-John Moraga
Founder, Conservatives Corner
I believe president Trump will be reelected for a second term in 2020, even though I personally did not vote for him in 2016, and I continue to have many disagreements with him. I have even explained my reasons for not voting for president Trump in 2016 on ConservaCast episode #17. Although I cannot be defined as a “never Trumper,” I was definitely not a supporter of the president during his primary campaign. However, nearly two years into his first term, I believe Trump has solidified his position to be reelected in 2020.
Chief among my reasons for believing Trump will be reelected is the fact that he has objectively demonstrated that he is not a lunatic, even if he too frequently embarrasses himself. What I mean is that president Trump hasn’t impulsively ordered nuclear attacks on foreign adversaries, he hasn’t interned American citizens (as a previous democrat president did, FDR), he has actually refrained from pulling the plug on the seemingly perpetual investigation of Russian “collusion,” which is why objective Americans do not see Trump as the tyrant democrats promised he would be in office, even if he has a perverted past, continues to tweet absurdities, and he cannot be considered a Christian by any standard of Christian orthodoxy. That’s why I believe Trump has actually drastically defused the hysteria of Trump hatred among “independent” voters, especially when their alternative is a hyper-liberal democrat party. I acknowledge that the vast majority of democrats and a decreasing number of establishment republicans would still consider themselves “never Trumpers,” but among conservatives, I believe Trump has also done things that have made them reconsider their support for him. Whether Trump has responded to the pressures of conservatives, or whether he is genuinely trying to implement a conservative agenda, he has actually done several things to further conservatism.
Trump has drastically increased his support among evangelical Christians when he expeditiously moved the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Israel. Initially, when Trump announced his intent to relocate the U.S. embassy, it wasn’t supposed to take place for a long time, which gave the perception that his announcement was only talk. However, when he moved the embassy in quick order, he demonstrated his commitment to seriously respond to issues important to evangelicals. Further, he has challenged legislation forcing the acceptance and support of transgender individuals in the military, and he has proven his pro-life bona fides (research: “Trump and Title X”).
Fiscal conservatives have also been impressed with the trajectory of Trump’s presidency. Although it has not been widely reported, president Trump has actually repealed the individual mandate of Obamacare. It’s unfortunate that this feat has not been more touted, as it was a major issue during the rise of the TEA Party in 2010. Few other issues have rallied conservatives than Obamacare, specifically the illegality of the individual mandate, which obliged American citizens to participate in a socialist system. Although many portions of Obamacare are still in tact, president Trump has effectively eliminated one of the most controversial elements of legislation in the 21st century thus far, by repealing the individual mandate of Obamacare. Another claim of Obama’s legacy that conservatives disdain and Trump has reversed is the deal Obama struck with Iran.
There are several other more nuanced reasons I believe Trump will be reelected of which I may elaborate in future articles, but these are a few of the major reasons I base my analysis. Obviously, there are many factors that could change my prognosis, but barring some catastrophic faux pas, I believe Trump will defeat any challenger in 2020.