What Trump Should Say
I’m not sure that Donald Trump can say anything that will “bring the country” together when he makes his presidential inauguration speech Friday.
Mr. Trump ran such a divisive, hateful campaign — and has so thoroughly botched his “transition” time since his November election — that it likely is beyond his ability to craft and present a speech that will set a hopeful tone for his upcoming four-year term.
Since his election, Mr. Trump has done nothing to show that he’s moved from being in “election mode” to the “I actually won the race” mode. He has continued his fight with the news media. He has foolishly continued tweeting stupid, childish comments. He has continued acting as if Russian leader Vladimir Putin is his love bunny. He has continued to insult our nation’s intelligence agencies — which, by the way, he must work with when he becomes president. He has picked a fight with a Civil Rights icon who lashed out at Trump.
Why, oh, why, can’t Mr. Trump begin acting like a president? Why can’t he rise above those who insult him or egg him on with their own foolish comments? And what can he possibly say this Friday that will compel those who listen to accept him as president and look forward to his time in office — or at least not fear it?
For starters, he could pretend to be humble. He could acknowledge that the country is bitterly divided and vow to try to heal political and social wounds. He could promise equal justice for all, and he could promise to create decent jobs.
He could promise to listen to experts in foreign affairs and domestic relations. He could promise to try to make Americans safe not by targeting Muslims or building a big wall but by investing in the best intelligence money can buy and by working with foreign leaders to defeat those who want to destroy our government and theirs. He could reassure our foreign allies that he’s not some out-of-control “cowboy” who plans to go it alone overseas.
He could promise not just to repeal Obamacare but to replace it with a humane system that won’t throw millions of people off medical coverage. He could talk about reforming Medicare and about ensuring that Social Security will be around and solvent for decades to come.
Above all, he could speak as if he were president, not as if he were still running against Hillary Clinton or other Democrats or “Saturday Night Live.” He could look and sound presidential, not like a vindictive man with axes to grind. That means moderating his language and his tone — it means not “blowtorching” those who disagree with him — and it means looking and sounding reassuring, not like a crazy man,
Can Mr. Trump do it? I honestly don’t know. Will Mr. Trump do it? I honestly don’t know. Do I want Mr. Trump to do it? Absolutely.