In the early 1900s, when Theodore Roosevelt employed the term “bully pulpit” to characterize the presidency, “bully” meant wonderful, terrific, or superb. In politics today, the term refers to using one’s position to cajole, persuade, or influence behavior. To our good fortune, we have a pulpit champion in the White House.
Trump's Ultra-Effective Outcomes
At a business luncheon, I was seated next to a woman, and we talked about career-related issues. The conversation then shifted to women's sports. I mentioned how Donald Trump had declared at the outset of his second term that he was going to restore women's sports to its rightful participants. She agreed that women's sports ought to be protected, but she claimed that Trump engaged in bullying tactics to achieve his desired outcomes. She said that she didn't vote for him because of such behavior.
I thought to myself, so she is willing to throw away the country and put the totally non-qualified socialist Kamala Harris in the White House, all because she doesn't like Trump's methods, regardless of his ultra-effective outcomes?
Thank goodness for Donald Trump'd methods. As a result, women's sports will now be restored. Look at what's occurred at the University of Pennsylvania and the changes that they've had to make. And the impact President Trump has made by shining a spotlight on Harvard's transgressions. This school has repeatedly defied Federal legislation and fostered an atmosphere on campus that is hostile to Jews and other minorities. For the good of the nation, Harvard needs to capitulate and President Trump knows this better than anyone.
The Much Bigger Picture
Consider that NATO members who, for decades, have merely been along for the ride are now going to actually pay their fair share for defense. This not only benefits NATO collectively, but it also benefits America and the free world. We have been footing too much of the NATO bill for far too long.
President Trump managed to induce Hamas and Israel to a cease fire. What methods did he employ, and was it worth the effort? How about brokering peace between Rwanda and the DR Congo? What about helping regarding tensions between Pakistan and India? In the name of peace, if President Trump employed strong-arm tactics in any of these international developments, fine, keep at it.
Our fake stream media will rail on and on about Trump successfully suing major broadcast organizations. His $15 million settlement from ABC months ago occurred for a good reason. TV host George Stephanopoulos had accused him of slander. The lawsuit that Trump recently won with CBS was an entirely appropriate result. Let's be frank. What CBS did with the Kamala Harris interview was nothing short of election interference. They gave Ms. Harris multi-millions of dollars worth of free publicity and then, to make her appear coherent, completely doctored portions of the interview.
CBS settled with Donald Trump because they had no chance in court, and the long-term coverage of their malfeasance would have diminished the network even more than has already happened. President Trump's behavior in suing ABC and CBS is justifiable. How about going after the Wall Street Journal for publishing lies about him? Hurray for the President: keep making deceitful 'news' organizations pay for their misdeeds.
Logic and Forcefulness
In the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, when a flock of GOP senators held out, Trump was on the phone, around the clock, proverbially arm-twisting. When a handful of House Republicans held out, he did much the same. Was his cajoling good for our country and our long-term prospects? You bet. The alternative, watching the bill be defeated, allowing taxes to rise to unfathomable levels, and crippling the economy, would simply be unacceptable. And a shame... he had already made great strides in the economy following the disastrous policies of the Biden administration.
In affairs of state, the ends don't always justify the means. Nonetheless, the methods that Donald Trump employs to achieve positive change in highly hostile arenas are effective. President Trump understands power, especially American power. He is a master of negotiation and of closing the deal. Whether or not pundits assess him as too tough a negotiator is immaterial to the 77+ million people who voted for him and to all others who now understand the vital importance of having him back in office.
He's got the bully pulpit and no matter how you define “bully” today, and we are glad of it.
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