OPINION:
Democrats and their media allies are doing their best to portray Donald Trump’s second term as chaotic, but the attack is falling flat. The public appreciates the earnest effort of a president following through on his promises.
Mr. Trump may be the first commander in chief in recent memory who didn’t come down with a convenient bout of amnesia about controversial agenda items after being sworn in. According to the Harvard-CAPS/Harris Poll, voters are happy with his bold moves to implement his “America First” policies.
By a wide margin, they want to stop the flood of illegal immigration that has ruined their communities. They don’t want men invading the sporting events of girls and women. They want hiring to be based on merit and not skin color. They hate the unchecked growth of the federal bureaucracy. They’re tired of endless wars.
Mr. Trump decides what to do based on what’s best for America. He doesn’t convene an intergovernmental working group or worry about the feelings of the “international community.”
It’s a refreshing change from the norm, and an overall majority of 52% support this approach. That figure includes the begrudging respect of 18% of Democrats who acknowledge Mr. Trump exceeding their expectations. Democrats remain in the ratings doghouse at 36% because they can’t articulate a positive vision for the country.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is among those impressed by the administration’s vision. On Monday, the Louisiana Republican reflected on his conversation with Elon Musk about the Department of Government Efficiency at an Americans for Prosperity event.
“What we’re going to do here is restore the original intent of the framers of the Constitution. Because they envisioned a small, efficient federal government,” Mr. Johnson said.
Under previous management, federal agencies did everything they could to conceal their activities from the public and thwart congressional oversight. “The bureaucracy was not transparent, they’re not forthcoming. That’s the deep state. … We didn’t know USAID was funding [madness, but] Elon has cracked the code,” Mr. Johnson said.
The transparency isn’t coming quickly enough for House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan. Kash Patel was handed the keys to the FBI director’s office on Friday, and Mr. Jordan has already dropped a half-dozen subpoenas on his desk demanding the immediate production of documents that President Biden’s team kept under lock and key.
The impatient Ohio Republican wants records related to FBI tasking of agents to spy on traditional Catholics and parents attending local school board meetings. Mr. Jordan also wants to know why the FBI has slow-walked the investigation of the supposed pipe bombs discovered outside the Republican and Democratic Party headquarters on Jan. 6, 2021. He wants details on the bureau’s use of informants and provocateurs on the same day.
On the foreign policy front, Mr. Trump met with the French president on Monday and convinced him that Europe needs to take the lead in European affairs once the war in Ukraine ends. “I’m also pleased that President [Emmanuel] Macron agrees that the cost and burden of securing the peace must be borne by nations of Europe, not alone by the United States,” Mr. Trump said.
According to the Harvard/Harris poll, a strong majority of independents, Democrats and Republicans want Mr. Trump to successfully negotiate a settlement to the Ukraine conflict. The only policy falling short of a majority was renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.
That’s a sign this administration is on the right track.
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