The President of the United States, Presidential?

Taylor Sikora

Op-ed Week 1

The President of the United States, Presidential?

As some Americans may have noticed our current President has not been the most Presidential person running our country that we have seen. From the way he talks to the country in speeches, to lawmakers, and especially to other nations leaders, he illuminates the fact that he has never been involved in politics before his Presidency. Immigration has been a large part of President Trump’s core policies, from his campaign and now as he is in office he is handling the issue of immigration as it comes up.

 On January 11^th President Trump met with lawmakers to discuss an immigration deal. This immigration deal would provide protections for people from Haiti and African countries. When the President heard the entirety of the deal he asked why the United States should allow immigrants into our nation from “sh*thole countries”. He continued to ask why the United States should allow the immigrants from Haiti and African countries rather than allow immigrants from countries such as Norway. Supposedly President Trump’s remarks left the Congress members stunned and confused.

 In this meeting the members of Congress and President Trump were discussing a possible bipartisan deal to provide legal status to immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally as children. After the deal was brought up supposedly the President asked who would all benefit and when Haitians were mentioned, he asked, “Why do we want people from Haiti here?” These comments are very troubling on a number of levels. For starters, this is the President of the United States saying these things. The United States is known for being the melting pot of the world, bringing many different ethnicities, cultures and backgrounds together in one nation. The United States has been showcased and known for offering protection, opportunities and a peace of mind to those who seek a better life. Our great country has allowed immigrants through our borders for many years, but there is a new administration in town and it is indeed different than anything we have ever seen before.

President Trump and his administration justify his actions and words by saying that he wants to put American’s first and our country first and to make America great again. These remarks have come across to our country as racist, immature and ignorant. We have someone in office who thinks that he knows what the country as a whole needs, he won his election by “relating” to people he realistically did not have much in common with. This one person speaks for us as a whole, he represents the United States, and in my opinion when he is representing the United States to the world, it is not a good thing. It is strikingly apparent that Donald Trump has never been in politics before, and even more so that he does not have a diplomatic bone in his body #ThanksTwitter. President Trump and his twitter account have caused a lot of controversy and has put strains on relations across the world. The President seems to be a big fan of tweeting the leader of North Korea @KimJongUn, or at least about him. I believe that all Americans should be concerned about the excessive use of President Trump’s twitter account. Whether you like him or not, we may find that 280 words can have a large impact on foreign relations.

It is imperative that President Trump’s administration fills him in on what being a President requires. The President can be a dominant world figure without destroying the connections and relationships the previous Presidents of the United States have worked very hard to build and maintain over the years. Putting down other countries that are not as well off as the United States can have a detrimental impact on what people think of the United States. President Trump wants to make America great again, but the United States is called the “Land of Opportunity” for a reason, and not just for current citizens. Depending on what happens over the course of his term as President, the “Land of Opportunity” may assume a new meaning.