President Trump promised to unite us, repeating several times that he inherited a divided nation.  True enough.  His predecessor had presented himself also as the one not only to stop the oceans from rising, but to unite us into one America, as spoken of in his speeches at the time of his debut on the national scene.  Eight years later, we know that the opposite was the result.  Racially, the division deepened as President Obama's first attorney general, Eric Holder, lined up with "his people."  Obama invariably sided against law enforcement if the so-called victims were black.  Politically, his "blame America" rhetoric did not sit well with hardworking, patriotic Americans.  Their resentment was expressed to the Democrats on November 8.  Donald Trump inherited and owns this divide and says he'll fix it.

Protests by women, students and teachers, immigrants, athletes, and artists are increasing.  Their demonstrations against Trump and his policies are becoming more vocal and at times have been violent.  But Donald Trump is not a leader; he has never been a leader.  He is boss.  A boss cannot unite; only a leader can.  This was also true with Obama; he was not a leader, but a community organizer.

The difference between a boss and a leader is huge.  Tito was the boss of Yugoslavia before it fractured beyond repair; Winston Churchill was a leader of his nation and much of the free world in WWII.  Donald Trump became a boss rather than a leader because it worked for him.  He was always his own role model.  Becoming successful in business as a boss, he found no need to acquire leadership abilities.  Leadership also requires additional skills, such as diplomacy, something Trump demonstrated a distinct lack of in his interactions with the other Republican primary candidates.  Good leadership demands veracity and consistency in words and actions that will inspire and motivate people.  Boss Trump in his business dealings could ignore these attributes as long as he made money.  The lack of veracity and consistency in a president leads to confusion and chaos.

The divide in this nation that President Trump promises to heal is immense.  Healing the racial issues, the black and white divide, is vital for the well-being of our country.  Economic inequality, the difference between the rich and poor, has always been with us, but now the entitlement mentality is like a painful boil that needs to be lanced.  The political split between Democrats and Republicans on immigration, taxation, and health care alone would strain Solomon on his best day.  The religious freedom issue will not go away by itself.  Judicial appointments, with Trump making a great start with his first SCOTUS nomination, only reveals the siege mentality of the opposing party.  And that is just the beginning.

President Trump's promises to unite this country are genuine.  He is not a bigot, and for all of his personal shortcomings, he was elected to serve the next four years as our president.  Unfortunately, a large number in the opposing party and others cannot accept that fact and demonstrate their displeasure in ways that penetrate Trump's thin skin, thereby further promoting the split.  Tweeting insults back does not help the cause of unity.  Being boss all of his adult life has not prepared him to lead our diverse nation. 

Donald Trump's apprenticeship for presidency ended on the same day as he took the oath of office.  With a boss at the helm, it is going to be rough sailing for the foreseeable future.