While many Democrats try to manacle Donald J. Trump to Project 2025, which he has disavowed, a more fair evaluation of his plans is the GOP national platform, which was tailored to his taste and ideas. You can read it here, and I hope you do. It is not long and it is simple to understand, with a Trumpian tone to it. Some of it sounds like it was written by Trump himself.
Most of you won’t read it. I know that.
If you are wearing a MAGA hat, you don’t care what it says. It doesn’t matter. You know how you are voting (and you will be voting on a paper ballot, only on election Tuesday, if the platform gets its way.)
If you are a “never Trump” person, you also don’t care what it says. You are voting against him, no matter what.
Many with Trumphobia say it doesn’t matter what it says because Trump has earned a Gold Medal in lying, exaggeration, and distortion.
And that is true.
It is also true that platforms, even the Democrats, are whimsical road maps of the party’s values, not necessarily a guarantee of where governing will go.
It creates a record by which the President can be judged.
So, as usual, Your Favorite Columnist relieves you of the tedious and boring chores, and has read the GOP platform.
One final word about Project 2025, coming on Friday in an email from the Democratic National Committee:
We know why Trump is dodging: Trump is afraid to debate because he’s hiding from his toxic Project 2025 agenda. The agenda is deeply unpopular with voters, who don’t see draconian abortion bans, higher taxes, and weakened American democracy as a winning platform.
First, he is “afraid” to debate Kamala Harris? But he was not afraid to show up at the National Association of Black Journalists, where he knew he would be welcome as a pig roast at a kosher picnic. [Update: Trump agreed to debate Harris on Sept. 4.]
Second, while Project 2025 may be “toxic” to some, it is not “his.”
Third, most voters don’t have a clue what’s in it. But I helped a little.
Now, here is my nonpartisan report.
Not surprisingly, the platform is long on what it will do, short on how it will do it.
It puts China in a negative light several times, but never mentions Russia. Or Ukraine.
It did mention, and supports, Israel.
Hot button issues: Illegal immigration gets a good working over, while abortion is skimmed over.
Under immigration, the platform promises to build a fence along the border, will supplement the fence with high tech, and with troops, and will deport millions of illegals.
These points are made numerous times.
Abortion? Just one paragraph, opposing “late term abortion,” while endorsing access to birth control and IVF (fertility treatments.)
This is big. In the past, the GOP wanted a national ban on abortion. Now, it’s leave it to the states, which is Trump’s position.
An overview of the rest:
End inflation largely by expanding fossil fuel production, and reducing government regulation. This will grow the economy, create jobs, lower costs, and make housing affordable.
It pledges no cuts to Social Security, and Medicare, with no changes to the retirement age. Trump has said this many times on the stump. Trump’s idea to remove tax on Social Security benefits came up after the platform was passed.
The GOP will expand military spending, creating peace through strength, which echoes Ronald Reagan.
The borders will be tightened and will employ “extreme vetting” of immigrants. The aim is “to keep foreign, Christian-hating communists, Marxists, and socialists out of America.”
They also want to defund Sanctuary Cities, but the last time that was tried, it failed.
The GOP will make tax cuts permanent, remove taxes on tips, but add tariffs to many foreign goods, reversing decades of Republican adherence to free trade.
“Election integrity” will be guaranteed by voter ID, “highly sophisticated paper ballots,” proof of citizenship, and same -day voting.
Under education, shut down the Department of Education, making that a state issue. Republicans favor vouchers, endorsing American values, empowering parents, and spurring “alternatives to a traditional four-year college degree,” without specifying what that means.
No more CRT and “gender indoctrination.”
The platform promises to rebuild and beautify our cities, take care of veterans, combat anti-Semitism, honor American history, stop woke, defend religious liberty, and freedom of speech.
That’s it.
And if your comment is going to be, “They can say anything, but they can’t be trusted,” save your breath. That can be said about any political platform.
All I can say is when I look at the past 4 years under Democratic leadership and I look at the prior 4 years under Republican leadership, I know how I am voting. Donald Trump is the better choice. You have 2 choices in November please vote smart.
A California democrat will only damage this country. Reparations are on the democrats agenda. That is insane as is gender confusion. Dems have lost their mind.
When you contrast the GOP platform with the DNC’s abortion at all times; free flow of unknown, unvented people through our borders; forced EVs and hideous turbines just off our beaches; unqualified Secret Service and airline employees because they check an identity box; appeasement of terror groups and accusations of terror only of radical right-wing groups (radical left-wingers are OK), and a blatant double standard of justice, Republican candidates make the most sense. And naturally, that includes Trump.
I will vote and encourage others to do so. But I think we have passed the point of no return. We have become so “weird” that the word no longer has meaning.
AGREE 1000 PERCENT.
