What’s done is done and Donald J. Trump is now our President. Today, is President Trump’s first official day of business, so (for some) it should be exciting to see what he wants to start on.
The big question to kick off any new presidency, but especially this one, is what will happen in the first 100 days of this term?
To many, these first 100 days set up the entire tone for the next four years. So many questions will be answered in this timeframe: What policies will Trump lobby for? What legislation will make it to the White House? Will the mayhem around this presidency begin to subside? Does it look like a second term is plausible?
The country is in a particularly weird situation. In past elections, there has been some controversy with whoever was elected to office, but this time is different. The protest and public hatred toward President Trump are on a new level. People will try to make his job difficult in any way they can. Media outlets will more or less cover the controversial information versus more positive news, knowing it will spark a nationwide response. Some will sign and promote petitions to send to Congress in attempts to get rid of Trump, while others will try to reach out to their local and state representatives to vote within Congress in any way that will stifle Trump’s agenda. Everyone and their mother will try to make this term as difficult as possible for President Trump.
Knowing this, I believe Trump’s first 100 days are more important than that of past presidents. This underlying negative tone surrounding the Trump administration makes it even more crucial for Trump to succeed and quickly at that. Everyone is rooting for him to lose, like they did in the election. With everything thrown at Trump (granted, some were self-initiated) Trump overcame and won the election.
These first 100 days will be the true test to see if Trump can really handle this job. Maybe all the negativity will become too much. Is all the opposition to his administration going to affect him and his ability to execute his duties? Will he be worn down by the hatred of a vocal public opinion? Or will Trump overcome and charge forward just like he did on the campaign trail?
If Trump can prove himself to be competent in these crucial days of his presidency, what will change? Will people start to accept his authority and position? Will riots and protests cease? What needs to be done to shift the tone of this administration?
There is no simple fix in this situation. Trump has enemies and many may not accept anything he does, even if it proves to be good or positive. But I believe, with some progressive strides forward, Trump can win over some of the constituency that once denounced his credibility and nomination. Trump has the power now to not only do good for this country, but he has the ability to try and change the minds of many Americans. He can begin to calm down and really put the needs of ALL Americans in the forefront of his political agenda.
But I do believe that we, the American people, have a job to play here too. Trump is here for four years, so we can either do whatever we can to compromise his ability to perform this job or we can support him as the leader of our nation. If we choose the second option, it is not choosing to support Trump as President or a human being but it is choosing to support your country as a proud American.
No matter who is in the Oval Office, we have a duty as Americans to support our country because it is a government by the people for the people. If we want change, we have the ability to make that change. Trump is here to make changes for the country as well, so even if you do not support his exact policies, I believe it is important that we support that efforts are being made. We are not only ruining Trump’s chances of being a successful president by trying to obstruct his powers but we are doing a disservice to the country. We can not continue to move forward as a nation if we are not united, which will also make the job of the president who comes after Trump so much more difficult. Whoever comes after Trump will be handed a country that is more divided than we already are. Constantly degrading our own government and government leaders can lead to some serious backlash.
If we do not begin to respect the office of the president and any efforts being made by the administration, how are other countries going to respect ours when it comes time to handling foreign affairs and situations?
I am not saying you have to go out and buy “Make America Great Again” lawn signs. I am just saying that we, as a people, need to be a little more open and receptive to this new administration's agenda whether we support the policies and people behind it or not. No matter what, it is always important to support your government and the system, even if you may not agree with everything being done. Checks and balances exist so that legislation and policies are as fair as possible. Yes, sometimes these attempts lean more to the left or right but in the end, they are geared toward doing what lawmakers believe is the best for the country. The country and its people are always the main focus of anything our government does, so it is time for the people to realize that the government is not against them.
I know my perspective is hopeful and definitely not one shared by a majority, but it is one I encourage people to adopt. He is our president, so, again, what is done is done. He will not become a dictator because our government is too well structured for that. He will not implement radical or crazy legislation because it would not make it past the House never mind the Senate. We do not know for sure if Trump will be a good president, but now it is time to see if he can be.Trump’s first 100 days will be crucial for his presidency. In a country that is so anti-Trump, he will need to be successful in these beginning days in order to settle down the negative sentiment toward him and his presidency. Maybe with fellow Americans respecting the office, the country will stop taking huge steps backward. With less public opposition, maybe Trump can prove some people wrong. Who knows, maybe the former host of The Celebrity Apprentice can do some good for our divided country.