For the last year, many political experts from across the globe have been sharing their opinions and forecasts regarding the next president of the United States. The result of the election still appears to be a shock for millions of Americans and the rest of the world. Donald Trump might be a successful businessman and a true patriot, but he lacks the skills and experience to be a good leader of a country and represents opposition to core American values.
First of all, Trump has no experience in politics. His experience in business does not give him an idea of what is it like to work in the White House as legislative procedures have a different structure and pace. Being a president is not only about epic slogans and making America great again but also dealing with issues like housing in low-income areas and elementary school reforms, for which he might not have enough interest or patience. Trump’s policies are based on pure populism and consist of impetuous rhetoric and “cynical pandering” (The Editorial Board, 2016, para. 2). The Mexican Wall idea is not only racist but is also impractical and unreasonably expensive. Donald Trump also does not have much knowledge about foreign relations and diplomatic skills. He claims to have a plan to sort out the issue with Syria and Iran’s nuclear control agreement, but he does not say anything specific. Moreover, Trump being in charge of the nuclear arsenal is an extremely dangerous idea from the point of view of national defense.
Even though Trump is considered an effective businessman, he has a history of bankruptcies and was suspected of machinations on several occasions (The Editorial Board, 2016). He also did not disclose his tax returns, which is just another reason not to trust him with running the world’s greatest economy.
Despite his incompetence, Mr. Trump has gained the support of the majority of the population. Trump’s allies admire him as a strong-willed leader and a tough negotiator. They claim that these skills mean “he wouldn’t be pushed around by the rest of the world, particularly ISIS and Putin” (Roberts, n.d., para. 3). However, successful politics is about negotiation and compromises. Trump does not listen to his advisors, finds it difficult to cooperate, and pursues only his interests. Allan Lichtman, a professor of history at American University, states in his interview with the Washington Post, “We’ve never had a candidate before who’s threatened to start a war by blowing ships out of the water in the Persian Gulf if they come too close to us” (Stevenson, 2016, para. 12). Richard W. Painter (2016) argues that despite the aggressive campaign, Trump will be wise enough to avoid troubles in the Middle East and will have to be more compliant and show some respect toward the Islamic world. Nevertheless, his hot-tempered nature is well known, and there is no such speech where he showed himself to be a rational and thoughtful negotiator.
There are still many disputes concerning whether or not Donald Trump will become a good president. He might end up surprising his opposition and make a series of effective decisions and contributions to the economic, political, and social development of the country. However, one must not forget that a president embodies the entire nation. He represents the current values and goals of his citizens. In his numerous speeches, Donald Trump proved to have racist, sexist, and xenophobic views that contradict the key values of tolerance and equality that American society has been fighting for since the days of Martin Luther King Jr. If these values are still crucial, the person who goes against them cannot be considered an American patriot or an American leader.
References
Painter, R. W. (2016). It is possible for Trump to be a good president.The New York Times. Web.
Roberts, E. (n.d.). Five reasons why we need to elect Donald Trump for 2016. Web.
Stevenson, P. W. (2016). Trump is headed for a win, says professor who has predicted 30 years of presidential outcomes correctly.The Washington Post. Web.
The Editorial Board (2016). Why Donald Trump should not be president.The New York Times. Web.