Well, the inauguration is over, Trump is in power, and we’re all waiting to see what comes next. His supporters are cheering, but will they get what they wanted? By many accounts, what Trump supporters want are jobs. Tax savings for the middle/working class. Health care they can afford. Dignity. Returning to what they see as the glory days of America, when even a man without a college degree could make a family wage. At his rallies and in his inauguration speech, Trump echoed Middle America’s hopes and fears right back at them. He made them feel heard and gave them hope: the hope and change that they craved. Will Trump’s supporters be disappointed? It’s hard to tell so early into an administration, especially one as radically different as the current President’s. However, it may be worthwhile to examine his first acts as President for clues about his goals.
Well, the inauguration is over, Trump is in power, and we’re all waiting to see what comes next. His supporters are cheering, but will they get what they wanted? By many accounts, what Trump supporters want are jobs. Tax savings for the middle/working class. Health care they can afford. Dignity. Returning to what they see as the glory days of America, when even a man without a college degree could make a family wage. At his rallies and in his inauguration speech, Trump echoed Middle America’s hopes and fears right back at them. He made them feel heard and gave them hope: the hope and change that they craved. Will Trump’s supporters be disappointed? It’s hard to tell so early into an administration, especially one as radically different as the current President’s. However, it may be worthwhile to examine his first acts as President for clues about his goals.
One of Trump’s very first priorities as President was to increase expenses for middle class home buyers. Friday, HUD (Housing and Urban Development) reversed a scheduled cut in mortgage costs issued by the Federal Housing Administration. The cut was approved by former President Obama and would have gone into effect this month. Reversing it will make a $200,000 mortgage cost $500 more for families buying homes through the FHA. Will Trump’s supporters be disappointed by having to pay more to buy a home? It depends upon how many of them still see home ownership as a desirable goal and part of the American Dream.
Although Republicans have been complaining about Obamacare for years, will its inevitable repeal bring costs down in the heartland? Doubtful, except for one slim possibility. Before hating the Affordable Care Act, Republicans championed it for decades and have yet to invent anything better. Trump promised “everyone will be covered” by better, cheaper plans, but the ACA was their roadmap to that destination. Improving upon the ACA would mean taking another look at the Democrats’ solution, single-payer for all. Will Trump’s supporters be disappointed more by losing what healthcare they have, or by a leap into “socialism”?
Donald Trump: Replace Obamacare with Universal Health Care, posted by Police State USA
Perhaps the biggest item on Trump fans’ wishlist was more, better-paying jobs. Answering his voters’ legitimate grievances, he claimed he’d bring back, save, and create these jobs. How Trump’s administration handles an upcoming decision on overtime pay will be telling. Business and Republican groups blocked an Obama initiative last November that would expand overtime pay for four million workers. If Trump continues defending that rule in court, it will speak volumes about his intent to make work pay for about 3,999,200 more workers than were affected by his Carrier deal. Providing more and better American jobs comes with its own costs, though. Will Trump’s supporters be disappointed by having to pay more for goods, such as smartphones, made in the USA? If they continue to seek out cheaper, foreign-made products, they won’t be keeping up their side of the bargain.
As working class Trump voters in places like Union City, Pennsylvania await the promised return of manufacturing jobs, and his supporters in Clay County, Kentucky wait to see if he was really serious about taking away their health care, though, Trump has taken some decisive actions. He proposed tax cuts that would largely benefit the already-rich and businesses (which would make it harder to fund those populist promises). Finally, he took his first weekend off. Presidenting is hard!
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