Ten Years Of Love/Hate With Donald Trump

The image that changed the world in 2015.

The image that half the country wants to forget and half the country revere. On June 16, 2015 the political world changed when Donald Trump descended a golden escalator and declared his intention to run for President in 2016. Trump was still an enigma to many people. He was a television personality and most people viewed him as a successful businessman. He had not yet been fully vetted for public consumption. But things were going to change. Quickly.

Donald Trump spent most of his time preening himself in the media to portray a highly successful and very wealthy real estate mogul. He spent many hours in front of cameras in television studios and on the streets of New York boasting of his wealth even though Forbes Magazine had many times cut his estimates by half or more. Even the public details of his bankruptcies causing the ruin of many businesses left in the wake of his business failures did not cause a misstep in his self-aggrandizing.

Years prior to his now entrance into the political ring, politicians from both parties had paid homage to Trump at his New York offices to be seen with him and receive his endorsements and blessings. To be seen having lunch with Trump was a thumbs-up approval and everyone tried to get it. Years later those meetings would haunt them as being early supporters of Trump even when shown they knew of his dubious dealings.

His character began to show in full display during debates when decorum went out the window and insults and rudeness became the new debate style. Actually, it became the new debate technique. Trump eschewed valid arguments for response and instead spewed personal insults, sometimes including the opponent’s family in the hate filled discourse. Nothing was off limits. His opponents still tried to maintain the normal debate decorum and the moderators were at a loss on how to rein him in. This was something new and no one was prepared for how to respond.

What no one seemed to see was Trump did not have any answers. What he did have was the audience. He was the show. The debate did not matter. He was turning the debates into a pay per view wrestle-mania. People were tuning in not to get answers to questions or hear solutions to real problems. They wanted to see bloody noses. Audience participation was encouraged. It had become exactly what Trump wanted. A reality show, and he was the star.

There was still time. But not much. Trump was speaking to those people who watched the wrestling shows on television. And the Republican Party was getting the message. The Republican voters were speaking and the contestants got the message. Donald trump was going to be the face of the Republican Party. He projected tough and they wanted someone who was tough. After all he was a tough negotiator in business. So he said. The country needed a businessman to solve the perceived problems. There was a new word in the lexicon. Mutual consents were no longer "Agreements." They were "Deals."

Every media outlet tried to vet Trump except FOX News. But to those who wanted Trump it looked like a pile on and that is the way FOX News promoted it. No one believed the history of Trump. It soon became obvious to the Trump organization that exaggeration and lies were easier to encourage than the truth. His supporters were believing the lies as fact.

There was a question whether he would actually debate Hillary Clinton. Everyone was sure she could expose him. It didn't happen. In three debates, Trump was rude and had no problem with obnoxious behavior. In Trumps view, he just said what he wanted. It wouldn't matter to his supporters. He seemed like a long shot to win the election. But the fact that Hillary Clinton had an unlikeable factor did not help her. Nobody could explain what it was that made her unlikeable. She was definitely qualified, but she was just not likeable. Trump went on to act like Trump in business. It was his way or the highway.

Of course, he won the election to the surprise of many including Trump. This only served to embolden him and his base. He hijacked the MAGA slogan from Ronald Reagan who used it originally in his 1980 campaign. Trumps first term as President would be argued as a disaster. The pandemic caused him many problems but so did his policies that would not address the pandemic in a useful way. He came off as a know it all but know nothing and suffered two impeachments. And many were grateful for some of those in his administration who they felt kept him from going over a cliff with bizarre decisions.

The loss of the presidential election in 2020 and the wild accusations of election rigging and the acts of insurrection by his supporters driven by his own alleged act of sedition firmly established Trump as a leader of a new movement. Donald Trump now stood for something to somebody. But if you asked what he stood for, they only answered to "Make America Great Again." He meant something different to all of his supporters. They had no idea what it was. He was anti everything. If something bothered you about something or someone, Trump would take care of it in time. He had become the voice of everyone who was angry and did not have the voice to express it. Never mind that everything he said was in the abstract and not based in fact.

Lies had worked before and they were working now. They worked so well that he skipped debates. Why debate? Rallies worked better. Ramp up and inflame the electorate with lies that worked better and move on without answering questions. It was alleged that Trump was working from an old play book that had been used in the past decades by authoritarian leaders. And in the past Trump had been accused of admiring authoritarian leaders.

The surprise again was his election in 2024. He had prepared everyone for the possibility of in his words "another rigged election." But this time, he won in his words "a fair election. He won the presidential and Republicans won the house and the senate. He now had what he and his followers considered to be a mandate from the people. The problem was, it was only half the people. The other half hated him.

In 2016 the love hate relationship with Donald Trump began and continues to this day. He and his team of subversives have managed to divide the country into Tribes more so than ever before. Everyone including family members have been forced to choose up sides. There have always been divided opinions in this country but not to this level of vitriol. Some are now believing they are using tactics from the middle of the last century.

Some are even questioning now whether Trump, because of his age, is actually the head of the movement or just a figurehead and is being used by the actual movement hierarchy. It would seem to be a wild characterization but when we look back at what has happened in the last ten years, it would seem anything could be possible. One fact is clear. America is as divided as it has ever been in its history and it will take years and men and women of real conscience and not greed to help in the recovery.

To the half who do not like Trump, they cannot find anything of consequence that he has done in his time in office. To those who like Trump, he has and is always "Making America Great Again." Nobody seems to say. "He's OK." You either love him or hate him. Unfortunately, it is not just Donald Trump. He has influenced the whole election process to the point that you don't know whether a person running for elected office is answering questions based on their real opinions or are they influenced by fear. And the elected office holders now all have the appearance of being a pack grifters filling their pockets from influence peddlers.

Yes. Donald Trump changed the world with that ride down the gold escalator in 2015 and into political history. Good or bad. Everyone in the world, including world leaders have their opinion of him. We are going to live decades with the decisions he and his administration are making for us. But. There is one positive thing still available to all of us. The vote.

We can look at who has another opinion from Trump and properly vet them. FOX News does vet anyone. Everyone and I mean everyone should ask the question why did every legitimate news media organization except one "FOX News" warn the public of Trumps ambitions and why was FOX News the only one who passionately supported him? What was their motive? They were speaking to only one constituent.

Think about it and be sure to VOTE!

Jack Wilson

Opinion