The time for self-promotion is over, and the time for Donald Trump to deliver on his many promises has come. In 2015, Mr. Trump dared to call out the Democrats for their scheme to flood America with illegal immigrants. This was met with howls of xenophobia by the left and amens from the rest of us, who were also noticing the invasion.

Chapter One of Trump’s presidency is over. His tortuous and glorious return to the White House is also over. Some things are the same, but many of the challenges facing America have altered. 

During his absence, Joe Biden opened the borders of the USA. Estimates vary on how many people illegally entered the US during Biden’s term, but a recent House Report says the number is 10 million. Trump has promised to rid the USA of these illegal invaders.

Incoming President Trump will get an A plus on this promise if he deports 10 million illegal aliens in the next four years. My scoring rubric on Trump’s Deportation Promise is as follows:

As he campaigned for the 2024 election, Mr. Trump also promised to reduce inflation and improve the economy. During his first term, 2017 to 2021, many While both Democrats and Republicans stymied Trump’s efforts to stop illegal immigration, everyone can agree that Americans benefitted from Trump’s economic leadership. Even his critics admit that “Trump economic nostalgia” helped him win the 2024 election.

Americans and the politicians who serve us are 36 trillion dollars in debt. An economic tsunami is headed our way, and no one, including Trump, wants to admit this. The signs of the tsunami are already evident, and it is an existential threat to all of us. This self-inflicted tsunami will likely hit our shores during Don’s second term. He will be judged by how he leads us when the wave hits.

Mr. Trump will also be judged by how he deals with the slave state of China and their leaders. I would urge him to re-recognize Taiwan as a freedom-loving nation and break off ties with the PRC because it is an outlawed slave state. Like President Reagan before him, I would urge Trump to identify China as an evil empire. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to hear President Trump using his second inaugural address to say Dictator Xi tear down your walls and set the people of China free?

Unfortunately, there are already signs that Mr. Trump, like many second-term presidents, will slump through the next four years. Sequels rarely outperform hit movies.

For example, Mr. Trump warned Hamas and the Middle East that there would be hell to pay if our hostages are not released by January 20, 2025. However, Donald, the great deal maker, seems to endorse a 1000:33 swap. This deal, according to reports, means that 1000 Hamas prisoners will be released, and in turn, Israel will get 33 hostages, some of them American and some, sadly, already dead. How can Donald call himself a tough negotiator and countenance such a laughable deal?

Even more concerning is one of his recent posts on Truth Social. He said this about a recent discussion with Dictator Xi of the PRC, “We discussed balancing Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects. President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!” Xi is the Hitler of the 21^st Century. The implied coziness between the two makes me ill.

Image by Grok.

Ned Cosby, a frequent contributor to American Thinker, is a former pastor, veteran Coast Guard officer, and a retired English high school teacher. His novel OUTCRY is a love story exposing the refusal of Christian leaders to report and discipline clergy who sexually abuse our young people. This work of fiction addresses crimes that are all too real. Cosby has also written RECOLLECTIONS FROM MY FATHER’S HOUSE, tracing his own odyssey from 1954 to the present. For more info, visit Ned Cosby.