Donald Trump is a difficult man to understand, to say the least. He says controversial things, is a stranger to political correctness and yet his actions steer towards patriotism and conservatism.

Truthfully, as conservatives, we reject and abhor the cult of the individual. We believe in the sanctity of life, in the paramount freedoms of thought, speech and religion and in the purity and sacredness of family, country, tradition and history. Quite often, conservatives are left alone in defense of these values.  Many times they feel bullied, excluded, unwanted guests in their own countries by the media, the left, the so-called woke mobs and even right-wing politicians, who desperately seek inclusion in elite circles. 

In this context, most conservatives see Donald Trump as the protector and champion of these beliefs. They rise to the defense of someone who finally stood up for them. Without understanding the deep chasm between the common people and the elites, it is impossible to comprehend the rise of Donald Trump and the devotion of his supporters around the globe. Yet, the establishment refuses to grasp this reality. They detest those who are not obedient. Hence, Donald Trump did not divide Americans. He was a defense mechanism of the common people in an environment of deep divisions and cultural conflicts.

In a rarity in national politics, President Trump does not leave a legacy merely to his own people, but to the entire world. On a planet where everyone does their best to mingle, hide their differences, erase their personalities, and forget about individuality, Donald Trump reminded us that our uniqueness, our identity, our nation, our community and most importantly our history and family are what make us special, giving hope that every individual can determine his own destiny. He urged everyone to reject dependence on government, unleash the potential within and live, think, and act freely. If an individual knows where he comes from, his strengths and advantages, he can go far. That takes away the power from the politicians and special interests and gives it to the individual. That is why Donald Trump is today the most attacked person on Earth.

President Trump gave the example of putting the nation first. His doctrine holds that if one cannot care about his family, community, and country, then he cannot help his neighbor – a logical assumption. Thus, Trump’s advice was for each country to look inwards first, strengthen itself, help increase the prosperity of its people and then cooperate with the other nations in rising to the challenges of our century. America First he said on more than one occasion, does not mean America alone.

For nations that suffered under communist regimes, where the individual was destroyed, the Trump model is of vital importance. In Albania -- the country where I come from -- the communist dictator and his co-criminals tried, and in many cases succeeded, in deforming the historical, cultural, and individual memory of the people, in an endeavor to create soulless men, part of the herd, incapable of reacting to corruption.

Donald Trump, through his sometimes harsh rhetoric and necessary political incorrectness, warned precisely against this. He rose as a mechanism of defense for the common people against cancel culture, mob rule, high taxes, the revision of history, collectivism, socialism and a globalism that leads to the annihilation of the individual, of the family and of small communities and businesses. He inspired millions in Europe and the U.S. to follow his lead. These modern conservatives reject violence, including endless wars and dangerous radical mobs, pursue supply-side economic policies, advocate for stronger national defense, and encourage freedom of thought, religion, and life. Having won the moral and logical arguments, they seek to stand up in front of an ever-aggressive and totalitarian left.

Trump exposed the left’s violent actions and hypocritical rhetoric. Since the day after his inauguration, members of the Democratic Party pushed for impeachment and harassment of Trump officials. Members of the Obama administration used illegal warrants to spy on the Trump campaign and pursued a witch-hunt using the now-discredited Steele dossier. The media in the U.S. and Europe showed how partisan and dishonest it is. The Establishment and the Media worked together to undermine the 45^th President and remove him from office, through a farce impeachment, riots, looting, and murders by the Antifa and BLM mobs throughout the 2020 summer, and a disgraceful coverage of the election, all because he had threatened their power and influence.

Post-November reports showed that the media’s and Big Tech’s interference had influenced the outcome of the election. The hypocrisy reached new highs when the President and the Republicans in Congress raised doubts about the honesty and transparency of the electoral process. The same people who spent four years of parroting the lies of Russian collusion and interference in the 2016 elections, the same politicians who endorsed the objection of electoral votes in 2001, 2005, and 2016, now branded as traitors anyone who dared speak of the same issues. Donald Trump did not defeat the Swamp. Yet, he exposed its rot for everyone to see.

Trump’s legacy includes standing up to China, pushing other world leaders to form a coalition against the Asian dragon’s attempt for world domination. His decoupling goal is a painful but necessary policy. The Chinese Communist Party does not deal in good faith, does not hold up its end of agreements, mistreats its own people and is responsible for stealing around 70% of software from the U.S., at a cost estimated to be $600 billion.

Moreover, according to the U.S. Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, “Beijing intends to dominate the U.S. and the rest of the planet economically, militarily and technologically.” The West was wholly unprepared regarding China’s expansionary goals. Yet Trump, through his rhetoric and actions, was the only world leader to do something about it. Four years after his election, we live in a totally changed world, one in which the Chinese threat is viewed entirely differently.

In addition, he is the first U.S. president in more than three decades who has not started a new war. His foreign policy accomplishments include peace agreements in the Middle East between Israel and Arab countries, most notably the United Arab Emirates. He moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, something every president before him had promised. Trump eradicated the Islamic State and authorized the assassination of terrorists such as ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi and Qasem Soleimani. Trump has placed sanctions on communist regimes and vowed that the U.S. will never become a socialist country, becoming the first President since Reagan to actively denounce the scourge of communism.  Today, the world is a safer place thanks to President Trump.

Furthermore, Donald Trump has proved that supply-side, capitalistic policies work, providing a blueprint for every nation to follow, by restoring American economic superiority. He cut taxes for individuals and businesses. Both consumer and business confidence reached record highs. Because of the President’s policies, in 2019, the median household income grew by 6.8%, which, as the Wall Street Journal noted, is the largest annual increase on record. America gained seven million new jobs -- more than three times government experts’ projections. Middle-class family income increased nearly $6,000 -- more than five times the gains during the entire previous administration. Median household incomes rose most among Hispanics (7.1%), blacks (7.9%), Asians (10.6%) and foreign-born workers (8.5%). For whites, the increase was 5.7%, while for native-born Americans 6.2%. Overall, poverty rates during the first term fell to a 17-year low.

Lastly, through his judicial appointments, President Trump has strengthened the fundamentals on which the United States is built on: equality under the law, equality of opportunities, safety, and freedom of expression.

According to an October 2020 Gallup poll, 56% of Americans said they were better off compared to four years ago, showing that America is stronger. This helps the entire world because a stronger U.S. means a stronger West. It is in the interest of every freedom lover in the world that the balance of power remains in the West in front of Russian, Chinese and Iranian aggression.

Conservatives around the world should be proud of these achievements. Donald Trump’s four years in office are the perfect model of how to build up a nation and lead it to prosperity. Not every President can make a lasting influence in the world. Donald Trump’s triumphant doctrine will be his true legacy in the history books.

Image: Gage Skidmore