I remember hearing that Donald Trump was running for President in 2015. I thought it was a joke, a spoof of some sort. Everything, from the escalator, to the bluster seemed almost too much to believe. I figured not much would come out of it. But the thing with Donald Trump is that you can’t ignore him. You can love him or hate him, but not ignore him.
In the ensuing weeks I was blown away by the things I was hearing. Up until this point my knowledge of Trump was limited. I watched some of “The Apprentice” with my Dad. I flipped through a copy of ‘The Art of the Deal’ once, and that was about it. Trump was talking about cutting taxes, in a real way. Addressing issues like immigration and corruption. But none of this was what got Trump elected or started his political movement.
I grew up in a small town in Georgia. We were so small, we actually held a celebration when we started a community garden. I was there, we had live music, the mayor showed up, local restaurants brought some food, all to celebrate four raised beds. Seems idyllic, but there was a hidden undercurrent of corruption.
Right as Donald Trump had announced his candidacy, the local mayoral election was going on in my town. We had the same mayor for close to thirty years. There wasn’t any reason to think this one would be any different. After all, we didn’t exactly rank high on the political spectrum. Only this was the year an unlikely farmer shook the entire town.
Her name was Jodi Mount. She was a small, middle aged farmer. Had an unassuming quality to her. The first time I met her she invited my family to see her worm farm. She didn’t fit any stereotype of a politician. Frankly I was baffled as to why she was even running. So, I asked her, and her answer surprised me.
As soon as I asked her, her face changed. She became very serious and spoke in measured tones. She told me about the corruption going o in my hometown. The special favors, the cronyism, and how there was thirteen million dollars worth of taxpayer money missing from the books. I was blown away. I mean, this was Jack Reacher level stuff. I knew about some of the shady business going on, but I was shocked at how deep it all ran.
Jodi Mount shook up my entire hometown. Usually our mayoral races were sleepy affairs. But not this time. Signs and t-shirts flooded the town. Jodi went on some local radio stations and told everyone what was happening in our town. She vowed if she was elected, she would immediately launch an investigation and find out where all our money went.
As all of this was going on, Donald Trump’s campaign was in full force. I was getting a double header. I was coming to understand what was going on in my town and in my nation as a whole. A lot of people saw nothing but bluster from Trump. But I saw in Trump what I saw in Jodi Mount, an outsider willing to take on the system. Someone willing to change the way things were done.
I would watch Trump always on the news, willing to take a stand against the establishment, no matter who it was. (My favorite was how he talked back to the Pope over the border wall) More importantly Trump was saying things that I had only heard from my older relatives over the dinner table. Trump was willing to take on issues that were on the hearts and minds of people, but no one was willing to say aloud.
Right around the time the Republican National Convention came around (the actual date is a little fuzzy), our Mayoral election came around. On election day I wore my campaign shirt and held a sign for about eight hours. Right outside the local school where the voting was taking place. Some people waved and shouted campaign slogans. Others gave me the bird.
In the middle of the afternoon, Jodi Mount came to see how things were going. She looked different than when I first met her. She seemed determined, if somewhat anxious. I asked her why she was doing all this, why go through this lengthy and stressful campaign. There was no hesitation at all in her answer. She told me it was for her daughter. She couldn’t stand the thought of her daughter having to grow up with all of this sleazy corruption going on. ‘It’s not right.’ She said as she shook her head.
We’ve always called the election within hours of closing voting. For some reason no victor was called that night. Or next morning. It wasn’t until the following evening we finally learned the victor. You guessed it, it was the same man who had been mayor for thirty years. Jodi Mount’s campaign was over. We never did found out what happened to those missing thirteen millions (I’m sure the amount has grown by now).
But things weren’t over. Businesses that put up Jodi Mount posters and stickers suddenly received hikes on their rent. Or received surprise inspections and slapped with eye watering fines. As for Jodi, her property tax suddenly rose to unbearable heights, and she too was slapped with all sorts of non-sensical fines. In less than a year, she had no choice but to sell her beloved farm and move away. That was the last I, or anyone else had ever heard from her. It was also the last time anyone dared to bring up the sleazy practices going on.
I have to tell you, that loss really stung. As I watched Donald Trump, I would think of the Mayoral race, all of the corruption I knew went on in national government, and I realized that maybe not everything had to be corrupt. I was used to thinking that this was just how things were. A Presidential election was just a sham, we’re choosing between two establishment politician, neither of whom is going to make any waves. But Trump was different. I would watch Trump at his rallies, and there would be these moments, when I would feel hope stir inside. I really believed that Donald Trump could change everything if elected President.
On inauguration day my Mom and I celebrated with some cupcakes from the local bakery. I still can’t tel you what was sweeter, the victory or the frosting. And you know what? During Trump’s administration, things really did get better. Nothing is ever perfect. But my family and I were able to breathe a little easier. Business was good. Prices were low. All in stark contrast to today.
“The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country.
Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nation’s Capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.
That all changes – starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment: it belongs to you.
It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America.
This is your day. This is your celebration.
And this, the United States of America, is your country.” – President Donald Trump, Inauguration Speech
We’ve been through a lot since 2016. A pandemic. The insanity of the 2020 election. Now there are all of these absurd court cases that Trump is embroiled in. If Donald Trump really did commit a crime, I would absolutely want him held to account. Yet I fail to see one crime, just one, that Trump actually committed.
Under this current administration I’ve watched food prices skyrocket. Housing is out of sight. Energy is becoming eye watering. Crime has enshrouded this nation. In my current home, (another small town by the way) I recently read about three children that have went missing in less than a week. A few months ago there was a shooting at the local Subway. Times have become a lot harder, and I’m not afraid to say why. It’s because Donald Trump is not sitting in the Oval Office.
I firmly believe we cannot endure another four years of this current administration. I’ve witnessed rising censorship, and as a reader I vehemently oppose any censorship. I’ve witnessed crushing price hikes on basic necessities. (anyone else remember when eggs rose to eleven dollars a dozen?) I am witnessing out of control spending to fund the war machine in foreign countries, while homeless veterans line our streets, and mothers are forced to decide whether to feed themselves or their children. Another four years of this is unsustainable.
As it stands Donald Trump is the only man capable of turning this all around. I can say this with confidence because I remember the four years when he was President. So when I see all of these sham indictments, and clown show court cases, I feel sick. And insulted. What we are witnessing is an attempt from corrupt politicians to keep Donald Trump out of the White House. They are attempting to subvert the will of the people. This is an absolute disgrace to this nation, and I for one will not stand for it.
