I Like Trump, Just Not as President

I like Donald Trump. There are personality qualities that I deeply value that Trump fully embodies. Attributes such as grit, audacity, and boldness—even in the face of death. Trump is also peak content. He’s mad funny and it was only recently where he “worked” at McDonald’s for show and trolling purposes—I don’t care if it’s obviously to win over votes, you have to give credit where it’s due. Trump is fun. And the man is a huge contrast from your average slimy politician that only speaks in pre-planned platitudes. To me at least, Trump feels more like an actual human than Harris, who embodies more “typical politician” characteristics. To a certain degree, I can relate to him—he’s a man that wants to prove himself. All the while, he’s raw, keeps it real, and is resolute. I can’t help but admire that.

But let me make something explicitly clear: I hope that Kamala Harris wins. Trump is an awful leader. He’s a leader that has taken the United States into a destructive, polarizing direction. The United States, Canada, and Western liberal democracies all have institutions for a reason. We have an electoral system that we all agree to abide by because we are a liberal democracy that values freedom and believes the people (for the most part) get to decide who gets to run the country and nation. The people who lead are supposed to represent us, but Trump undermines this in every conceivable way. When you knowingly have millions of people fall for election conspiracy theories, have friends and family fall for lies, and take people into a dark pit where they begin to distrust all of the institutions that make up a liberal democracy, you are doing a disservice to the entire country and putting endanger a system that has created prosperity and freedom for so many people, a place that people pride themselves and call home. To want to upend this very system simply out of the selfish desire to “win”? From this standpoint, Trump’s actions are astoundingly self-serving and manipulative, using his supporters for his personal ambitions while disregarding the well-being of his nation. A second Trump term is not worth “owning the libs” due to the risk of what it could do to America’s institutions. More rather, if you are a conservative, what’s the point of dying on this hill? Supporting Trump today kills your credibility and weight in your viewpoints. If you are a principled person, it is better to be against Trump, despite the short-term benefits you may garner from a second Trump term. Do not vote on vibes, do not vote based on personality. Vote for what is right and better for your country—which includes the preservation of democratic principles.