…Rule two, there is no bigger rule than the first rule.
“It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than a new system. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institution and merely lukewarm defenders in those who gain by the new ones.”
~ Niccolo Machiavelli
Never has that Machiavelli quote been more apropos than when considering the MAGA movement and the rise of Donald Trump.
Thankfully, we are now in an era when the largest coalition of American voters have awakened to the reality that, to quote the former president: “Economic Security is National Security.”
As we live through the economic mess of a Biden administration hell bent on eroding the middle class of the United States, there are numerous pundits contemplating 2024 Republican presidential candidates other than Donald Trump; consider this group the lukewarm defenders Machiavelli noted.
At the same time the leftist coalition, writ large, are apoplectic about the base of the Republican Party now belonging to Donald Trump. This group consists of those affluent Wall Street agents and politicians set on retaining the profits derived from decades of institutional objectives.
Institutional Democrats hate Trump, and institutional Republicans are lukewarm, at best, in defending Trump. Both wings of the DC UniParty fear Trump. Extreme efforts at control are a reaction to fear. In this outline, I rise to explain why Donald Trump is the only option for the America First MAGA coalition; and I make my case not on supposition, but on empirical reference points that most should understand.
Everything, is about the economics of it.
If you accept that at its essential core elements the phrase “economic security is national security” is true – meaning the lives of the American citizen, person, worker, individual or family are best when their economic position is secure – then any potential leader for our nation must be able to initiate policies that directly touch the economics of a person’s life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As a result, economic security and economic policy must be the fulcrum of their platform.
Now, look around and ask yourself this question: “What separated Donald J. Trump from the remaining field of 17 GOP candidates in 2016?” An honest top-line answer would be immigration (border control), and his views on American economic policy. In essence, what set Donald Trump apart from all other candidates was his view on the U.S. economy, and that was the driving factor behind ‘Make America Great Again’, MAGA.
Now, look around. Look at every other potential candidate for political office. Is there another person in the field of your political view who comes from the starting point that economic security is national security?
Put aside all other issues and shiny things that may change from moment to moment as the political winds swirl and settle, and ask yourself that question. Who can deliver MAGA, if not the central person who lives, eats, sleeps and thinks about U.S. economic security from every angle at every second of every hour of every day. That’s Donald J. Trump.
Trump knows the extremely consequential sequence of BIG things that lead to a structurally strong American economic foundation.
We don’t have to guess at whether Trump can deliver on that policy sequence, we have reference points.
♦ Donald Trump knew that independent U.S. energy policy was a condition for a strong U.S. economy. He also knew there would be negative consequences to allies and partners if the U.S. energy policy was independent. Trump knew that OPEC nations in general would be negatively impacted, and he knew that Saudi Arabia specifically would be weakened geopolitically. That is why the very first foreign trip by Donald Trump was to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States that make up the majority of OPEC.
Look at what President Trump did on that trip. First, he assured Saudi Arabia that the United States would stand with the Gulf Cooperation Council and Mid-East nations as it pertained to their security. Trump knew making the largest energy consuming nation independent from foreign oil would be adverse to the economic stability of the Mid-East, and as an outcome, could open a door to destabilization from extremist or ideological groups therein.
Take away top-line economic revenue from Saudi et al, and the leaders of those oil economies have a more difficult time remaining stable and controlling unrest and extremism. Generations of Arab citizens know nothing other than the trickle down benefits of oil exports. President Trump knew this, and he approached our need for energy independence by first assuring the Arab states of his commitment to their stability and safety.
President Trump delivered to those states a list of approved arms and defense agreements during that trip. In essence, what he was doing was putting the promise of security into actual delivery of tools to retain that security. Actions speak louder than words. President Trump also promised to work diligently on peace in the region; a real substantive and genuine peace that would provide security in the big picture.
Over the course of the next few years, Trump delivered on that set of promises with the Abraham Accords. Yes, economic security as national security applies to our allies as well as ourselves. Again, actions speak louder than words.
With the U.S. energy independence program in place, President Trump then moved in sequence to the next big thing.
♦ Donald Trump moved to face the challenge of China. A major shift in U.S. policy that is likely considered the biggest geopolitical shift in the last 75 years. Trump strategically began with Trade Authority 302 national security Steel and Aluminum tariffs at 25% and 10% not only toward China but targeted globally.
The entire multinational system was stunned at the bold step with tariffs. But remember, before Trump went to Saudi Arabia, he held a meeting with Chairman Xi Jinping in Mar-a-Lago. The global trade world was shocked by the tariff announcement, but I’ll bet you a doughnut Chairman Xi was not.
