Time to Start Draining the Swamp

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And so the Trump era begins…

Despite all the odds… and all of hell’s angels… Donald J. Trump was crowned 45th president of the United States at noon today. We extend the new commander in chief our heartiest congratulations.

All the pomp and pageantry fitting the occasion was on full display. The plumage, the trumpets… the dignitaries… the platitudes…

“Jan. 20, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again,” said the president.

Trump promised to control the border. Bring back jobs. “A new vision will govern our land,” pledged the 45th president. “It’s going to be America first.”

Hmmm.

What will the future bring? Your guess is as good as ours.

But if a man can be judged by the enemies he has, this Trump must be an all-right fellow.

He’s shaken the American political establishment “by the eyeteeth,” in the words of author Conrad Black. And brother, could it use a good hard shaking. Is there anyone in Washington Trump hasn’t cheesed off?

He’s shaken the American political establishment “by the eyeteeth,” in the words of author Conrad Black.

The slings and arrows have come zinging from every corner of the swamp. Each one from a heavily defended position, guarded by those determined not to be shaken by the eyeteeth. That was true pre-election… and it’ll be true post-election.

Which got us mulling over this bit of news today…

The Hill reports this morning that Trump has plans to slash federal spending. Significant cuts are supposedly in line for the departments of Commerce, Transportation, Energy, State, Justice and more.

Cuts would total $10.5 trillion over 10 years.

Please give us a good shake when it happens. The House — the Republican-controlled House — voted down similar cuts in 2015. And by a good stretch too: 294-132. Why should we expect anything different today? Trump’s not even a small-government guy. Reagan was and he couldn’t limit spending.

We read this morning about an 18-year-old Trump supporter from somewhere in the back 40 who made his way to Washington for today’s inauguration.

“I expect changes,” the young man beamed. “And I expect he’s going to do everything he said he was going to do.”

Ah, to be young and innocent again…

At one point during his address, the president assured Americans that “You will never be ignored again.”

Just so. But we’d gladly go ignored by Washington if it’s all just the same. Please, ignore our bank account, the amount of cash in our possession, our purchases, our phone calls, our emails, our comings and goings. And we’d gladly leave Washington alone in turn.

But we know better. And we Americans ultimately get the kind of government we deserve. No better… no worse.

Good luck, Mr. President! You’re probably going to need it.

Regards,

Brian Maher
Managing editor, The Daily Reckoning

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