OPINION:
Do not let the protesters’ noise drown out the voices of hardworking taxpayers. This is the message for President Trump and everyone who voted for him in November.
I know it well.
Big-government union bosses and liberal special interest groups responded with outrage when I introduced commonsense reforms during my first days in office as governor of Wisconsin. They initiated protests that eventually led to an occupation of the state Capitol for nearly a month. At one point, their numbers grew to 100,000 in the Capitol and around the square. They were trying to intimidate us.
During one of my daily press conferences, a reporter asked whether the protesters deserved to be heard. It was an interesting question, and my response was clear.
Of course, the protesters should be heard. This is America. Anyone can reasonably protest their government without fear of retribution.
I reminded the media that most reasonable people were not protesting at the Capitol. They were in their hometowns working, going to school or retiring. I also noted that a majority of Wisconsin voters had cast ballots electing me to lead our state. I was not going to let the protesters’ noise drown out the voices of the hardworking taxpayers.
Mr. Trump told us throughout his campaign what he would do. He said he would secure the border by completing work on the wall and deporting criminals from our country. Since he took office on Jan. 20, that is exactly what he and his team are doing — and it is working.
Members of the Border Patrol arrested 8,300 illegal aliens at the southern border last month. That was the lowest number ever recorded. It is a massive drop from 141,000 illegal aliens who were arrested in February 2024 and is down from 29,000 arrests in January.
During the campaign, Mr. Trump promised to take immediate action to help improve the economy and lower costs by reducing the growth in government spending that fueled inflation and high prices. He also promised to make Elon Musk the head of the Department of Government Efficiency and put him in charge of cutting waste, fraud and abuse.
Once in office, the 47th president took rapid action to eliminate government waste, fraud and abuse. Radicals are having a hard time defending spending on a long list of expenditures through the U.S. Agency for International Development, including millions of dollars to help Taliban supporters grow opium in Afghanistan. Ironically, the biggest protests come from those addicted to another form of OPM (other people’s money).
Mr. Trump continues to fulfill his campaign promises: keeping men out of women’s sports, demanding that colleges and universities uphold free speech rights and stop forcing woke agendas on students, and requiring employers to staff based on merit and not discriminate based on race, sex and gender.
The Trump administration is examining billing records to ensure funds are spent on real people and legitimate programs. His changes to Medicaid will protect needy families, individuals and seniors while forcing able-bodied, working-age adults without children into the workforce. We did that in Wisconsin, and it works.
The left isn’t upset with Donald Trump because he failed to keep his campaign promises. They are upset because he is keeping his promises to the American people.
Years ago, the big government union bosses and liberal special interests targeted me for the same reason. One union president swore that I never said we would do what we ended up doing. I held up a flyer from his union at one of our press conferences. It was sent to union members before the election, warning them about what I would do — and I did it.
These groups tried to intimidate me, my family, our Cabinet and staff, and Republican lawmakers. Thankfully, we were unintimidated.
Even with the death threats and endless protests, we did not back down — and we prevailed.
Our reforms are still intact. According to the MacIver Institute, they have saved Wisconsin taxpayers more than $31 billion. More important, they allow schools and other government entities to staff based on merit and pay based on performance. That means they can put the best and the brightest in the classroom.
The left counted on us backing down. Today, they are busing protesters to congressional town hall meetings, running television and radio ads, speaking on social media, and walking out on the president’s address to Congress.
My message to Mr. Trump is simple: Do not let the noise of the protesters drown out the voices of hardworking Americans like myself who elected him to shake things up in Washington.
Be unintimidated.
• Scott Walker is president of Young America’s Foundation and served as the 45th governor of Wisconsin.
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