That February 2017 meeting, only one month after his inauguration, was President Trump graciously informing Chairman Xi, in the polite manner that respectful business people do, that a new era in the U.S-China relationship was about to begin. New trade agreements, new terms and conditions were to be expected in the future. The tariff announcement hit Wall Street hard, but not Beijing – who knew it was likely.
U.S. financial pundits proclaimed the sky was surely falling. These tariffs would cause prices to skyrocket, the global order of all things around trade was under attack by Trump. They waxed and shouted about supply chains being complicated and intertwined amid the modern manufacturing era that was too complex for President Trump to understand with such a heavy handed tariff hammer. Remember all of that? Remember how cars were going to cost thousands more, and beer kegs would forever be lost because the orange man had just triggered steel and aluminum tariffs?
Did any of that happen? No. Of course it didn’t. Actually, the opposite was true and no one could even fathom it. Communist China first responded by subsidizing all of their industries targeted by the tariffs with free energy and raw materials, etc. China triggered an immediate reaction to lower their own prices to offset tariffs. Beijing did not want the heavy industries and factories to start back up again in the U.S, so they reacted with measures to negate the tariff impact.
China’s economy started to feel the pressure and panda was not happy. Eventually, as the tariffs expanded beyond Steel and Aluminum to other specific segments and categories, China devalued their currency to lower costs even further for U.S. importers. The net result was something no one could have imagined. With lower prices, and increased dollar strength, we began importing all Chinese products at cheaper rates than before the tariffs were triggered. Yes, we began importing deflation. No one saw that coming…. but Trump did.
While all that initial U.S-China trade shock was taking place, Donald Trump took his next foreign trip to… wait for it…. Southeast Asia.
Just like in the example of the trip to Saudi Arabia, economically-minded Trump told partners and leaders in the export producing countries of Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and ASEAN nations to prepare for additional business and new trade agreements with the U.S., as factories inside China might start to decouple. Look at how they responded, they did exactly what Trump said would be in their best interests.
To seriously gather the focus of this SE Asia group, President Trump started direct talks with North Korea and Chairman Kim Jong-un for peace and regional stability. It’s easy to forget just how stunning this was at the time, but generations of people in Asia were jaw-agape at the U.S. President confronting China, engaging with North Korea, and opening his arms to new trade deals with ASEAN partners.
On the world stage of geopolitics and global trade, any one of these moves would be a monumental legacy initiative all by itself. But together, simultaneously, you can see how the entire continent physically stopped midstride and stood staring at this, this man, this American President, who was just about to step across the Demilitarized Zone in North Korea and shake hands with Chairman Kim…. and, wait for it…. they are smiling.
√ Energy security triggered and friends in Mid-East supported.
√ Mid-East peace initiatives triggered.
√ A return of heavy industry and manufacturing security triggered.
√ A confrontation of Chinese economic influence triggered.
√ Stability between South Korea and North Korea, triggered.
√ New trade deals and economic partnerships with Japan and South Korea, triggered.
And then, as if that was not enough… just as multinational investment groups started realizing they needed to change their outlooks and drop the decades long view of the U.S. as a “service driven economy”… just as they realized they needed to start investing domestically inside the United States for their own growth and financial security… as if all that wasn’t enough… President Trump kicks off an entirely new trade deal and renegotiated standard for all North American trade via NAFTA.
We don’t have to guess at whether Donald Trump can put together a program to ensure Economic Security is National Security. We don’t have to guess at whether Donald Trump can deliver on economic policy. We don’t have guess if Trump’s policy platform, proposals and initiatives would be successful. We have the experience of it. We have the results of it. We have felt the success of it.
We also don’t need to guess at who is the best candidate to lead Making America Great Again, we already know who that is.
There is no other 2024 Presidential Candidate, who I am aware of, who could possibly achieve what Donald John Trump has achieved, or who could even fathom contemplating how to achieve a quarter of what President Trump achieved.
Do not tell me Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is a better option. DeSantis is an unknown commodity, a blank slate, when it comes to big picture economic outlooks. DeSantis doesn’t have an economic agenda inside his administration from which to contemplate or analyze his economic views.
Governor Ron DeSantis has a lot of really good skills and policies on the domestic front unique to his position in Florida; however, it is not a slight toward him to point out he has never expressed any larger economic proposal that would give any confidence in a national economic policy.
Look at the sum total of it, and there’s so much more that could be outlined to what Donald Trump achieved and could yet still achieve, it’s not even a close question.
