By Robert B. Sklaroff and Lynne K. Lechter
An Exponent letter-writer recently suggested that advocates for Donald Trump had grown silent, presumably embarrassed by his performance.
As the two essayists on these pages advocating for his election a year ago, we respond to this invitation by doubling-down on our endorsement, emphasizing that it is more enlightening to take his actions seriously than to become distracted by his tweets.
Lechter’s articles primarily extolled the candidate, whereas Sklaroff’s focused on contrasting him with his opponent.
If anything, our projections were understated, both for the Jewish community and for the nation.
Throughout his young presidency, Trump has performed necessary executive functions with aplomb, while simultaneously confronting myriad denizens of the D.C. swamp: the mainstream media and public figures in entertainment and sports; the resistance Democrats and ideological statists in elected office and the academy; the establishment Republicans and faux-independents in politics and embedded within funding streams; and the deep state and career lobbyists in the intelligence services and among Obama holdovers.
The most efficient method to convey a comprehensive and in-depth exposition is to cite a listing of what Trump had accomplished by his 71st birthday, and then to address the more controversial events that have transpired during the subsequent four months.
He has not shied away from attacking America’s most sacred cows when engaged in an ongoing culture war, most notably when he opined that the NFL’s self-absorbed athletes and financially-threatened team owners — plus the organizational structures shrouding both — should demonstrate unabashed respect for the American flag. Ultimately, the NFL “customer” told these “players” to suppress tortured rationalizations and to support Trump’s patriotism, for fans pay to watch players play, not to politicize.
He has not ignored the need to maximize Israel’s security, as he aggressively confronts global Islamic fascism. Trump has effectuated a true purge on the Islamic State by simply and logically liberalizing rules of combat; consequently, the United States is on the verge of having expeditiously defeated the Islamic State in its self-designated capitals of Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria.
And he has aggressively challenged incessant Iranian threats against the “Little Satan” — Israel — and the “Big Satan,” America.
Moreover, Trump’s U.N. ambassador, Nikki Haley, projects a steadfast, steely voice defending Israel’s right to exist and taking no quarter from America’s enemies, dramatically departing from recent predecessors who bashed Israel and apologized for America’s imaginary evils. Most importantly, Trump has reversed abandonment of the Middle East — and the world — to implacable enemies of the Jewish state and of democracy, while addressing the most profound human rights violations on every continent except Antarctica. Concomitantly, he has strategically recognized the necessity to support an ethnic community with which Jews share close historic and genetic links, the Kurds.
Unlike his predecessor who ridiculed religion and faith, Trump has honored and mainstreamed all Jewish movements, both publicly and privately. Unprecedented is how he has both integrated into his administration non-Orthodox high-ranking officials and encompassed within his family Orthodox children and grandchildren.
Finally, his commentaries on current events may initially shock, but they are often subsequently corroborated. For example, Jews have shuddered at the sight of racist Ku Klux Klan demonstrations over the decades, in Skokie, in Charlottesville; yet, while their history is dark, such white supremacists are not today’s primary enemies of Judaism and America. No, that danger has been insidiously marinated by our monolithic educational system where, from kindergarten through graduate schooling, youth are brainwashed to hate America and to denigrate Israel.
Trump has thereby tasked himself with the herculean goal of helping the citizenry again extol the “classic” version of liberalism championed by Edmund Burke that has animated Western civilization; to be condemned is having been corrupted by Alinsky-like tactics in the “modern” era.
We recognize how difficult it is to redirect the proverbial ocean liner, but we are in awe of how successfully the president has begun steering the United States back to invoking its patriotic roots of morality, meritocracy and magnanimity, ideas and ideals that the left mocks and deems antiquated. Trump’s battle is for sovereignty, the major responsibility of government.
Israelites are the people who were chosen to serve as a light to the nations, and the president currently channels the task to lead this effort — on behalf of our Jewish faith, our American citizenry and our fellow humans throughout the world. This resolute support for Jews and Israel was starkly illustrated recently when he pulled the United States out of UNESCO for its anti-Semitic demonization of Israel.
Lynne K. Lechter is a business/corporate attorney and litigator. Robert B. Sklaroff is a hematologist/oncologist.
Excellent in brilliance and understanding. Results are what count!
Trump counts among his supporters bricklayers and roofers as well as attorneys and physicians.
Heartbreaking. You make me ashamed to be a Jew.
Just wow. That was painful.
Demonstrates well the importance of keeping one’s children far away from the fact-free ignorance and moral confusion of most Orthodox institutions.
Trump’s actions have been to do little more than make shallow insults in response to complex matters. If he wants to rebuild the government with experts of a different ilk, he has to find and hire them. Vast amounts of critical infrastructure are vacant. If he wants to overhaul the infrastructure then he must do the hard work of that. He has done almost nothing to build and much to tear down.
You’re all scumbags. How dare you say Obama ridicules religion and this sorry excuse for a man extols it. Shame on you. Spit spit spit. A shande for the goyim.
You’re giving Trump credit for “encompassing” within his family a Jewish daughter and grandchildren? In other words, he’s a friend of the Jews because he didn’t disown her when she converted? Isn’t that a pretty low standard? And is there really a “monolithic” education system that teaches kindergartners to hate America? And teaches kindergartners to denigrate Israel? Isn’t that a bit silly?
That’s what conservative talk-show hosts tell their listeners, and millions of people believe it.
Pretzel twisting embarrassing excuse makers. Fail.
How this writer doesn’t see him as embarrassment I can’t understand. Trump has accomplished nothing except bullying. He is a disgrace to our country.
Excellent! Excellent article. But of course the left and Obumars don’t see it. Until full destruction would have hit them in the face and even then it would have been a big question. Jewish lefts are a disgrace to the race.
I do not understand how presumably intelligent people can still be enthusiastic about a person who lies always, brags often, takes the weekends off regularly, and never apologizes. He has not learned diddly squat about even the subjects he seems to care about — as evidenced by his throwing a monkey wrench into the process of preparing a tax bill or a replacement health care plan. He says yes and then he says no.
This is not how a U.S. leader supports this country. He weakens us day by day.
+Carol Raskin
Because we receive our information from different sources than you. The mainstream media in this country has openly admitted that its goal is to destroy Trump’s presidency and it does so daily by presenting you with the view of him that they wish to portray. The bias is through omission. It doe not inform you of all that he does. It presents only what it wants you to know. It is Pravda.
It shows you bragging, but never compassion. But we have seen his compassion many times in ceremonies and meetings shown on YouTube. It shows you when he takes time off, but seldom when he works, which is actually the majority of the time. And last time I checked, it was Congress that threw monkey wrenches into passing tax bills or replacement health care. But you wouldn’t know that, because you believe what the elites want you to believe.
When Trump first went into office he signed order after order. One of his first orders of business was revamping the medical care vets were receiving and how staff were treating them. Did you know about either? Every day on YouTube was another executive order signed in attempts to roll back the oppressive regulatory state. He was in meetings constantly with all different groups, including African-Americans to listen to people’s concerns. All on YouTube. Look it up. Did you see any of it? Did you hear about any of it on the news? No. Newsweek publishes an issue of him lounging and eating junk food.
Yes, if the leader actually acted the way you said, you would be right. But now you know how a supposedly large number of intelligent people can perceive that he might be a different person than what you believe him to be.