After a long period of stress, we’re all used to our neck muscles relaxing, jaw unclenching, and fists loosening. One could be forgiven for feeling all of this while watching President-Elect Donald Trump’s lengthy news conference at Mar-a-Lago on Monday.
Over the last four years, as America has witnessed President Joe Biden’s slow and abrupt mental decline, we have gotten accustomed to the stress of seeing Scranton Joe appear in public, practically with fingers crossed, hoping he would make it through.
Nobody really listens to what Biden says anymore; on the few occasions that he does, we wait to see if that cold, vacant expression returns to our commander in chief’s eyes.
So, on Monday, when Trump spent over an hour engaging in lighthearted and informative rhetorical sparring with the press, it was as if the sun of genuine, credible leadership had finally shone through years of Biden’s murky and fuzzy period in office.
The news conference was organized to announce that Japanese businessman and Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son would be unveiling a $100 billion investment in the United States, which he claims will create 100,000 new American jobs.
The CEO from the Far East also stated that he is doing so because Trump’s win has given him hope for America’s economic future.
That would have been enough, but there is more.
As is typically the case with Trump, he stayed and addressed nearly every question posed by the press, including many that the present administration struggles to address.
Consider the mystery big New Jersey drones that have been perplexing Biden’s White House for a week. What was Trump’s take? This is what he said on Monday. “The government is aware of what is happening. For whatever reason, they refuse to comment. And I believe they would be better off saying what our military and president know.
This is exactly what most people have requested of the Biden administration, but instead we have received a parade of shifting and broad responses that have finally settled on a patronizing, “don’t worry, everything is fine.”
Trump also put out a major fire for his nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., by assuring the public that his administration would not ban the Polio vaccine, a rather absurd notion that even Republican Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell has expressed.
According to Donald Trump, “You’re not going to lose the Polio vaccine, it’s not going to happen,” and further stated, “everything should be looked at, but I’m a big believer in the polio vaccine.”
Again, this is the tone that wary Americans have been waiting for. It may be described as a scientific approach to science, as opposed to relying on Dr. Anthony Fauci and the medical establishment.
As the minute hand on the clock completed its entire revolution on Monday afternoon, Trump discussed perhaps pardoning New York City Mayor Adams, whom the president-elect claims has been handled unfairly by the Justice Department in reprisal for opposing Biden’s immigration policy.
On the war in Ukraine, Trump reiterated his plans for a quick resolution. Regarding Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, Trump stated that he is making great strides. He also addressed the looming Tik Tok ban, meetings with tech executives, getting federal workers back in the office, the shooting of United HealthCare CEO Brian Thompson, and other issues.
Perhaps the finest moment occurred when a reporter asked the next president if he would approve a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Trump’s response was, well, pure Trump. Why would I say that? Can you imagine if I said yes or no? You’d say it was unusual how he answered the question. Am I going to launch preemptive strikes against Iran? Is this a serious question? How would I respond to a query like that?
It was an extremely stupid question, but it reveals the farcical charade that has been the press’ relationship with the Biden administration, which would have responded with something like, “Nothing has been taken off the table, and we continue to work with our regional allies to blab, blah, blah.”
That calm breeze whispering through the branches of our political and governmental bodies is the sound of millions of Americans finally exhaling, secure in the knowledge that we once again have a president capable of leading.
And, to be honest, it’s fantastic to be so close to having an actual, functioning president of the United States again.