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Former President Bill Clinton engaged with a pro-Palestinian protester for nearly 15 minutes during a Pennsylvania campaign stop today.
During their exchange, Clinton expressed deep frustration for not being able to move an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement across the finish line at the end of his presidency. He also apologized for not being able to more directly answer the protester’s concerns.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and Elon Musk have given Americans a preview of the sweeping changes a potential Trump presidency could bring to healthcare and government spending. Speaking in Pennsylvania, Johnson vowed “massive” healthcare reform in Trump’s first 100 days if elected, promising a major overhaul to address issues he says were created by Obamacare. Johnson emphasized that healthcare reform would be a critical priority, signaling a commitment to reshaping America’s healthcare system as part of an aggressive legislative agenda.
Elon Musk, who Trump has promised would oversee government “efficiency,” offered a stark perspective on the broader fiscal impacts, predicting a period of “temporary hardship” for Americans under Trump’s plan to address the national debt. In a recent virtual town hall, Musk outlined that tackling this issue would require tax code changes and major spending cuts, which may impact Americans financially in the short term. He argues that these sacrifices are essential for “long-term prosperity,” implying a significant reconfiguration of government spending aimed at reducing the deficit.
The message each men want Americans to expect from a potential second Donald Trump presidency is simple: expect to suffer.
Why people willingly follow an autocrat is complex and involves multiple factors, including the political, social, and economic. Stories across history offer a roadmap for overcoming hardship, reminding us of leadership courage and unwavering hope that can be cultivated in the face of tragedy. After traveling through so many countries, here’s some life lessons I learned from God.
Less than two weeks to November 5th, our national Election Day. It appears younger voters don’t care whether Trump’s former staff believe Trump is a dictator (in waiting). Most younger voters were too young to be impacted by Trump’s first term. And even though under Trump, the U.S. national debt increased by 39%, reached $27.75 trillion by the end of his term, and the U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio also hit a post-World War II high, young voters believe Trump will handle the economy better.
Trump’s economic numbers exposed a far more complicated reality. His tax cuts never delivered promised growth, budget deficits surged (and stayed relatively high under Biden), and tariffs and trade deals never brought back lost factory jobs. Both Trump and Biden suffered from COVID’s pandemic lockdown. The borrowing both presidents leveraged enabled the government to make direct payments to citizens and small businesses during the lockdown. These increased payments provided temporary feelings of being better off despite a recession.
Questions we should have asked.
Less than two weeks to November 5th, our national Election Day. If you’re a hardy soul, you listened to stories of immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, the dehumanization of one candidate or another, the dehumanization of deceased Veterans, a candidate dancing for 39 minutes, rambling, word salads, more rambling, candidates with likely dementia if not Alzhimer’s symptoms, tariffs, former administrative staffs calling out their boss(s), horror stories from the front lines Roe V. Wade, ‘drill baby drill,’ racism, radical left, radical right, racism, socialism, nationalism, nepotism, no-bism’s, slipped-ism’s, left-out-ism’s, toilet-ism’s and genitalia. What we didn’t hear was answers to complex questions.
Here are the questions I wished candidates answered.
Less than two weeks to November 5th, election day, and polls are nearly dead even. If you’re undecided, flip a coin, toss cards into a hat with the winner taking two of three, or use a crystal ball and gaze for affirmation. You could receive counsel from Lee Greenwood (the Trumpian Bible made in China) or listen to Emime. One could read tea leaves, listen to the wind, or study astrological skies. We could roll dice, cast lots, pray, analyze ancient scripture, or beg karma for wisdom. However, God left it to us, and why it’s this close is beyond me.
