Lessons and Warnings from Trump’s First Term
As we head into election day, we are told the race for president is a dead heat. If you are thinking about voting for Donald Trump, you might benefit by studying his “life’s work”—most importantly, his 4 years in the White House.
If Trump is elected the 47th President of the United States, here are five things you can expect:
- Poor Leadership Skills.
The revered business writer, Jim Collins, defines great leadership as a blend of will and humility. Trump scores extremely high on will but extremely low on humility. Humility is so important for a leader. It’s the ability to put the cause ahead of yourself—being a learn-it-all rather than a know-it-all. Humility is being a good listener. Humble leaders bring people together. Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, and John Kennedy all had high scores in both will and humility. Trump does not. - A Chaotic Leadership Team.
During Trump’s 4 years as President, he went through 42 cabinet officers. On average, that’s about twice as many as other Presidents over the past 50 years. Astoundingly, almost half of Trump’s cabinet officers have declined to support him for a second term. This is unprecedented in American history. These people know 100 times more than you and me about how unqualified Trump is to be President. - A Financial Mess.
As a nation, we have a $35 trillion debt that’s growing quickly and poses both short- and long-term challenges to every citizen of the United States. When Trump was elected in 2016, he pledged to wipe out the Nation’s debt in 8 years. What did he do? He added $7.8 trillion to our overall debt in 4 years. For those of you who think Trump is a financial wizard, please remember that he has gone bankrupt 6 times. - A Climate Disaster.
Trump is very clear about his stance on the environment. He disavows climate change, and his energy solution is “drill baby drill.” Ninety-seven percent of the world’s scientists disagree. The UN General Secretary has said that we have our foot on the accelerator on a highway to climate hell. Trump pulled the United States out of the 2016 Paris Agreement on global climate change. If given a second term, he would follow the same path. - The Increasing Power of Dictators.
The United States has led the international coalition that has stood up to Russian leader Vladimir Putin. If Trump is elected this year, U.S. opposition to Putin and his expansionist efforts is likely to end, reversing a 100-year tradition of the United States working with other countries to promote freedom and democracy.
On President John Adams’ first night in the White House, he wrote his wife a letter. He ended the letter with this quote that 160 years later President Kennedy had etched into the fireplace in the State Dining Room at the White House: “May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof.” It is my opinion that as a nation, we should set high standards for our national leaders. Through his actions, Donald Trump does not even come close in meeting the historical standards for the highest office in the land.
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