DUELING COLUMN: Why I’m Voting For Donald Trump

Damielys Duarte/Staff Writer

Nearly four years into Donald Trump’s presidency, liberals and certain conservatives continue to remain unconvinced about the current leader of the free world. Although the President’s bombastic nature has rubbed many Americans the wrong way, the facts show incontrovertible proof that Trump’s presidency has been anything but poor. In fact, it has been quite successful. 

The blaring signs of positive change overcoming the American social and political stage emphasize why the nation—now more than ever—needs Trump to remain in office an additional four years.

Under Trump, unemployment dropped to its lowest level in nearly half a century. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the most recent unemployment rate was 3.5% which is the lowest it’s been since 1969. For the critics who blame this phenomena on chance, a stat like that takes strong leadership to achieve and does not just occur because of the natural ebb and flow of the economy. 

For the Bernie supporters in favor of increasing wages, household income rose briskly under Trump. The Census Bureau’s measure of median household income reached $63,179 in 2018. This is the highest ever recorded, exceeding previous records set in 2016 and 2017. The average weekly earnings of all private-sector workers also rose 2.5% during Trump’s first 35 months.

Though Senator Bernie Sanders maintains that raising the lower and middle class should come at the expense of the elite, Trump has proven that this is anything but true, as the rate of poverty has actually declined under his administration. The percentage of Americans living with income below the official poverty line went down to just 11.8% in 2018—the lowest since 2001—effectively discrediting all misconceptions about him selfishly prioritizing corporate profits over the wellbeing of hard-working Americans. 

Like a game of dominoes, increased wealth in the lower social hierarchy meant a significant decline in crime during Trump’s first two years. The FBI’s annual Crime in the United States report released on Sept. 30, shows 1,199 fewer murders were committed in 2018 than in 2016, when Trump was elected. That’s a decline of 6.9%. 

Hence, Trump’s actions in the last year have greatly increased the overall wealth for middle and lower income families, despite critics’ arguments that he only supports the elite 1%. This has resulted in safer environments for lower income neighborhoods as more families are pulled above the poverty line. 

Trump’s major selling point—his experience with the U.S. economy—is also responsible for record level after-tax corporate profits. In 2018, profits hit $1.84 trillion for the year. As for stock prices, the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock average at the close on Jan. 17 was 47.1% higher than it was on the last trading day before Trump’s inauguration. 

It is this core knowledge of American economy and pride that makes Trump stand out in comparison to Biden and Sanders. His economic prowess far outweighs Sanders’ unrealistic socialist ideologies and the President’s personal and financial stake in America’s future runs deeper than Biden’s personal and political interests overseas.

In the last three years, President Trump has turned our nation around in a radically positive and progressive manner despite extreme adversity from the Democratic party and a bogus impeachment trial. We can only wonder as a nation what else he can accomplish in the next four years to come if given the chance and the proper support a President requires from its populace.

Featured photo from FIU Flickr.

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