Forget party, forget race, forget gender, and try to remember ONE thing: interest on the national debt now consumes HALF of the revenues brought in with taxes. The debt costs more to service than Social Security. The nation teeters on financial catastrophe, and no one seems to notice or care. Once the government printing presses start churning out trillions of decreasingly valuable paper dollars, hyperinflation will follow. It has happened over and over and it WILL happen again. Donald Trump? Kamala Harris? It doesn’t matter who will win the next election; financial disaster WILL follow. We have Brobdingnagian problems, and the Lilliputians are in charge.
By expanding our fossil fuel production we can decrease our debt and do it fast. Lower inflation and interest will quickly follow. Our country and the world would have been so much better off if Trump had been reelected. Hopefully the people realize the great mistake they made and will do what’s best for the country.
After reading the five comments so far, I’m just going to stick to topic. I’ve found in my 50+ years of following politics fairly closely, party platforms are pretty meaningless. I’ve learned to totally ignore them. Some of it is just put in there to excite and/or placate the extreme elements of both parties; some of it just for practical reasons. But once an official is elected, they will do as they believe is in the best interests of the country. And no, since I’ve disliked and distrusted Donald Trump since he screwed contractors (my neighbors and friends) in 1980 during the AC casino building years, I will not ever, in any universe, vote for this dishonest, lying, narcissistic example of a human being. Guess I didn’t do so well at sticking to topic.
How naive, to say politicians ‘do as they believe is in the best interests of the country.’ Is it in the ‘best interests of the country’ to open our borders to millions of illegal aliens? Pols, once elected, do what they can to line their pockets and secure their power. A pox on all of them.
Well, Vince, if Trump had not shut down the bipartisan border bill to serve his own political purposes, things at the border would be much better by now, tho they have already improved quite a bit. So ya might wanna consider that in November. But you won’t because you have also been indoctrinated by 40 years of Faux “News.” Bevl better.
Right, the border bill from February 2024. 3 years into open open borders. That would have solved everything. Another outstanding comment, freeze.
OMG, what is wrong with your readers??? No democrat ever advocated for abortion at all times and late term abortions are a political term . It is promoted by the same GOP nitwits who tried to pass a law mandating that ectopic pregnancy be transplanted into the uterus—btw it’s not a thing. Nor is abortion advocated or allowed in all states past the state of viability UNLESS THE LIFE OF THE MOTHER IS AT RISK OR THE FETUS WILL NOT SURVIVE. As far as the rest of the points – in what ways h have the Democrats made this country worse? More diversity? The stock market is doing just fine thank you. Infrastructure? Your mango menace never came close. Deficit? Who lowered taxes on the Uber rich? I could go on but it’s a waste of time!
If you think the country hasn’t gotten worse you must be insane. High inflation, high interest rates, wars ,open borders , crime. It’s right in front of your face. What can’t you see. And while I’m at it. Do you think women should be able to murder as many babies as they want?
Daniel is a victim of extreme propaganda over decades from Faux “News” and from the church. Daniel can no longer tell what is real and what is fantasy. Don’t be like Daniel.
I am the victim of common sense and knowing right from wrong. And the religious belief’s I was raised with helped shape my value system. I don’t know how you were raised but I think your parents did a terrible job.
What gives you the right to comment on what type of parenting a person recieved without knowing the person? Typical Trumpian comment that has nothing to do with the topic.
I can comment on anything I want. Reading what Freeze has posted over time I have established that Freeze is a hateful imbecile much like you if you agree with him.
Yes. I don’t bother to discuss anything with Daniel. It’s pointless. He thinks that a president is responsible for worldwide inflation. My 10 year old grandkid knows better. He won’t refute a fact based argument, just babbles Fox propaganda.
Is that all you baby killing anti Americans have. The constant Fox News rant.
Yep he’s an idiot. Just like Trump!
Believe it or not, I’ve always tried to understand the difference of an opinion that differed from mine, and I admit to being thick-headed. That said, the one thing that I’ll never understand, and I’ve actually given up on it, is this: In regard to this abortion issue that seems to have rabid lunacy on both sides of the issue, why is it that the Democrats are so cavalier, so seemingly uncaring, so shallow-hearted concerning the innocent fetus, yet when it comes to the Death Penalty and some cop-killer, child-rapist, any murdering, sociopathic piece-of-shit, they become so compassionate, so protective, so sympathetic? Bipolar? Manic depression? Or is it merely simple insanity?
If you knew anything about pro choice people, you would know that we are far more compassionate than the other side who is fine with letting women with non viable pregnancies like ectopic, like premature rupture of membranes, like eclampsia DIE.
