Opinion: I'm No Longer a 'Never Trump' Conservative. Here's Why
President Donald Trump’s first year-plus in the White House has given me several reasons to stop being a “Never Trump” conservative.
During the 2016 presidential election, I was very unsatisfied with Trump as the GOP nominee and eventually voted for a third-party candidate. The fact that he was a Democrat for most of his life with no public office experience made me skeptical that he would keep his campaign promises.
I thought Hillary Clinton was definitely going to win. Then, miraculously, he accomplished what so many people claimed was impossible. On Nov. 8, 2016, the American people elected Trump to be the president of the United States.
Ever since his inauguration on January 20, 2017, I have been paying close attention to the actions of the 45th president on every important issue.
I am not afraid to criticize him if I disagree with something he does. However, I have been impressed with several actions he has taken, which is the main reason why I am no longer part of the “Never Trump” crowd.
As conservatives, we all should praise the president when he passes a conservative policy, even if you did not support him in 2016. But the “Never Trump” conservatives refuse to acknowledge those individual good steps that Trump has taken so far.
For example, while former President Obama had a mediocre GDP growth that averaged well under 2 percent during his eight years in office, Trump has been able to turn that around and raise it to over 3 percent. Part of the reason for the economic growth is his repeal of many harmful regulations and his efforts to enact tax cuts for millions of Americans.
Moreover, ordering the National Guard to the southern border and working with ICE agents show he is serious about enforcing our immigration laws.
Because the liberal media still cannot get over the 2016 election results, there have been so many news stories that tell bold-faced lies about the president. Sadly, some “Never Trump” conservatives I have seen on social media either don’t know or don’t care.
I was a big Ted Cruz supporter from day one, and voted for him in the Republican primary.
Although he did not become our nominee, this does not mean I am going to stay bitter about it and always blame Trump. But certain anti-Trump conservatives have shown such disdain and would even rather side with liberals than agree with the president on anything.
Being objective and looking at each issue individually, I praise Trump when he performs well and criticize him when I think he makes a mistake.
Conservatives who still describe themselves as “Never Trumpers” or anti-Trump should realize that not everything is black and white. If I praise the president on one thing, that does make me a sellout or part of some Trump cult.
There are many liberals that criticize me, and sadly, some “Never Trumpers” join them by using the same arguments.
The president has now been in office for over a year. Trump now has a record where he can point to the good initiatives he is responsible for. I wish the “Never Trump” conservatives would one day accept this fact.
Mitch Behna is a conservative who previously blogged for Wayne Dupree at waynedupree.com and the pro-life blog Live Action at liveaction.org.
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