A lot of people didn’t believe that Donald Trump could be president and many of those who trusted that he would secure the presidency have been waiting for him to fail. Donald J. Trump is different in that he had no practical political experience before becoming president, but he did find a way to make himself a very polarizing figure. He challenged the legitimacy of President Obama by questioning his birth certificate. Trump made himself very attractive to a core group of voters well before he announced his intentions to run for the presidency. Students attending the highly esteemed George Washington University are getting a very different kind of lesson on politics due to the current political climate. Here is something that we all can learn about Trump’s presidency.
Political Aides Really Are Expendable
Multiple aides and confidantes to the president have either been fired or quit before the first year of his term ended. In the case of Sean Spicer, it appears that his association with President Trump may have done more harm than good. Spicer tried his best to be effective while in the position of White House Press Secretary, but he couldn’t provide truthful answers in many instances without directly contradicting Trump. In the end, he was rewarded for his loyalty by being unceremoniously fired.
Politics Can Be Dangerous
Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump both apparently have huge egos. They both want their people to worship the very ground that they walk on and they don’t want any of their decisions to be questioned. As both leaders have access to nuclear weapons, the world has watched with bated breath from the sidelines as the two presidents of their respective countries threaten an all-out nuclear war. Some speculate that neither has the gumption to make a move, but what if they are wrong? Allowing people without practical political experience into power can be very dangerous.
The Popular Vote Isn’t What It Seems
Back in the days when George Washington University Online had not yet been created and its founding father was still alive, the country was a lot smaller. In fact, wealthy landowners were grossly outnumbered by farmers and other ‘commoners.’ Politicians didn’t want the elections to be decided by people who, they believed, didn’t have an understanding of politics. Thus, the popular vote was created in addition to delegates and superdelegates. This past election, a president won for one of the few times in U.S. history without securing the popular vote.
In total, there are about three more years to go in Trump’s presidency, unless he wins a second term. As surprising as it was to see him win the first time around, he can’t be counted out during the next election. Rather than criticize him, people all over the world need to learn first-hand what can happen when you put power into the hands of someone with questionable experience. If you wouldn’t go to a third grader who calls herself a doctor, why would you elect someone who has spent 70 plus years on earth and never sought any type of political office?