And that my friends is exactly why Donald Trump is under relentless attack from both wings of the UniParty in DC. Additionally, it is clear the Wall Street Republicans are trying to position Ron DeSantis as an alternative to another Trump term. Look carefully at the current advocates for DeSantis, Nikki Haley and/or Kristi Noem, and you will note every one of those early voices are attached to favorable Wall Street politics and multinational corporate advocacy.
Look at what Donald J. Trump was able to achieve while he was under constant political attack. Just imagine what Trump 2.0 would deliver.
They, the leftist Democrats and Wall Street Republicans, are yet again absolutely petrified of that.
Oh man, I enjoyed reading this post. Magnificent recap of our economic prosperity under President Trump.
😂😂”the entire continent physically stopped midstride and stood staring at this, this man, this American President” 😂😂
Yet lots and lots and LOTS of voices, right here have begun to clamor for DeSantis.
He may be right for President one day. But not yet.
And he’ll have a legacy to match if he ever makes it.
If ever there was a man that already deserves a place on Mount Rushmore it’s Donald J Trump.
Great article Sundance!
Also, remember that Trump would only be a one term president. Just imagine what Trump could do without having to worry at all about being reelected. Plus, as a new Florida resident, I’d prefer DeSantis stay right where he is for another four years.
Good point.
I have never wavered from my absolute and unconditional support of President Trump. And, I never will.
Through his business dealings with many countries and governments , wall street, etc , he has insider information so to speak on how everything works.
I know this is redundant but THANK YOU Sundance .there was never a question for me in 16 who i would be pulling the lever for same for 20 in 24 i will not flinch or hesitate to pull the lever one more time for PRESIDENT TRUMP . blessings and prayers for all treepers on this holy weekend this tree is truly the last refuge and i am grateful for all of you
R.D.
Trump built his empire, not just any business executive. I read the Trump Doctrine as did my members of my family, here on CTH. You can’t find it on the web, blacked out along with each accomplishment throughout his time in office. The CNN and msm watchers and readers were robbed of the important steps Trump took to MAGA. I can list many, off the top of my head, which enrages and befuddles Trump haters. Thank you for referring to the Trump Doctrine, which Trump followed through on every point. He followed his “blueprint”. DJT is the best President we ever had in US history. No President of our country’s past had the obstacles set before them Trump had, including Obama’s shadow government, and Obama’s stagnant economy, and our reliance on OPEC. Trump accomplished MAGA .
i’m glad you remembered the great Zachary Taylor.
Taylor was independently wealthy due to his ownership of warehouses in port of Louisville.
He actually only broke even as a plantation owner.
Why?
His slaves had military like housing and rations, not the swill the average slave got.
His slaves got cash bonuses each year.
He did not break up families or beat them. He had only two overseers, a father and son.
He treated his slaves basically like his soldiers.
He realized he could not make money operating as he did.
But at the time, to free his slaves in antebellum Mississippi or Louisiana was to basically give them nothing, not even a sharecropper life.
Taylor served as an officer because he loved the country and could afford to do so.. His wife Margaret was okay with it, and she sewed uniforms and treated the sick and wrote letters home for soldiers who couldn’t read, and she taught Sunday school.
Taylor ran the Mexican War his way, which ticked off the Democrats. He won his battles despite their cheapness in sending him men and supplies. They took most of both before Buena Vista, which left him outnumbered 4 to 1 by Santa Anna’s Mexicans. Taylor and his men held off the attack and shattered Santa Anna’s force.
Taylor’s unwanted son in law Jeff Davis was one of his best officers in that war.
Taylor paid priests and nuns in Mexico out of his own pocket for the treatment of the severely wounded Mexucans whose own leaders abandoned them. The War Department was against humanitarian aid.
The Catholic Irish bragged about serving under Taylor because he respected their faith and their fighting prowess.
As president, Taylor was like Trump. He saw slavery as the evil threatening America, and he sought ti end it peaceably.
Taylor sought bringing California and New Mexico in as free states to outvote the slave states in the Senate.. Democrats and his own RINO Whigs, led by scumbags Henry Clay and Daniel Webster, opposed him. (Think McCain and McTurtle).
Southern leaders demanded a fugitive slave law. Taylor told them slaves ran away because they were mistreated and naturally sought better lives.
When they threatened secession, Taylor thteatened them to their faces with hanging.
Two different times slaveoctat filibusterers got weapons and assistance from Southern state arsenals and tried to sieze Cuba to make it a slave state. Lee was propositioned to lead one expedition and turned it down. Jeff Davis almost decided to take his place but his wife Varina talked him out of it.
