The Case For Trump Ch 2 ERA

In chapter two of Hanson’s The Case for Trump, he discusses some of the politics and positions that he promised in order to get elected. He also details Trump’s policies that were controversial and some that he was not fully able to live up to or enforce. For instance, Hanson explains that Trump advertised that he wanted to fight in wars, but that America never “wins” anymore. Trump claimed that he wants to only enter conflicts that the United States can knowingly win. He also wants a big military budget, but only if the money is not used on ungrateful Iraqis, Afghans, or Libyans. While this statement appeased many Americans and Trump supporters, it became far more difficult to actually put into practice over the course of Trump’s tenure, as picking and choosing “winnable” conflicts proved to be no easy task. Additionally in regards to military endeavors, Trump assured that he would always protect allies if attacked but would not seek out optional interventions to become involved in. He later reneged on many of his ideas, having his advisors make statements that it was in the nation’s best interest to adhere to “principles of realism.” Trump’s other big selling point, which he has satisfied to an extent, was his trade policies. Trump wanted to recalibrate American trade and change its approach to globalization. To attain this goal, he was not afraid to start trade wars to obtain the trade concessions that he wanted. Once starting these trade wars, Trump was rarely apologetic and instead promised further restrictions and threatened tariffs to those who stood in his way. Lastly while Trump’s wall was largely unsuccessful to the extent that it was promised, he undoubtedly cracked down on illegal immigration. His policies regarding putting “America first” in regards to spending budgeted money on the American poor, not on Mexico’s or South America’s, ultimately proved to be very successful in gaining him support.