Now that Election Day is upon us, it’s important to revisit the past to learn essential lessons.

A week ago, President Trump appeared on The PBD Podcast, where host Patrick Bet David interviewed him about a wide range of topics.

Trump revealed that that a group of black leaders, including CNN political analyst Van Jones, came to visit him for the passage of criminal justice legislation.

Jones had described Trump’s amazing victory in 2016 as a “whitelash.”  However, Trump overlooked Jones’s bigotry for the greater good.

Trump said the black leaders pleaded for his help for criminal justice reform while revealing that Democrats merely bloviate about the issue but do nothing.  Trump said Van Jones became emotional and tearful during the meeting.

Trump said he was moved by what he heard and decided to act.

Trump revealed that he worked with Republicans, who didn’t subscribe to the idea but collaborated with him out of respect and the fact that Trump’s endorsement got them re-elected.

After these efforts, the First Step Act was passed by Congress and signed by President Trump in December 2018.  The act enacted changes to federal criminal law, such as reforming federal prisons and sentencing laws.  It also focused on decreasing the federal inmate population and maintaining public safety.

The bill had bipartisan support due to President Trump’s stewardship.

Following the passage of the bill, Van Jones held a presser.  Trump joked that he invited Melania to watch the presser on TV so she could witness someone lavishing blandishments on her husband.  Jones ended up thanking everyone but President Trump.

Jones did publicly thank Trump for his efforts on CNN.

How did the Obamas, civil rights activists, black Democrats, or BLM leaders, who claim to be advocates of African-Americans, react?

They pretended it didn’t happen.  When they did acknowledge the bill, like Van Jones, they had gratitude for all but Trump.

Ideally, Jones and other black leaders should have endorsed Trump for 2024 and actively campaigned for him out of gratitude, but they did not and never will. 

They are doing the opposite.

Jones, the Democrats, black leaders, and race-hustlers continue to call Trump a white supremacist, a Nazi, a racist, and a threat to democracy.  Following two assassination attempts, this must be seen as an instigation of violence.

Let’s look at the bigger picture and recall the Democrats’ reaction to Trump’s victory in 2016.

President Trump is a tough adversary and a fierce competitor, but he belongs to the principled old-school group of adversaries, who disagree on ideas only.

Following his victory, Trump was gracious and called the Clintons “good people.”  He was also appreciative of the Democrats.  Other Republicans agreed that since the race was over, they should work together for betterment of the nation.

How did the Democrats react?

They called Trump an illegitimate president.  It wasn’t just Hillary, but also even the supposed old man of morals, Jimmy Carter.

They concocted the Russia collusion hoax and led two baseless impeachment efforts.  The goal was to force Trump to quit when he was president, while the second impeachment was intended to prevent him from being president again. 

The Democrats and their media proxies have been focused on destroying President Trump by any means possible.  This includes everything from slander to judicial overreach.

President Trump can be excused for being initially lenient owing to his lack of experience in D.C.  Even seasoned observers were taken aback by the Democrat reaction to Trump’s 2016 election.  Before President Trump, the Democrats had never so brazenly displayed their venomous fangs — perhaps because Republican winners such as the Bushes and nominees such as McCain and Romney were establishment figures.

A few, such as Rush Limbaugh, foresaw this.

Limbaugh narrated a meeting with President Trump shortly after his election.  Trump told him he hoped the hate against him would subside since the election was over.  Limbaugh said he was astounded and that he told Trump it was never going to end.

Despite the hate and witch hunts, Trump did well.  Under him, the border was secure, the economy was strong, and inflation was under control.  Also, there were no hot wars.  But as his right-wing critics, such as Ann Coulter, often claim, both Trump and the GOP in Congress could have been more uncompromising in the implementation of their agenda.

What lessons do we learn?

There’s a stark contrast between the mentality of Democrats and Republicans.

In victory, Republicans are gracious.  They refer to Democrats as friends.  They even compromise their agenda to win over these “friends.”

In defeat, the Democrats are defiant.  They refuse to accept the results.  They openly display anger and pettiness.  They activate their sleeper cell — i.e., rioters masquerading as protesters.  They hatch conspiracies against their opponents using the state machinery.

When the Republicans begin implementing their agenda, the riot wing creates chaos, and the media give the impression that the nation is burning.  They warn of a government shutdown.

After days of standing strong, the Republicans capitulate under “intense pressure.”  They withdraw the agenda they were elected to implement.  Some Republicans even join the Democrats and use the same language to lambast their agenda.

The Democrats call it a victory of their “resistance.”

Some Republicans hesitate to go against the establishment because they fear they will be targeted by the media or government agencies. 

Consequently, the Democrats remain in charge, irrespective of the election results.

The real losers are the citizens, who queued for hours to cast their votes for the Republicans, hoping for their lives to improve.

This is also seen in the mentality of supporters of both parties.  Trump supporters are frequently subjected to expletives and violence in Democrat precincts.

A severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome. 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/ulVkCETMPo

— Garbage Joel Fischer 🇺🇸 (@realJoelFischer) October 23, 2024

The party of joy is threatening Trump supporters in PA for displaying support on their lawns. Never mind Houston. Pennsylvania, we have a problem.

In the dead of a cold winters night, this year or next year & beyond, there is no knowing what may happen. Your property, your… pic.twitter.com/HnbW3c1DCE

— ♥️🇺🇸 𝓒𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓪 🇮🇹♥️ (@CB618444) October 18, 2024

However, if a Kamala Harris–supporter were to appear in Trump country, there would be a willingness to engage.  At worst, heads would shake in dismay — maybe a taunt.

Let’s sum it up.

Most Democrats see this as a war, whereas Republicans see it as a contest.  Most Democrats want their opponents destroyed, whereas Republicans wish their opponents well but want their agenda blocked.

So should the Republicans emulate the radical Democrats and become hateful anti-Democrat fanatics?  Emphatically not.  But they must learn that they are there due to the voters, and their loyalty must be toward voters.

They must learn that an irrational hater cannot be won over or impressed, no matter what they do.  They have to be inflexible on the agenda.  This means stable, sane, and principled individuals who do not capitulate before pressure tactics, faux emergencies, and epithets.

In recent times, Trump demonstrated that experience was a valuable teacher.  He sees the Democrats for who they are.  The others who support the MAGA agenda also seem to grasp this fact.

Hopefully, the experience will translate into action, and they will be steadfast and uncompromising.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.