the U.S.
- Must be at least 35 years old.
- Must have inhabited the U.S. for at least 14 years.
So my fellow millennials, that qualifies most of our parents to be president. And, according to recent events, even criminal activity doesn’t disqualify one from being an eligible candidate… you’re welcome, Hillary Clinton.
Now let’s take a quick glance through history to see what qualified our previous presidents to take their seat in the oval office.
Of the 43 presidents to hold office, 27.98 percent of them didn’t even graduate college.
Our infamous George Washington could be considered the least prepared for the position of POTUS based on the modern characteristics expected of the candidates. Washington was uneducated and spent his days as a farmer before becoming a leader in the revolutionary war and one of the most influential founding fathers of our country.
There have been a few presidential farmers in America’s history -- four to be exact, as well as, two business owners, a tailor, and an actor. While education hasn’t historically been a characteristic of whether or not someone has the competence to run a country, military experience has been. 31/43 presidents served in the military prior to their term in office, that's over 70 percent.
Another outstanding characteristic of our presidents throughout history, none of the previous 43 presidents have had a criminal record more severe than driving violations and even those are limited.
Now let’s take a quick look at Donald Trump’s credentials. Donald Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in economics. Trump is a business owner carrying on the family business of construction and development that was passed on to him by his father. He also produced and starred on his own show, “The Apprentice” and has made guest appearances in a number of other productions.
So just to list his matching qualities with our presidents throughout history:
- College educated: Undergraduate (like 50 percent of prior presidents.)
- He is a business owner (like Harding and Truman.)
- He is an actor (like our beloved Reagan.)
- While Trump never served in the military, his support for our troops has been unwavering.
- No criminal record.
Policy aside, I implore you to do your research. When media questions the viability of someone candidacy, don’t take their words as truths, find out for yourself. Whether you are republican or democrat, look up the candidates (ALL of them) and make your decision based on legitimate information from a variety of sources.
We millennials think this world is our oyster but is it really if we are letting the media make our decisions for us? Don’t be afraid to use your own brain and draw your own conclusions. Go back into your history books, ask yourself why and how. Our future is coming quickly, what history will we be telling one day?
“Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.” -- George Santayana