Taylor got the Navy out to scuttle the first attempt.
They did launch the second time. The Navy kept most of the filibusterers from landing. Those who did got beat by the Spanish and escaped to Florida. Taylor had them held for piracy. Taylor negotiated the release of some other men who changed their minds about the invasion to keep the Spanish from hanging them.
Ex- Congressman Lincoln, who served under Taylor in the Black Hawk War, and William Seward, New York Senator, proposed to Taylor using federal money to buy slaves free at market prices.
Taylor was on the verge of announcing this idea when he suddenly sickened on July 4, 1850.
He died five days later.
The Swamp danced on his grave.
Millard Fillmore (Mike Pence) became president, okayed the 1850 compromise with a fugitive slave law, and made the Civil War inevitable.
He, Franklin Pierce (kin to W thru his wide bodied mom Barbara) and Buchanan (the first alternate lifestyle president) gave the firebrands a decade to prepare for the Civil War. Time the Union did not use.
Lee, Jackson, Longstreet, Bragg, and other key Southern generals served under Taylor and respected him. So did Grant (hero under fire) and Meade. Taylor was at Sherman’s wedding while he was president. Sherman married Ellen Ewing , the daughter of his Interior Secretary. Sherman admired Taylor too.
The Anaconda Plan that beat the Rebels came from Taylor’s work with his former superior and later political subordinate Winfield Scott. Scott was a Virginian loyal to the Union.
Taylor had commander status that Lincoln did not have. He could have prevented or limited the Civil War by backing down some officers. His poisoning (likely, not by arsenic, which they tested his remains for in 1991, but by mushrooms) was a boon to the slaveocracy and the New York and Philadelphia bankers and speculators (Wall Street). These were virtually all Democrats.
Taylor’s death was a calamity every bit as great as Lincoln’s murder.
Lincoln, like Our Lord and Savior, was a murder victim who died on Good Friday.
Easter and Passover blessings to Treeper Nation.
Very informative and Ty for taking the time and effort.
Wow. I am so glad I stumbled on the Treehouse site a few years back. I always learn something here.
frankie, I would like to learn more details about what you posted. I’ve never heard some of those things before. I thought I knew more history than the average person, but I continue to be amazed at what I don’t know. Can you site some sources? I am definitely interested in learning more. Thank you.
Holman Hamilton is the best biographer of Zachary Taylor.
“Dead Men Do Tell Tales” by pathologist William Maples has a chapter titled “Arsenic and Old Rough and Ready” about the Taylor exhumation. I interviewed a couple of people involved.
I am a researcher and investigator. Certain BLM lite types have been trying to shake down descendants of slave-owning presidents. I was able to prove false the claim by a person put forward to say her ancestress was a slave who Taylor impregnated because Margaret Taylor was allegedly frigid.
I showed Taylor’s service time put him and Margaret in present day Wisconsin when the faker was allegedly conceived, and that Margaret gave birth to Richard Taylor after this alleged slave woman gave birth. I found relatives of Taylor willing to undergo a DNA test to prove her false. I also found the leader of the cabal who put these charges up was sued at least 10 times for unsavory actions in Virginia.
The scam went away.
I had to read a lot about Taylor to get the timeline right. He wrote his own reports and the War Department had records on his service.
Taylor served in Indiana and the lower Midwest against Tecumseh and the Brits, as a subordinate to William Henry Harrison. His daughter Sara “Knoxie” Taylor who married Jeff Davis and died young was born in Vincennes, Indiana, about a block or so from the fortress mansion Harrison build to shelter the townspeople in case of Indian or Brit attack. Vincennes was a French town whose priests and people were on America’s side in the Rev War. George Rogers Clark beat the Brits there, and there is a nice monument to his victory down by the Wabash River in town, just across from Illinois.
They re-enact Harrison v Tecumseh in Vincennes. The young stud who plays Tecumseh I believe is part American Indian and part black and he looks like a warrior. He and the actor playing Harrison were gracious to all us visitors.
You older folks may remember Red Skelton. He came from Vincennes and there is a comedy museum to his name in town. We were there Ash Wednesday 2017, just after President Trump’s State of the Union speech. It would have been a little inappopriate for comedy on a day of fast and abstinence to go there.
One last take …. Bring ’em in Young hated Taylor because Taylor considered him a degenerate who was okay with aborting the children of teen girls the Mormons at Nauvoo had made into “plural wives” to cover up the polygamy till Joseph Smith openly proclaimed it.
