I am a twenty-four-year-old law school student from New York City and I am voting for Donald Trump. Trump’s Make America Great Again movement has redefined the Republican Party and American politics. His views on foreign policy and key economic issues appropriately buck Republican orthodoxy. Trump is also a staunch defender, compared to many elected Republicans, of Social Security, a program that benefits working and middle-class Americans most. His record on securing the border, and hence, keeping America safe, is far superior to Biden's, and many of his promises for a second term regarding immigration are sensible. A second term would build on the success of the first, and America should give Trump the opportunity to lead again.
Trump is the best Republican candidate in the race. His primary challenger, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, wants to return the Republican Party to the neoconservative agenda that defined the Bush presidency. Similar to Bush, she hopes to promote democracy abroad by using the U.S. military. We know this does not work. America occupied Afghanistan, spent $2.2 trillion, lost 2,324 soldiers—not to mention that the war claimed 243,000 lives total—and accomplished little. The Taliban, which controlled Afghanistan at the beginning of the war in 2001, regained power when we left. We spent twenty years trying to build a democracy and all we had to show for it was Afghanistan’s president fleeing the country with bags of cash in a helicopter.
Haley’s views on America’s role in the world are similar to Bush’s. She sees the war in Ukraine as an opportunity to spread democracy abroad and almost exclusively describes the war as being “about freedom”. She argues Biden is not sending enough aid to Ukraine and has said that the U.S. should give the country whatever it asks for. Biden, meanwhile, sent Ukraine long-range missiles that can reach the Russian homeland despite U.S. intelligence that found Zelensky plotted attacks inside Russia’s borders. Haley wants Biden to go further and support Ukraine’s request to join NATO. This would bring us closer to direct war with Russia.
Trump, alternatively, regularly warns that the war in Ukraine can lead to direct conflict—including nuclear conflict—between the U.S. and Russia. His warning should not be casually disregarded: Russia and the United States came close to nuclear war on several occasions during and after the Cold War. In one instance, the world teetered on the brink of armageddon, when a Soviet early-warning system erroneously reported that a nuclear missile had been launched by the U.S. One Soviet naval officer decided not to retaliate, and, in doing so, saved the world.
We stoke the flames of war at our peril. While Trump talks of peace, other Republican leaders celebrate the war and call for the assassination of Putin. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, for example, praised U.S. military aid to Ukraine as “a far, far cheaper way in both dollars and American lives to degrade Russia’s ability to threaten the United States.” His remarks lauded the deaths of Russian soldiers. That is inappropriate. We are not at war with Russia. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, tweeted that the Russian army should assassinate Putin. Are these the type of people we want to turn over the reigns of the Republican Party to? Trump is a necessary counterbalance to their irresponsibility, and America is better served with him in the Oval Office than someone of their ilk.
Hand in hand with the issue of Ukraine is Social Security. Many Republicans want to cut Social Security benefits for Americans in the name of austerity while sending another $111 billion to Ukraine. Resources are finite and these inclinations show that many Republicans have misplaced priorities.
Trump, however, stands opposed to such efforts. During his administration, he often clashed with House Speaker Paul Ryan over the latter’s efforts to cut Social Security benefits. In the 2024 campaign, Trump has again promised to protect Social Security. This differentiates him from his Republican rivals. There is nothing conservative about the federal government forcing Americans to pay into Social Security—this is not an optional program—and then denying them the benefits they were promised.
In addition to protecting America’s seniors, Trump also has ambitious plans to empower young Americans. By building new cities, for example, he aspires to create jobs and increase the housing supply. Unorthodox ideas like this can help alleviate America’s affordability crisis. Trump also promises to “lower the cost of living with a special focus on lowering the cost of a new car and lowering the cost to build a single family home.” He wants to incentivize people to have children by offering “baby bonuses” to new parents.
If Trump can accomplish a fraction of this, it would be a great achievement. People are having fewer children because they can not afford to. The U.S. birthrate has been falling since the Great Recession and is substantially below the rate required to maintain a stable population. Young Americans are paying record high rent in major cities, wages have been stagnant for decades (with exception to their rise during Trump’s first term prior to the COVID-19 pandemic). Trump is offering dynamic solutions to these problems. I hope to see his entrepreneurial spirit unleashed in the White House.
Trump is also the best and most proven candidate on border security. America has seen the consequences of our border being flung open by President Biden, who immediately halted the construction of Trump’s wall, ended the “Remain in Mexico” policy, and stopped deportations. Under Biden, foreign nationals are entering the country illegally from places like Iran, Iraq, China, Russia, and North Korea, among others. There were 300,000 attempted border crossings in December—a record. Our cities are being overwhelmed by the inflow of people, and even NYC Mayor Eric Adams has been very critical of the Biden administration’s handling of the crisis. What Biden has done to the country is a sin. Thankfully, the Supreme Court has forced the Biden administration to continue the construction of Trump’s wall. However, voters must ultimately reject Biden’s attack on our sovereignty at the ballot box.
The country is in so much trouble. Trump brought illegal immigration to the forefront in 2016, and as president, he defended America’s borders. We need him back in office to quickly solve America’s border crisis. Trump has promised to send U.S. troops to the southern border to prevent illegal crossings, make Mexico use its resources to aid us in that regard, and aggressively target foreign gang members and drug dealers. These are necessary steps to ensure American security.
Trump’s first presidency was a success. He secured the border, worked toward peace, and built an incredible economy. Our enemies feared us and our allies knew that while we would defend them, they had to honor their commitments to us as well. More importantly, what Trump pledges to do in the future is the best path forward: end the war in Ukraine, protect Social Security, fix the economy, and secure the border. If he can do that, he can Make America Great Again.
You’re a wise young man! Trump 2024!