In Trump Tower on June 16, 2015, Donald J. Trump announced his candidacy for President of the United States. To many people, including myself at the time, Trump's chances of advancing in the presidential race seemed very, very slim. Without a doubt, he had definitely advanced in the business and real estate world--especially in New York. Additionally, Trump had many political connections throughout the United States--especially in Washington--that could help him gain ground in the race. However, I just could not see Trump being a politician at the time--and still cannot.
From the summer to winter months of 2015, most polls indicated that Trump was actually ahead, by large margins, of his Republican opponents in many states. Even after making several preposterous remarks, Trump's following rapidly grew without an end in sight. One such remark was made at the outset of Trump's presidential race. During the speech in which he announced his candidacy for president, Trump provided his opinion on current Mexican immigration to the United States. Essentially, Trump made it clear that Mexico was not sending mostly "good" people to the United States, but rather criminals and rapists. After hearing his remarks about the status of Mexican immigration, I was appalled. Although he did acknowledge that there were some "good" Mexican immigrants entering the United States, it seemed to me that he was labeling the majority of the Mexican people unfairly and in an unjust fashion.
Two months later, Trump referenced comedian Rosie O'Donnell in an unpleasant fashion. During a Fox Republican presidential debate in early August, debate moderator Megyn Kelly put Trump on the spot by reciting to him several horrendous phrases that he had referred to many women by in the past. As Kelly was reciting the numerous phrases, Trump stepped in and noted that he had only referred to O'Donnell by those phrases. Although his reference to O'Donnell was shameful and rude, the amount of people that jumped on the Trump train grew--and so did my discontent with him.
A few months later in December, Trump called for a complete shutdown of all Muslims entering the United States in order to protect Americans from dangerous attacks on the homeland. What did Trump say? Yes, a candidate for president actually called for such a ban. And what is most surprising is that many Americans agreed with Trump on his stance--which worried me greatly. I myself was absolutely shocked that Trump would consider such an indecent policy to prevent terrorism. Indeed, America is in danger of terrorist attacks constantly. As well as, America's border security processes and mechanisms are not as secure and sufficient as they should be. However, is the solution to America's constant threat of terrorism the banishment of 1.6 billion people from entering the country? It is essential to note that only a very, very small percentage of Muslims are engaged in terrorist activities aimed at damaging the United States in some capacity. The vast majority of Muslims are honest, hardworking, and kind people. And it is important to consider the fact that anybody has the capability to engage in terrorists activities--not solely people of one group. Essentially, his proposed Muslim-ban, in my opinion, is un-American in principle. However, Trump was praised by many for this policy.
Once the year 2016 arrived, Trump's now "common" remarks led him to many victories at the ballot box. To the surprise of every critic of him so far in the presidential race, Trump began to win a vast array of states in Republican primaries. Although he lost to Ted Cruz in Iowa, Trump was victorious in New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada in February. Then in the March primaries, Trump won almost every state up for grabs. A month later in April, Trump won Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. And finally, in the month we are in right now, Trump has won Indiana, Nebraska, and West Virginia. Overall, Trump has won a heck of a lot of states so far, and most likely will continue to as he is now the presumptive Republican nominee for president.
As a Democrat, I will not be voting for Trump in this presidential election. Although, I must note that I will not be voting for Trump solely because I am a Democrat. Rather, the main reason I will not be casting a ballot for Trump is because I do not agree with his vision for the future of the United States. Besides disagreeing with the nasty comments he has made in reference to women, immigrants, and politicians, Trump's policies and stances are not correct in my opinion. I will not support a candidate who is not in favor of raising the minimum wage. I will not support a candidate who proposes to punish women who undergo an abortion--even if the procedure is illegal. I will not support a candidate who intends to ban a religious group from the American homeland. I will not support a candidate who proposes printing more money to deal with the national debt. I will not support a candidate who does not understand the basics of international relations. I will not support a candidate who wants to abolish the Department of Education and Environmental Protection Agency. And, last but not least, I will not support a candidate who treats presidential politics like a silly board game.
Of course, I can list many more disagreements I have with Donald J. Trump. However, I think it is clear that I do not buy Trump's insistence that he will "Make America Great Again." What defines "great?"
