My Article For the London School of Economics' "The London Globalist" Published Over a Year Ago

http://www.thelondonglobalist.org/trump-disaster-or-success/

"RC: “Why President Trump Will Deliver”

Now, I understand many of you may be angry, upset, or even scared of a Trump presidency. Many of you may not like Trump’s politics. However, regardless of your political leanings, take this moment to step back, clear your mind of the ruthless campaigning by both sides, and look at the man himself apolitically.

President Trump. Those two words in the same sentence are not something many of us would have expected only two years ago before the primaries, on the 7th of November 2016 or even as we woke up on the 9th of November. Going into the election itself Trump was predicted to have a 20% chance of winning. If we forget for a moment the various scandals and outrageous comments, and look at the man himself, a picture of how his presidency could potentially play out is painted.

At the time Donald Trump announced his candidacy in June last year, many media outlets were predicting his chances of winning the nomination as 1%. Yet here we stand, shocked, gobsmacked – flabbergasted at what could be considered a monumental victory over the behemoth that was and still is the Clinton machine, backed by the mainstream media and even many prominent Republicans. When comparing campaign funding, what Trump has achieved is truly incredible. How did Mr Trump overcome such insurmountable odds? Mrs Clinton managed to raise nearly $690 million, over double that of Donald Trump’s $306 million. How could a single man who was predicted to lose by so much, win with half of the funding of his rival, and a substantial amount of his fellow Republicans against him? One could argue that it was the anti-establishment mood that is sweeping across both America and Europe, as demonstrated by Brexit, especially across the ‘rust belt’ states, or perhaps just the dislike of Hillary Clinton in the wake of subsequent scandals. While this certainly did help President-elect Trump, he demonstrated many characteristics that helped him win and cannot be ignored. However, if another candidate had faced the same sheer scale of opposition that Trump had, arguably they would have not won the election. So what did win Trump the election? What will arguably make him a successful president?

The answer: temperament.

He is business-minded

First and foremost, Trump is a businessman. Therefore, he can be expected to take a businessman’s approach toward the presidency. To many, Trump’s unrelenting campaigning demonstrates that his work ethic is solid. By holding rallies, making speeches as well as making brash comments for media attention (all at little cost to his campaign), Trump won the presidency at half the cost of Hillary Clinton’s candidacy. In the lead up to the election the frequency of his rallies increased dramatically, until he held five rallies in five states before the day of the election, broadcasting all of them live through Facebook – again, a service of little cost to the campaign. Trump also made trips to Louisiana after major flooding and visited the Mexican president, actions which can be considered presidential. In comparison, Clinton did not hold nearly as many events until nearer the election. Trump’s efficiency during the primaries as well as the general election meant he won support in traditionally blue states such as Michigan and Pennsylvania, not easy states to win as a Republican candidate. Furthermore, whilst many people dispute his business success, it is hard to argue that he is a failure as he is estimated to be worth $3.7 billion.

Dogmatism

Although it must be said that the Trump campaign did change its platform during the general election on certain promises made during the primaries, such as the blanket ban on Muslims entering the US, he generally stayed on message throughout his entire campaign. How can anybody forget his campaign slogan: ‘Make America Great Again’? It was so simple. Trump used a simple, easy and effective message, aimed at the ‘average Joe’ that is situated on every street between New York and San Francisco, and it worked ‘big league’. His memorable message of ‘making America great again’ appealed to voters and can literally be applied to anything he does that is seen to be bettering America. He has not yet gone back on his promise to build a wall, place tariffs on companies that choose to leave the US, or his position on NAFTA. Can Trump potentially use this dogmatism to get what he wants on the world stage? Many Americans obviously think so. For them, Trump is simple and sticks to the point – something they see as needed on the world stage.

Getting Things Done

Trump’s ability to get things done links in with his dogmatic attitude. Although Trump has become bankrupt before (you have many failures before you succeed), he now has a net worth of over $3 billion dollars. At the time of his announcement to run, he was predicted a 1% chance of winning the Republican nomination let alone the presidency. He is now the President-elect of the United States, an incredible turnaround. If his current trajectory continues then perhaps America will be ‘made great again’ (if you consider it not ‘great’ already). Trump’s successful businesses have made him one of the richest people in the world. Nearly everything Trump was predicted not to be able to achieve this election, he has achieved, when more often than not it has seemed impossible to many.

Leadership

Trump’s personality, at the disgust of some, is brash, loud, commanding and potentially offensive. Many people view him as an ‘alpha’ type of man, who wins through domination. Although many people would see these characteristics as negative, for Trump they are crucial for his leadership. By dominating the discussion in the primary debates he came across as a leader. He used his character and personality to stand out from the other Republican candidates, of which there were many. His leadership is also efficient, he has a goal in mind and he uses all that is available to him as a means to reach that goal. Is this not something that will be good for American interests? The US president is considered to be the leader of the free world – Trump will not take this responsibility lightly. Note how in his victory speech he pointed out the size of his campaign team, which was very small, and thanked each of them individually for their work. He successfully runs businesses all over the world and is head of a well-respected family, more than most people can claim to do or be.

So yes, whilst many of us do not like President-elect Trump, we must respect not only his achievements but his right to lead the US as its president. If a man can successfully take on and beat a woman with one of the most highly respected political careers in US history, as well as survive a heavy media onslaught and the wrath of much of Wall Street, maybe he will also be able to perform as President of the United States.

RC is a 2nd year student at Loughborough University."

Over a year ago I wrote this article stating President Trump will deliver. Arguably, he has.