When Donald Trump got inaugurated in January of 2017, no one could have predicted of what would come of these next 4 years.
To understand his impact, one must go into what the election of him as a President reflects.
In John Meacham's Soul of America, Meacham recognizes the undercurrents of what this election meant.
The election of Donald Trump seems to be a last-ditch effort in the white populist anger movement.
In this recent decade, the rise of equality has made it possible that a black man could be president. In 2016, coming hot off the Obama administration, society was not prepared for another monumental change in our oval office. If Trump had not of won, the first female president would be sitting in the oval office. To prevent the significant change of having another race and gender in office consecutively, white populists turned to the other option, a white male billionaire.
A significant impact Donald Trump has is that he changed the view of the President of the United States. One of the key roles of presidency is being our nations moral leader. Everyone in politics looks to our president to lead the free world. Having a man that speaks ill of so many minority groups, grabs women inappropriately and makes xenophobic comments, hold the highest position in the United States reflects the current state of society. If you look at history, even within out past decade, our presidents are mirrors of society. Obama was reflecting the progressiveness of society. He accepted new social agendas that helped promote equality of the LGBQT community as well as immigrants with programs like DACA. This society was more open to change. With the reasoning mentioned in the first paragraph of what Trump getting elected meant, one will realize that at this point in time at the 2016 election society liked having a candidate who would be a manifestation of the ugly soul and past of the U.S. The soul that allowed Jim Crow, gender inequality, and didn't even let gay marriage happen nationally until 2011.
Not saying President Trump has not made good change in his administration. Donald Trump was the first to meet with the leader of North Korea and attain a close relationship with Russia.
This significance of the growing relationship has to do what happened between the end of the 20th century. U.S. relations with Russia and North Korea have been strained due to the Korean war and the Cold war.
He improved relations that have been strained for over 20 years.
One of the lasting legacies Trump will have is the federal court judges. Trump and Mitch McConnell have spent the last 2 years filling the judiciary system with as many white men as possible. While this may seem only temporary, positions of the Justices in the U.S. Supreme Court serve life. The plan goes back to the Obama administration where McConnell had been blocking all of the appointees Obama had nominated. McConnell had been refusing to hold senate votes. He took the gamble of the next president not being conservative. When Trump got elected in office, he was already sitting on a vacancy of the Supreme Court due to February 2016 death of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. In this position he filled with a conservative Neil Gorsuch. In June 2018, Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement thus opening another spot on the Supreme Court. In this vacancy he filled it with Brett Kavanaugh another conservative while male.
I believe the Trump political era will inspire new faces to arise in the political spectrum.
People are tired of seeing the same demographic in politics when it does not represent our melting pot country. We are a diverse country that should be reflected in all aspects especially the ones who serve the people. America is the land of opportunity; people give their lives to come here. After these last-ditch efforts run their course, I believe this administration will inspire America to do better and be the best we can be. This administration is the ugly qualities leaving the American soul and preparing it for a leader who truly reflects what it means to an American.
