Donald Trump’s return to office has been defined by a striking consistency: he is doing exactly what he said he would do. For better or worse, the hallmark of Trump’s governance has been fulfilling his campaign promises with a level of clarity and decisiveness that embodies democratic accountability.
This dynamic—where candidates make explicit their plans and then deliver on them—is the essence of a functioning democracy. While some of Trump’s actions may be sweeping or controversial, they are hardly surprising. He pledged to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, tighten border security, pardon January 6 rioters, and roll back green-energy mandates. His electorate endorsed his broad vision, even if certain specifics might have been unsettling to some voters.
Delivering on Campaign Promises
Critics warned during the campaign that Trump was planning a dictatorial reign. Yet his flippant remark about being a "dictator on Day One" referred to an expected barrage of executive orders, not a dismantling of democracy. True to form, his initial days in office featured numerous executive actions, but they were grounded in his publicized agenda. Far from undermining democracy, this reflects its core function: elected leaders executing their mandates.
In contrast, the Democrats' approach in the 2024 election showed a disconcerting disregard for transparency. Their strategy to shield President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline and engineer a last-minute switch to Vice President Kamala Harris—without meaningful voter input—revealed a top-down attitude. While procedurally legal, it sidestepped the spirit of democratic engagement, where voters expect clarity and consistency.
The Challenge of Trump’s Leadership Style
None of this absolves Trump of criticism. His leadership style, with its personalized view of government and a tendency to push boundaries, often raises alarms. His desire to bypass Senate confirmations through recess appointments, for example, reflects an "excessively democratic" impulse that undermines checks and balances. Similarly, his decision to modify statutory deadlines, as with the TikTok ban, reflects a high-handed approach that strains the rule of law.
Yet these tactics are not unprecedented. Past Democratic presidents, including Barack Obama and Joe Biden, also skirted legal and procedural norms to advance their agendas. The selective outrage directed at Trump’s actions, while ignoring similar conduct from his predecessors, reveals the partisan lens through which democratic norms are often evaluated.
A Transparent Agenda
Ultimately, Trump’s governance underscores a fundamental truth: he is delivering exactly what voters were told to expect. His loud, insistent, and sometimes polarizing rhetoric leaves little room for ambiguity. For those who supported him, this is democracy in action. For those who oppose him, it’s a call to engage more effectively in the democratic process.
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