Oh, I voted for him in the general, because, c'mon.
But I went as far as writing a piece for the Daily Caller in August of 2022 on why he shouldn't be the GOP nominee in 2024.
How wrong I was.
In the spirit of being intellectually honest, I'm going to revisit that piece and examine why I was wrong.
Here were my points, followed by my self-administered upbraiding:
1. Trump will turn 80 during his term. While he does not currently appear to be in cognitive decline, who knows about a few years from now? And he’s not exactly in great physical shape, either.
I'm reliably told that Trump didn't sleep for 72 hours around election day. He does events non-stop. Yesterday, he handled dozens of media questions while signing executive orders. One of life's great mysteries is where this man gets his energy.
2. He will be a lame duck on day one. The 22nd Amendment will prohibit his re-election. Realistically, he will have only a year or so to get anything done. Is this seriously the scenario Republicans want? An octogenarian lame duck?
It is now apparent that being a one-termer is a source of strength. He doesn't have to weigh every decision through the lens of a future election. This is Trump unleashed (as we fully saw yesterday, and it was glorious).
3. Given the circus-like, perpetually chaotic atmosphere that Trump seems almost to promote, what senior people would be willing to serve in his administration? Add to that the fear of almost immediately attracting the attention of our weaponized justice system, and you have a recipe for a cabinet full of third-string draft choices and attention-seekers.
Wow, missed the mark on that one.
4. He has no political discipline and makes too many unforced errors. It’s tough enough for any Republican when the media and the entire Washington establishment are aligned against you. Why give them grist for their mill? I fully appreciate that Trump’s bumptious and combative nature sometimes served him well when doing battle with the press room, but engaging with Rosie O’Donnell? C’mon.
Bit closer to the mark with this one, but Trump 2.0 seems a bit more disciplined. (Emphasis on "a bit.") But the flip side of his verbal incontinence is his combativeness. I don't think it's a stretch to say that there's no other human being who could have endured what Trump endured and gone on to be elected to the presidency.
5. Trump’s lack of discipline extends to his personal life. While most of the attacks on him were blatant fabrications, he’s just not what one would call a paragon of character, either. I and many others were willing to grin and bear these flaws for the sake of outstanding policy, but America deserves a president who brings both policy and character to the job.
It's clear that, unlike Bill Clinton's presidency, Trump's myriad indiscretions were in his past—meaning that he's less vulnerable to blackmail. That doesn't make it all wonderful. But is there a Boy Scout out there who could come through the hellish crucible that Trump, defeat every last enemy, and emerge stronger than ever? If so, let me know where I can vote for him.
6. I fully believe Trump ran the first two times to be of service to his country, particularly the working class. Ego played a large role, but his commitment to country was sincere. This time, I’m not so sure. He seems more motivated to avenge what he believes happened in the last election than anything else. And yes, a lot of bad stuff went down, but that’s not what I want motivating my party’s candidate. Time to look forward, not back.
Yeah, no. I now believe it's important that Trump go after some of these people. They went way, way too far. The lawfare, the media lies...there have to be consequences or it will happen again. Way wide of the mark on this one.
7. We might lose. Yes, Trump brought a lot of new voters to the polls, particularly working class whites. But he also motivates the other side like no one in history. Right now, Democrats are dispirited and functionally leaderless. That changes overnight if Trump is the nominee.
Total whiff.
8. We have other great candidates! Unlike the Democrats, the GOP has a deep bench.
Well, this much is true, and it bodes well for the future. J.D. has emerged on top of that bench, but there are many others.
But for now, it's time to step back and watch the man that even Politico is calling a "force of history."
