US President Donald Trump Can Succeed by Governing for the Middle Majority

Donald J. Trump officially became the President of the United States of America on January 1, 2017.  Although he has his share of diehard fans and well-wishers around the world, Donald Trump is one of the most controversial figures to assume the Presidency, which means he has scores of critics from across the political spectrum.  Many have low expectation, at best, for the new President, but Mr. Trump has repeatedly pledged to “make America great again” while his supporters continually boast that he will be the greatest President in US history.  To outperform expectations, President Trump will have to overcome opposition to his leadership.  If Donald Trump wants to be a successful President, he must address the interests of all factions across the political spectrum and govern for the majority in the middle.
 
Donald Trump has a choice: he can either try to force his rule onto the country based on what he and his team beliefs the country needs or he can seek to execute the collective will of the American People. Just as President Obama and Congressional Democrats misinterpreted their 2008 victory as a green light to pursue a Left-wing agenda, President Trump and Congressional Republicans face the same risk.  With his often disparaging reactions to criticism and dissent, Trump faces the prospect of similar backlash should he prove himself a hypocrite.   Little time was discussing public policy options over the course of the 2016 Presidential Election, thus the views of the American People have largely remained unheard.  Now is the time for the new President to serve the American People by addressing their interests. 

First, it is important to remember that 2016 was not an endorsement of Donald Trump and Republican public policy priorities.  It was more a repudiation of Hillary Clinton and, to a lesser extent, a check on Left-wing policies.  Donald Trump was able to become President, because the DNC used its influence to prevent viable alternatives to Hillary Clinton and actively promoted a political elite who displayed an I-know-best attitude and refused to take responsibility for her misuse of power when in government.  Today, the majority is a collection of minority political factions who find their views and public policy priorities in conflict.  While there are numerous differences in how these factions might use the power of government, they do share common interests as Americans. 
 
In many respects, American voters were deprived of the opportunity to choose the candidate they truly wanted in 2016.  This is nothing new, but it is a step back from 2008 when American voters wholeheartedly embraced Barack Obama’s aspirations for change.  Anti-Trump voters joined the usual anti-Right Wing effort to save the US from the instability and insecurity of a unpredictably outsider while anti-Clinton voters tried to join the usual anti-Left Wing effort to save the US from the status quo of a political elitist who has enriched her family and herself through her political connections.  Caught in the middle of this escalated political war between Left Wing and Right Wing factions are the unrepresented majority who need government to work for them and their causes.
 
These powerful political minorities want complete control over the powerful US government, whether or not their policy priorities and political agendas actually aligned with that of the American People.  To them, the interests of the majority of the American People only matter when they need the support of the American People to pursue their agendas.  Where the Obama Administration was nearly paralyzed by a Republican Congress unwilling to compromise and govern for the middle, the Forty-Fifth US President will face even greater opposition  Unfortunately, the war between the politically influential “anti-factions” have left the American majority with a completely unresponsive and dysfunctional government.
 
Despite Republican obstruction and public displeasure with many of President Obama’s unrestrained initiatives, he did enjoy a broad base of support.  The biggest obstacle to proper governance during his tenure was a major political minority’s unwillingness to accept majority rule and play their proper role as a mitigating minority.  In contrast, figures like Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are more influential minority leaders than actual majority leaders.   What the 2016 Trump-Clinton Election has done is widen the divisions between the various minority political factions to the point where neither the Democrats nor Republicans can adequately represent the majority of the American People. 

Like any minority, all the political minorities of the United States can honestly say that the Forty-Fifth President does not truly represent them.  Like all minorities, the political minorities cannot expect the US President and Congress to pursue priorities that reflect their interests.  When it comes to a political minority, the only means of achieving representation in government and forcing the government to respond to that minority’s interests is for the minority to lobby government.   When it comes to a marginalized majority, this means there is a need to push greater civic engagement and sustained political campaigning for specific policies.  For Donald Trump, this means a great deal of opposition. 
 
To overcome this friction, the US President will need to earn the support of the American People by pursuing their interests.  Although elected officials like to claim American voters are trying to endorse Republican or Democratic priorities, the truth is that voters do not wholly support the agendas of either party.  Clearly, Right-leaning voters tend to embrace Republican policy priorities and Left-leaning voters tend to embrace Democratic policy priorities, but the consensus mandate voters are giving all elected official is to clean up government.  Reflecting on the loss of Hillary Clinton in 2016, the loss of Mitt Romney in 2012, the loss of Congressional Democrats in 2010, along with the Occupy Protests and the Tea Party Movement, the common goal of voters was political reform.   This is what Trump needs to pursue. 
 
On the one hand, the Left does not expect a Trump Presidency to uphold its priorities, so it will continually make Trump the enemy of the People for a 2018 victory or recall vote.    In recognizing and addressing moderate concerns that coincide with Leftist views, Trump can, however, disarm such obstacles.  On the other hand, Right-wing factions seek to hijack Trump’s drive to fix government in order to dismantle Left-wing and moderate policies.  Recognizing the sentiments of the “Never Trump” movement still exist, Republicans intent to use the Trump Presidency to enact the policies of Right-wing special interest groups while hampering any real reforms. Once they get what they want, they will refuse to work with Mr. Trump for what the majority of the American People need. 
 
