Even I had doubts about Trump in 2016.
By August of 2016 I was making my way to the first political rally I ever attended in my life just to be a part of the movement he was leading. And to this day he is the only political candidate I have ever supported financially.
I think deep down a lot of us had doubts about Trump during the campaign, I didn’t support him at first, over time he grew on me and by election day I was 100% MAGA.
Compared to recent Republican Presidents he stayed true to his campaign promises more than anyone with the possible exception of Reagan and that is even debatable.
I thought Trump would be a Rockefeller Republican.
Voted for him anyway.
Happy to be so wrong.
And I had doubts about Trump’s SCOTUS picks until the Dobbs ruling was leaked. I honestly expected 1+ Roberts would side with the Left.
I’m happy to stand corrected.
I didn’t.
As soon as Michael Savage endorsed him, I got on board.
I supported Cruz before and at the start of the primaries due to his obvious Christian constitutional conservative positions and track record of defending the Constitution. IMHO, he stood head and shoulders over Bush, Rubio, Kascich, Paul and other assorted GOPe RINOs, globalists, amnesty pushers, establishment hangers on and unknown newbies, etc. I didn't care much at all for Trump. Thought he was an untrustworthy chameleon and charlatan. Wrote him off completely.
And then I began watching his rallies and listening to him explain his positions. Build the wall, enforce the law, deport them all, end sanctuary cities, end anchor babies, slap a moratorium on Muslim immigration, cut taxes, cut spending, cut regulations, cut the government, make better trade deals, bring back manufacturing and jobs, dump the EPA and global warming, bring back coal, gas & oil, rebuild the military AND (as all the other Republican hopefuls pledged: REPEAL OBAMACARE!
Ok, so I'm impressed. The guy sounds like a Reagan conservative. But I'm still a Cruz guy. As I continue watching and listening to both and then start reading Trump's plans as he fleshes them out on his website, I get even more interested. His initial tax plan even out Reagan'd Reagan. He proposed cutting all taxes, but especially cutting the corporate tax to ZERO! Now that piqued my interest way up! What a boost to the economy and jobs that would be (unfortunately, cutting the corp tax rate to zero was later in the primary modified to 15%, I suspect after GOP bean counters got involved).
So now I have two favorites in the race. Cruz was my guy but I could be happy with Trump. If either of these guys won the primary, I'd back him to the hilt. Even thought it'd be great if they partnered up on the ticket.
And as the race progressed, it was impossible not to see that Trump was not only a great campaigner, and a great communicator, but he was also a great fighter and wasn't going to rollover for the establishment or the media. He takes his message straight to the people and does not apologize or back down.
One by one he knocks off anyone who attacks him, whether they be an opponent, a pundit, the GOP, the DEMs, the establishment or the media. We can't spare this man, he fights.
So it eventually gets down to Trump vs Cruz, but Trump is way ahead. Cruz has been holding off to this point, but now he has no choice. If he wants to win, Cruz has to take Trump head-on and the nasty battle begins. Again, Trump is the more aggressive campaigner and fighter and he pulls it out.
And the most aggressive campaigner and fighter is exactly what we needed to defeat Hillary and the democrats and the media AND the entire establishment ruling class of both major political parties.
His own party stood against him! Even FOX News and most of the so-called "conservative" media!
It was a miracle that Trump won. "He had no path to 270!" No one thought he could possibly make it. Coming down to the wire I think even Trump thought he'd lost. And then as the last handful of states were coming in, the network vote counters all agreed Trump had no path to a win. Then boom. Don't remember if it was Michigan or Wisconsin, but after Trump won whichever came in first, there was a long pregnant pause as the Network vote counters tried and tried, but couldn't calculate any clear path to 270 from the remaining states... for Hillary!
Trump won the presidency and America dodged a bullet!
“Even I had doubts about Trump in 2016.”
I did as well, I imagine many people here did.
BUT, during the primaries I changed my mind about him. He was working and working HARD for the nomination. I went all in before the convention.
There was good reason to be suspicious of him. Still is in some respects.
One thing was absolutely sure back in 2016: Trump's SCOTUS picks would be orders of magnitude better than Hildebeeste's. That alone was sufficient cause to strongly support him after the primaries ended.
That support stands vindicated today. Religious schools protected. The execrable Sullivan Act declared unconstitutional. ROE V WADE OVERTURNED. This excellent Supreme Court session brought to you by President Donald J. Trump.
Also, IMO ... if you're looking for a GOAT on the Supreme Court, I nominate Mr. Justice Clarence Thomas.