Taylor cut out the Mormons’ claims to northern AZ, NM NM, western CO, SW WY, southern ID, SE Oregon, all of Nevada, and California east of the crest of the Sierras down to San Bernardino and to the Pacific at Orange County. Young said he was glad Taylor died and presumed he was in Hell.
Young’s people, with his direction and okay, massacred settlers from Arkansas and Missouri in 1857 (9/11) and once the adults were killed, they raped and beheaded 2 teen girls who begged for mercy. I interviewed an elderly woman who was a descendant of a small girl who survived the massacre and was rescued from the Mormons by an Army scout. Young’s scum also beheaded Mormon girls and young women who got too friendly with soldiers stationed in the Utah Territory. He only started to try to not be a secessionist after the Civil War when General Sherman threatened to do to Salt Lake City what he and his men (including one of my collateral ancestors) did to Atlanta, GA, SC, and especially Columbia SC.
His followers included a Romney who fled authorities to practice polygamy in Mexico. His descendant is Mitt the Unfit, who hates President Trump like Bring ’em in Young hated patriot Zachary Taylor.
History repeats itself.
Trump doesn’t have Taylor’s military glory and service, but he has suffered attacks no other man in this day and age could withstand, except for Bishop Carlo Vigano.
God bless you all!
One edit due to imperfect memory.
Taylor was in Louisiana and the Lower Mississippi Valley in part of 1825, so it might have been technically possible for him to be at his plantation. But he was in the upper Mississippi Valley also during the time. Later he commanded at Fort Snelling in MN and at Prairie du Chien in WI. He was also stationed during the time at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis.
The fact that Margaret, who Zack called “Peggy,” gave birth during the time the scammer said Zack had to turn to slaves for sex disproved she was frigid. They were a loving couple all thru their marriage.
The alleged descendants also refused DNA tests. QED.
Taylor unwittingly coined the term “First Lady” when he eulogized Dolley Madison, who died while he was President. He called her the Queen of society and the First Lady of the Nation for half a century. Taylor’s gallantry was remembered by the public, who applied the term First Lady to all presidents’ wives.
BTW, the official music of Biden is not Hail to the Chief, but “Yes, I’m the Great Imposter.”
Wow. Thank you so much! That is excellent info. I am going to look for those two books. The Great Imposter, I remember that song. I was thinking more of The Great Pretender, by The Platters.
God bless him.
SD’s line of reasoning here is very compelling and useful as local groups begin to bitch and moan about some of the candidates Trump supports – Dr. Oz for one.
Sundance does make a compelling argument. The problem remains, however, that 2024 is illusory. The Criminals who staged a coup to prevent Trump’s second term aren’t going to allow Trump anywhere near the White House again. We don’t live in a representative republic now. It’s an oligarchy or anarcho tyranny. Until the criminals in DC are removed, federal elections are psy ops.
Here’s essentially what needs to happen. Trump needs to team up with DeSantis and his campaign staff and get rid of Ivanka and Jared. Trump needs to echo his absolute endorsement of DeSantis for governor. Then everything flows from there, I predict DeSantis will be our next President. Trump is realizing his days are going into the sunset like I am………..Sad but true. We’ll all see each other in Heaven with other Christians. Beam me up Jesus!
I agree, ditch Ivanka and Jared. Please!!!
But , selfishly, I don’t want to lose my Governor.
De Santis will be in training for President with THE DONALD.
Not to disparage the economics but there is another reason why Trump is essential. The only way to exorcise The Steal is to reelect Trump again. The future of the Republic depends on that.
Although I would imagine this time around his first action is an animated purge of the lifelong White House bolesheviks that would once again work to upend is administration.
Then he’s going to have to go after the seditious institutions working so violently against a free America.
He must make heads roll while he’s un-f*****g the Obama coup.
Yes, DeSantis is a blank slate re: international policies. Trump isn’t. This is akin to our Supreme Court nominees who are decent when compared to a KJB communist pedo ideologue, but end up being simple 50/50 place holders as the country moves slowly but irretrievably left even with a John Roberts majority.
Supported 45 from June 16,2015- elevator day. Will always support hime for all the reasons Sundance detailed, and more.
Wondering why the big endorsement this early? Someone officially announcing or lots of RINOs behind the curtains itching to jump in the ring?
I guess I’ll go on the record and say that I have zero tolerance for fickle MAGA supporter. I put them barely above RINOs.
It frustrates me that most of my friends and my husband are all on the DeSantis train. They think Trump is too old now as if that means anybody can do as well as Trump did for longer just because they are younger. Thank you for helping me to better phrase why DeSantis is not the answer. I like him but he isn’t Donald Trump.