I’m a Republican, but I don’t like Donald Trump. I also have no sympathy for MAGA Republicans, especially those here in Texas who have a cult-like following for the former president.
The riot at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, encouraged by President Trump, was the watershed that forced me to rescind my previous support for him. It was a terrible event in American history.
A convincing case can be made that Trump is unfit to be president for a variety of reasons. I will always be disappointed that Republican primary voters chose him again to represent millions of conservatives.
However, I will vote for Trump in this election. About 75 million Americans, probably more, will also vote for him. Here’s why:
Donald Trump is stronger when it comes to policy.
When I was young and idealistic, I cared about a lot of issues. At the time, I was more of a purist, and if Trump had been on the ballot when I was able to vote in the first or second election, I probably would have written it as a candidate.
But now I think that’s short-sighted and foolish. So much is at stake. Three things are important to me in this election: foreign policy, the economy, and border security. Mr. Trump has shown he can handle all of this.
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ economic plan is terrible. These reflect purely socialist ideas, such as handing out down payments on homes and numerous “free” programs. America will go bankrupt trying to pay for the bloated bureaucracy Harris has planned.
Under the Biden-Harris economy, inflation soared to a 40-year high of 9.1% just two years ago. Food prices, rent, mortgage rates, and car prices remain high. As a result, many Americans are struggling to pay for basic necessities.
President Trump’s tax cuts, which could be extended if elected, are almost enough to get my vote. Middle and upper class Americans pay far more than their fair share in taxes. With a little more money in the bank account, most families would be better off and the economy would be stimulated.
I hope President Trump doesn’t implement his plan to impose additional tariffs on imports, but I think his economy is better than President Joe Biden’s any day of the week. Under the Trump administration, inflation will be manageable and deregulation of the energy industry will benefit everyone.
opinion:As Americans suffer, Harris riffs with Stern and shares beers with Colbert.
Foreign policy is also an important issue. The US looks weak under the Biden-Harris administration. From Israel’s war against Hamas, made possible in part because of the Biden administration’s decision to lift sanctions on Iran, to its withdrawal from Afghanistan, to Russia’s war against Ukraine, the world is dangerously unstable.
As billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman said in a viral interview, “All of this set the world on fire.”
Perceptions matter in politics, and Trump is likely to be perceived as a stronger leader than Harris. He’s nothing if not a dealmaker, and that’s what America needs at this moment in world history. Peace may be possible if President Trump reimposes sanctions on Iran and quells the growing alliance between Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran.
Another issue in President Trump’s favor: America’s southern border needs to be taken seriously again. It’s a national security issue.
According to Axios, the Biden-Harris administration has reversed Trump-era policies and allowed 8 million immigrants into the United States. More than 1.7 million people have entered the country illegally, evading border security. And smugglers brought an estimated 50,000 pounds of deadly fentanyl across the border.
If nothing else is done, Trump will secure the border for the welfare of the American people.
Kamala Harris is too radical
I can’t vote for Harris. Even moderates don’t understand why this is the case.
Democrats have spent the past four years chastising President Trump for undermining democracy, but after the primaries ended and he failed to win a single Democratic vote, Harris replaced the duly elected elderly and incoherent president. I replaced him with the candidate. It is the Democratic Party that has destroyed the democratic process.
It’s hard to pinpoint what Harris believes. Her dodges are strategic and terrible. But if her ideas are clear, it exposes the Democratic Party’s embrace of progressivism.
opinion:Harris uses Texas to promote abortion and spread fear among suburban women voters
Harris has been given four years to work with Biden to implement policies that will improve the lives of Americans. they failed. A Gallup poll released this month found that 52% of Americans say they and their families are worse off now than they were four years ago. Only 39% said their lives were better. 9% said it was about the same.
In 2024, we are a nation burdened with growing unsustainable debt and suffering the lingering pain of runaway inflation, in a world where devastating war threatens to erupt into global conflict. This is not the time to continue on this course for another four years.
Tens of millions of Americans will vote for Trump
There are three types of people who will vote for Trump in this election: key liberals and mainstream news organizations — as I’ve said many times — who understand this.
Voters like me are conservatives who don’t like Trump because they don’t think he represents true conservative ideas. I am also disgusted by his character flaws and legal issues.
The second category of Trump supporters are center-right Americans whose values and ideas are not represented by the far-left version of the Democratic Party represented by Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. is.
The last type of people who will vote for Trump are those who love him. They believe he defies norms, bucks trends and represents marginalized Central American voters. They love wearing McDonald’s aprons to chat on the golf course he owns and learn how to make fries. They don’t care that he’s not a clear and consistent ideologue.
Millions of voters are drawn to President Trump because he appears to be pro-American, pro-military, and pro-life. For conservatives, the majority of the 74.2 million Americans who voted for Trump in 2020, he is a warrior, a two-time assassination attempt survivor and a symbol of the American Dream.
I don’t see Trump that way, but I can understand the opinion of those who do. It is important that these voices are seen and heard. And for the current president, even if he’s wrong, to call those of us who would vote for Trump “trash” is incredibly hurtful and insulting.
In this election, Donald Trump will attract millions of all three types of voters. I’m going to be one of them.
Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist for USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four children. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, delivered to your inbox.