Consequently, Donald Trump would be wise to prioritize what the American People need the most in order to capitalize on initial Republican cooperation and foster moderate support.  Recognizing the deep divisions and strength of the anti-Trump forces, he needs to do this in order to demonstrate his willingness to govern for the American People, instead of the special interest groups on both sides of the aisle, which are the problem in Washington.  Looking at Trump’s goals for his first hundred days in office, Trump needs to devote his attention and effort to those things that can easily be pushed to the backburner, yet America needs the most.

Trump must prioritize the following:

Pursue the “Clean up Corruption in Washington Act,” to force new ethics reforms to Drain the Swamp and reduce the corrupting influence of special interests on our politics.

• Renegotiate NAFTA or withdraw from the deal under Article 2205.
• Withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or renegotiate the terms.
• Direct the Secretary of the Treasury to label China a currency manipulator.
• Direct the Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative to identify all foreign trading abuses that unfairly impact American workers and direct them to use every tool under American and international law to end those abuses immediately.
• Adopt a complete ban on foreign lobbyists raising money for American elections.
• Pursue the “End The Offshoring Act.” Establishes tariffs to discourage companies from laying off their workers in order to relocate in other countries and ship their products back to the U.S. tax-free.
• Establish a lifetime ban on White House officials lobbying on behalf of a foreign government.
• Cut the red tape at the FDA: there are over 4,000 drugs awaiting approval, and we especially want to speed the approval of life-saving medications.
• Remove the Individual Mandate of Obamacare

 
Unfortunately, the pursuit of change requires time, effort, and cooperation rooted in political capital, which are all very limited resources.  At the same time, Donald Trump must recognize that some of his public policy initiatives are not as important as others while they may not be effective or even prudent. 
 
These likely include:

​Cancel every unconstitutional executive action, memorandum and order issued by President Obama.  (What is unconstitutional is often debatable while many of President Obama’s actions were taken to address key interest of the American Peoples, because Congress refused to do its job and act.  President Trump needs to carefully consider each of President Obama’s orders to determine, if it is Constitution and if it is a valid use of government power.)

• Pursue the “Middle Class Tax Relief And Simplification Act,” which is an economic plan designed to grow the economy 4% per year and create at least 25 million new jobs through massive tax reduction and simplification, in combination with trade reform, regulatory relief, and lifting the restrictions on American energy. The largest tax reductions are for the middle class. A middle-class family with 2 children will get a 35% tax cut. The current number of brackets will be reduced from 7 to 3, and tax forms will likewise be greatly simplified. The business rate will be lowered from 35 to 15 percent, and the trillions of dollars of American corporate money overseas can now be brought back at a 10 percent rate.  (Tax reform requires time and census support. That said, taxes should be as low as possible, but they are a necessity that ensures government can properly function.  Individuals should not, however, be crushed by their tax burden, which is why the more affluent are taxed at a higher rate than the poor.  The poor cannot carry the burden.  Expecting them to do so only hurts someone already hurting and the economy by preventing these people from participating in the economy.  In addition, tax breaks can deprive government of necessary funds, which means someone else has to pay the bill, and distort the economy, which can make harder for people to earn their way to success.  An overly generous business tax deduction means the middle class and future generous might face burdens they cannot handle.  It can also hinder competition by making it harder for poorer individuals and businesses to compete against the more affluent.)
• Institute a 5 year-ban on White House and Congressional officials becoming lobbyists after they leave government service  (It is important to remember that lobbying is also a fancy word for talking to elected officials. US citizens should never be denied their right to lobby their elected officials.  That said, the undue influence of wealthy special interests is best combated by forcing their efforts to light through greater transparency, not restrictions, in lobbying.
• Lift the restrictions on the production of $50 trillion dollars' worth of job-producing American energy reserves, including shale, oil, natural gas and clean coal.  (This is a long-term objective that requires debate as some of these reserves are located in places the American public may want protected.  There are also future energy, pharmaceutical, and other needs to be considered.  Meanwhile, economic realities will ultimately determine whether or not these resources will be exploited. 
• Lift the Obama-Clinton roadblocks and allow vital energy infrastructure projects, like the Keystone Pipeline, to move forward.  (Again, economic realities have a greater influence on these kind of projects than political priorities.  At the moment, low energy prices threaten the viability of projects like the Keystone Pipeline.  Meanwhile, it is important to recognize that the Keystone Pipeline debate also includes local and State concerns.  The Federal government should not simply crush local and State interests for the oil and gas industry.
• A hiring freeze on all federal employees to reduce federal workforce through attrition (exempting military, public safety, and public health).  (Proper government is not an issue of big or small.  It is an issue of effective governance, which requires good employees.  Simply shrinking government will do nothing to make it more effective.  If anything, it will make it less effective by depriving government of the talent it needs in the future.  Also, the military is one of the largest sources of waste, because it is too often sheided from necessary changes.)
• A requirement that for every new federal regulation, two existing regulations must be eliminated (Quota systems tend to be ineffective, because the quota takes priority over the actual goal.  Proper governance requires proper regulation, which is not achieved by simply reducing the number of regulations.  Regulation should impose as few costs as possible, yet accomplish their stated intent.  This quota system will prevent the adoption of necessary and proper regulations by discouraging elected officials from eliminating old regulations.)
• Propose a Constitutional Amendment to impose term limits on all members of Congress. (Term limits can help change who is in government, but it also deprives government of career politicians, who help maintain professionalism in government and a deep understand of the issue.  As such, this is the kind of change, including what the limits should be, that needs to be debated.
• Cancel all federal funding to Sanctuary Cities (If Trump wishes to follow the US Constitution, he is not going to be able to follow through on this one.  The Federal government cannot single out municipalities or individuals without due process.   The Executive Branch cannot unilaterally decide funding priorities; that is, after all, a Constitutional power of Congress. )
• Cancel billions in payments to U.N. climate change programs and use the money to fix America's water and environmental infrastructure (Again, the Executive Branch cannot unilaterally decide funding priorities; that is, after all, a Constitutional power of Congress.

