A Motivated First Week

We all say that “things happen for a reason” and perhaps Trump’s loss in the 2020 election was necessary. The actions of Trump this past week have shown a vigor that was evident from the campaign trail and, despite all that he did in his first term, his actions show that he is not going to sit around and enjoy the Oval Office – he is going to use it. Trump is bringing energy back into the executive office in the name of ensuring that the people’s government is working for them. While he showed in his first week that he is prepared to make things happen, it truly began well before that when he showed that he learned his lesson from his first term and appointed members of his cabinet that will support him and the vision that he ran on. His whirlwind of a first week and a half showed all of us that rhetoric is incredibly important, that he is willing to play by the same rules as the left, and that Alaska is not forgotten.

For the longest time, the left had hijacked rhetoric, and those that love America sat back and allowed them to. They said if we truly cared about the feelings of others then we needed to stop using certain words and play by their rules. It was a game that we were never going to win, and Trump came along and has now tossed their game out the window. His executive order “DEFENDING WOMEN FROM GENDER IDEOLOGY EXTREMISM AND RESTORING BIOLOGICAL TRUTH TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT” is a case study on using the rightest rhetoric to stop progressive incursions. Even in the title alone, the case is made that there is such a thing as irrefutable truth and that we all must recognize it. Throughout the Executive Order, Trump uses ordinary language to convey that gender ideology is not based in fact but rather as a political tool to manipulate the masses. The executive order properly shows that when you change the “immutable biological reality of sex,” there will be no lawful protection of women through our laws because even the term women is a fluid concept under their definition. Trump and his team destroy the entire debate using common sense terms and definitions to show that this ideological war should be over, and truth shall prevail.

Ruling by executive order and declaring every event as a national emergency is a game of chicken that both Republicans and Democrats have been playing, but it is a game that the Democrats played better. Trump has shown that he is willing to play by the same rules as the Democrats and to do what Biden did his first week in office: namely to reverse all the policies of the prior administration through executive order. While this is a solid short-term goal, we can only hope that Trump learned his lesson from his first term and turns most of these executive orders into law codified by Congress. While these executive orders are good to indicate direction, Trump needs to solidify support while he has both chambers so that America is not radically changing course every 4 or 8 years. The Democrats have long exploited the National Emergency loophole to grant the presidency powers it typically would not have. Trump has now turned that into his advantage by declaring a National Emergency on not only the southern border but also on energy. While these issues are dire to the American people, we must question when the “national emergencies” will end. The founders worried about any consolidation of power within our branches of government and even though Trump is playing by the rules the Democrats laid down, it does become worrisome that the Constitutional bedrock will slowly erode through these actions. These issues are dire for the American people, but we also need to acknowledge that we are playing with fire and need to have an exit plan before a new administration comes in and burns us.

While most of us knew the general direction that Trump’s first executive orders would take us, remembering Alaska was not on my bingo card. Even though it is a relatively simple order, the changing of the name of Mount McKinley was done artfully. He could have just said that he was changing the name back but instead the title of the Executive Order is “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness.” The emphasis immediately is on promoting the “extraordinary heritage of our Nation and ensures future generations of American citizens celebrate the legacy of our American heroes.” It serves every nation well to remember its history, both good and bad, and to pass that history on to the future generations. Trump also intends on passing down a legacy to future generations through the “Unleashing of Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential.” This executive order ties in with the National Emergency on Energy but also signals the desire to tap all the resources we have available to make the American Economy great once again. Beyond just the economic potential, this is also a shot across the bow of the international energy community that America is no longer going to sit back on the sidelines.

While the sheer magnitude of the Executive Orders and the number of National Emergencies causes some concern, we should all be excited that Trump has shown he is hitting the ground at an absolute sprint. We can all learn from Trump: when you learn your lesson, do not waste the next opportunity to show growth. It is clear that within his first days in the Presidential Oval Office, he is proving that he is serving the American people first and foremost. It is a breath of fresh air to see energy and life back in the oval. He rightly knows that there is a potential that his majority may only last two years, and he is not going to waste one minute of it nor should he. Republicans in the House and Senate should also be prepared for the whirlwind that is about to happen and hop on board. Trump won a decisive national election and boosted many politicians into their respective positions. America clearly voted that it was ready for the vision of Trump- this opportunity cannot be wasted.