April 29, 2016. This date will be important in American history. It will mark the end of our new President’s first 100 days in office. While we don’t yet know how it will turn out, I think we can safely assume that much will have changed. We, the American people, will know so much more about the strength and character of our nation. But I’d like to have a little fun and do something different.
April 29, 2016: Trump Edition
It happened, people. It actually happened. Donald Trump has become the President of the United States. Voters defied the polls, pundits and politicians in a wave of surprise upsets in North Carolina, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, to go along with a 20-point blowout in Arizona, a state many Democrats had become optimistic about in October.
The first beneficiary of the Trump Administration was Chris Christie, who was appointed directly by Mr. Trump as the special prosecutor in the Hillary Clinton investigation. Incumbent Attorney General Loretta Lynch was asked to resign by Mr. Trump after publicly questioning Mr. Christie’s impartiality, and Congressional opposition was muted by a stunning surge of anger and hate from the public towards Mrs. Clinton. Mr. Trump responded to international condemnation of this prosecution by calling European leaders a “bunch of weak-minded sissies,” with much applause from the home front.
On Tax Day, many of America’s wealthiest breathed a sigh of relief and thanked President Trump. The Trump Tax Cuts, passed by ecstatic Tea Party hardliners in Congress, were easily the largest in the history of the United States. Most wealthy Americans didn’t have to pay taxes at all, drowning out the outcry from Congressional Democrats about a clause that exempted Mr. Trump’s businesses from all federal and state taxes.
If it seems like Mr. Trump’s first 100 days have been smooth, you’re wrong. His administration has already been scarred by massive amounts of street protests against newly-appointed Attorney General Joe Arpaio’s iron-fist approach to police violence against African Americans. Gun violence and crime rates have shot through the roof, reaching levels not seen since the 1990’s. Relations with Mexico have deteriorated sharply over Mr. Trump’s “No Mercy” border policy, a move critics are calling, “The second Berlin Wall.”
Tensions have skyrocketed in Europe after Mr. Trump was elected. Russian surprise military drills have increased in scale and frequency, with the latest simulation right on the Lithuanian border putting leaders all throughout Europe on high alert. After the American pullout from Syria, Russian air attacks have been ratcheted up. Reports of renewed chemical weapon strikes are as yet unconfirmed, but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights blames Russia for a sarin gas attack on a civilian village that killed hundreds. Sources in the White House say the voices pushing for renewed intervention in Syria and increased opposition to Russian aggression in Europe were crushed by Mr. Trump’s inner circle.
Critics also derided Trump’s approach to American-Chinese relations. Immediately after taking office, Mr. Trump publicly railed against CEO’s of major American businesses for “robbing American workers of their jobs.” However, we have yet to see any major tariffs against China or Mexico and Mr. Trump’s pledge to tear apart NAFTA has yet to bear fruit. While attempting to save face with his continued rants against the establishment and the media, reality shows an increasingly optimistic Democratic party gearing up for the chance to paint Mr. Trump as a member of the very establishment he swore to destroy, as a liar who misled millions of Americans about his intentions as President and a so-called businessman whose budget cuts have driven the national debt through the roof.
Mr. Trump is facing a series of crises abroad, situations that challenge the core of his “America first” foreign policy. However, when put under the microscope, his moves appear to be more focused on “Trump First.” The made-for-TV rhetoric that won him the election is threatening to blow up in his face, as the realities of such rhetoric entail far greater consequences than were advertised. Not every problem is solved by tax cuts and crazy talk, as Mr. Trump is finding out very quickly.
April 29, 2016: Clinton Edition
The worst nightmares of Breitbart editors came true: Hillary Clinton won the Presidency. While alt-right newspapers and talk radios spew nonsense about rigged elections, most Americans accept the reality that Trumpism was dealt a Goldwater-esque defeat by a candidate with one of the worst favorability ratings of all time. In desperate search of direction, voices of reason such as John Kasich and Marco Rubio have risen to the front of what is left of the Republican party. Trump TV became a thing immediately after the election, but leaked emails detailing his campaign as a sham to boost his business empire have ruined its ratings and hastened its demise. How ironic.
The Clinton Presidency didn’t start off smoothly. The initial refusal by Mr. Trump to concede the election cast a cloud over American democracy and led to fears of mass protests and revolutions. However, Mrs. Clinton’s administration steered the conversation towards coalition military progress on the ground in Iraq and her support for Rubio as the new Speaker of the House. While still disgruntled, the right wing of the party was somewhat mollified by Mrs. Clinton’s clear attempts to move on from the chaos of the election season and back to the business of government.
Almost immediately after inauguration, Mrs. Clinton put President Putin on notice. In coordination with NATO commanders, the U.S. agreed to triple the size of rapid reaction forces based in Europe, along with setting plans for large-scale military drills to be held during the summer. Seeing the prospect of a second Cold War as inevitable, Mrs. Clinton ordered the Pentagon to begin modernizing America’s nuclear arsenal and accelerated the development of the long-range strike bomber to counter the increasing strategic threat posed by the Russian and Chinese air forces. Continuing President Obama’s “Pivot to Asia” policy, Mrs. Clinton announced her intention to seek new military and economic agreements with India.
Due to staunch opposition from Tea Party conservatives, Mrs. Clinton decided not to press her luck with a proposal for tax increases, instead choosing to push for a major education reform bill. Billed by experts as a start on fixing America’s educational crisis, the bill is expected to be passed with minor changes. When coupled with the passage of a major criminal justice reform bill put on the table by New Jersey Senator Corey Booker, Mrs. Clinton looks to have solved at least some of the political gridlock in the nation’s capital.
But not all. Mrs. Clinton caved to the pressure from the liberal left and nominated Elizabeth Warren for the Supreme Court vacancy. Seen as a shot at the remaining vestiges of Trumpism, this nomination has caused Republicans like Ted Cruz to dig in their heels, leaving one branch of the federal government effectively ruined. Thus, Mrs. Clinton is unable to tackle issues like gun control, abortion and gay marriage, as any legislation will be pieced apart by Congressional Republicans and conservative justices in lower courts.
While she is not everything the liberals left hope for, the Clinton Presidency is thus far proving to be somewhat effective. Conservative Republicans, appalled at the fiasco of the Trump campaign, are rethinking their 2020 strategy, with the hope of unseating Mrs. Clinton with a new, more moderate outlook. Mrs. Clinton’s tough outlook and unyielding determination have given the Russian government a set of tough choices, along with an economic crisis at home. Her inability to solve major constitutional issues is frustrating, but a willingness to compromise has allowed Congress to somewhat resume functioning again.
I’d like to ask you, the American people. Which of these realities do you want? The one where Trump wrecks everything? Or the one where Clinton fixes some things?
Vote on November 8.