 
With that said, below are the share Republican priorities that Trump can easily pursue.  It will be tempting for Trump to immediately jump on these public policies, but doing so will hurt his long-term chances of solving Washington’s bigger problems.  Once Republicans enact the following, they will stop cooperating with Donald Trump on the top priorities for the American People.   

• Begin removing the more than 2 million criminal illegal immigrants from the country and cancel visas to foreign countries that will not take them back
• Suspend immigration from terror-prone regions where vetting cannot safely occur. All vetting of people coming into our country will be considered extreme vetting.
• Repeal and Replace Obamacare Act. Fully repeals Obamacare and replaces it with Health Savings Accounts, the ability to purchase health insurance across state lines, and lets states manage Medicaid funds. Reforms will also include cutting the red tape at the FDA: there are over 4,000 drugs awaiting approval, and we especially want to speed the approval of life-saving medications.  (FDA reform and Healthcare Reform are two major undertakings that should not be taken lightly.  It is important from Trump to remember that government help people not crush them, especially when it comes to the most vulnerable.)
• “End Illegal Immigration Act” Fully-funds the construction of a wall on our southern border with the full understanding that the country Mexico will be reimbursing the United States for the full cost of such wall; establishes a 2-year mandatory minimum federal prison sentence for illegally re-entering the U.S. after a previous deportation, and a 5-year mandatory minimum for illegally re-entering for those with felony convictions, multiple misdemeanor convictions or two or more prior deportations; also reforms visa rules to enhance penalties for overstaying and to ensure open jobs are offered to American workers first.
• Pursue “American Energy & Infrastructure Act,” which leverages public-private partnerships, and private investments through tax incentives, to spur $1 trillion in infrastructure investment over 10 years. It is revenue neutral.
• Begin the process of selecting a replacement for Justice Scalia.
• Pass “Affordable Childcare and Eldercare Act.” Allows Americans to deduct childcare and elder care from their taxes, incentivizes employers to provide on-side childcare services, and creates tax-free Dependent Care Savings Accounts for both young and elderly dependents, with matching contributions for low-income families.  (Initiatives like this suggest that billionaire Donald Trump does not understand poverty and the limits of a budget in distress, which means he is likely to embrace policies that will cause the poor great hardships.  To understand poverty, it is helpful to read this article on what poverty is and how it affects the decisions of the impoverished, along with and this article on the dysfunction of poverty
• Pursue “School Choice And Education Opportunity Act,” which redirects education dollars to give parents the right to send their kid to the public, private, charter, magnet, religious or home school of their choice. Ends common core, brings education supervision to local communities. It expands vocational and technical education, and make 2 and 4-year college more affordable. (Initiatives like this suggest that billionaire Donald Trump does not understand poverty and the limits of a budget in distress, which means he is likely to embrace policies that will cause the poor great hardships.  To understand poverty, it is helpful to read this article on what poverty is and how it affects the decisions of the impoverished, along with and this article on the dysfunction of poverty.) 
• Pursue “Restoring Community Safety Act,” which reduces surging crime, drugs and violence by creating a Task Force On Violent Crime and increasing funding for programs that train and assist local police; increases resources for federal law enforcement agencies and federal prosecutors to dismantle criminal gangs and put violent offenders behind bars. 
• Pass “Restoring National Security Act” Rebuilds our military by eliminating the defense sequester and expanding military investment; provides Veterans with the ability to receive public VA treatment or attend the private doctor of their choice; protects our vital infrastructure from cyber-attack; establishes new screening procedures for immigration to ensure those who are admitted to our country support our people and our values.  (This is a feel good policy that will bolster already existing policies in order to give Trump credit.)