Serving the High Plains

Thankfully, Trump's no politician

When you ask a political operative a question, the politico will pause and run that question through some sort of filter in his head prior to answering.

If you reach that person by phone, he is apt to say, “I’m in a meeting right now, but I’ll get back to you later today.” They rarely answer on the spur of the moment because the answer can come back to bite them.

How many times have you heard a friend or acquaintance say, “Just once I’d like to hear a politician answer a question honestly, without some kind of spin on it?"

Your prayers have been answered. That politician is Donald J. Trump.

It began with the press asking Trump, “If a woman has an illegal abortion, should she be punished?”

Trump said certainly. The press raked him over the coals for being insensitive to women’s issues.

They continue to expect President Trump to react like a politician. Trump is a real-estate developer, not a politician.

Early in the new administration, the director of the FBI told several congressional committees as well as the president himself that he, Trump, was not under investigation. Based on the reasoning that everyone in Washington knew he was not under investigation, the president asked Director James Comey to go public with the information so the public would know. When Comey failed to do that, Trump fired him. Trump is a real-estate developer, not a politician.

When Republican leaders in Congress assure the president that Obamacare will be repealed with no problem and legislation will be on his desk in the first month of his administration, Trump believes them. When Congress does not deliver as promised, Trump gets angry and publicly castigates them for their lack of ability to craft legislation. Congress then responds, “The president doesn’t understand how things work here.” They are correct. Trump is a real-estate developer, not a politician.

Congress will announce to anyone willing to listen that there are only 12 legislative days in September and, as a result, Trump’s agenda may be too aggressive. Complicating this are two hurricanes that require legislative action for emergency funding. When Republicans in Congress begin to make noises about not being able to craft needed legislation, Trump cut a deal with congressional Democrats. Trump is a real-estate developer, not a politician.

President Trump no longer believes that everyone in Congress is his friend, even if they are in the same political party. That’s the difference between politicians and real-estate developers. Real-estate developers learn from their mistakes.

Rube Render is the Curry County Republican chairman. Contact him at:

[email protected]