Doesn’t even come close to an explanation, and it’s not that you owe me one. I see “far more compassionate” than the other side when it comes to cop-murdering animals such as Abdul-Jamal and of that same ilk, but ZERO compassion for the living fetus. I get the feeling that you unbalanced zealots aren’t even interested in birth control, other than abortion. That’s careless and immoral. That’s the type of women that if you’re sharing a bed with, you’d better be sleeping with one eye open. I know all I need to know about pro-choice people, thank you.
Also, it should be noted that Trump did NOT “agree to a debate.” Instead, he has refused to participate in the debate under terms already agreed upon. Instead, he is demanding that he control the terms of a different debate, which must be held on Faux “News” in front of a hand-picked audience of his minions. This is not an “agreement to debate.” This is an orange person being a pussy. He is scared to debate Harris unless he can use the event to simply spew more bullshit in the absence of fact checking. And he may kindly go fuck himself.
You are proving to the world that you are a product of bad upbringing.
No, Freeze. He agreed to debate BIDEN and since Biden is gone, that deal died. Instead, he is offering to debate Harris on Fox, after HAVING DEBATED Biden on hostile CNN, Under terms that disadvantaged him. The “he’s afraid” is a stupid talking point, after he showed up at NABJ.
Fox Anchor Bret Baier is as fair as they come, and Martha McCaullum is fine, too, so stop the Faux News crap. The last time Fox hosted, there were NO complaints about fairness, as fair as I recall.
As you know, I tru to be fair to both sides. And, right NOW, Harris is ducking the debate. (I predict she will do it. She better. Shes already said she’s dying for him to “say it to my face.”)
Thank you for your balanced telling of the basic RNC platform.
We need to vote for a Commander in Chief in a tumultuous world to protect and to strengthen the USA, not as the Democrats seem to want us to vote for a high school class president because she is female, incoherent and has two “diverse” parents.
Protect and strengthen the USA, or waste ones vote on irrelevant leadership characteristic?
Gardner, you said “Protect and strengthen the USA, or waste ones vote on irrelevant leadership characteristic?”
I agree with that one sentence. That is why I will not waste my vote on that orange-skinned POC and his little b-boy.
Thanks for putting uninformed Freeze in his place. I wish he would get all the hate out of his system so he could think rationally.
Danny-boy, you will not ever be as well informed and rational as freeze.
Freeze proves you wrong every time he post something. Just look what he wrote in this link. Just goes to show how stupid you are.
Stu, did you ban Judah? I am asking because it appears they have not been here in a while.
After being warned not to, he repeated a lie about me. I marked that, and his other posts, as spam. That may have led to him being blocked. I did not do anything more active than that, but was prepared to delete any future comments. It seems I will not have to. Good riddance.
Stu, I feel you are completely wrong this time. There are a few people here, Daniel being one of them, that you allow to continually lie and then browbeat all who don’t agree with them. Yet you do nothing other than verbal threats.
In my opinion, Stu, something is very wrong here. It does not pass the smell test as far as I am concerned.
Hey Bogart! I agree that Daniel should go. He contributes nothing to any discussion and like Trump he does not address fact based challenges, choosing instead to insult us and spew the same MAGAt propaganda points. He even insults Stu. The man is just sad and full of hatred and resentment, much like his orange hero. Even Anthony – remember him? – would try to counter an argument with an argument. He was often wrong, but never mean spirited or oozing with hatred.
Wanda, for the longest time I have noticed some peculiar irregularities concerning Daniel and others. This has caused me to wonder what might be going on.
To continue, Wanda, Stu banning Judah so quickly while allowing Daniel to continue spewing his venomous crap has made me wonder about a number of things I have seen her and ignored.
To reiterate: There was nothing sudden about my action, he had been warned many times.
Anyone here can lie or be misinformed. Judah lied about ME and cast aspersions on my honesty on my own page, quite different from Daniel’s name-calling.
I don’t lie. I don’t cheat. I don’t plagiarize.
I can take a LOT of abuse, but when you attack my character, I strike back. Ask Inga Saffron.
I think you guys suffer from Daniel derangement syndrome 😆
I explained the difference about Daniel’s name-calling to Bogart. I refer you to that.
As to Daniel, I simply ignore him. I don’t believe in banning or canceling, but there exceptions to every rule. Judah was one.
You can believe anything you want. I explained it to you in a different post. I won’t repeat it here.
I did not ask you to repeat it Stu.
You did not seem to understand it the first time.
Please point out to me where I said I did not understand what you said. I just re-read the last posts that were made here and I do not see anything I said that would make you think I did not understand your explanation.
I liked just about every Trump policy (and result) and disliked much of his bluster. The real threat to democracy comes from Democrats who will never explain why they launched the illegal border invasion, flaunt SCOTUS decisions to forgive student loans, rely on DEI to harvest racial identity votes and nourish a monstrous bureaucracy that is sucking the lifeblood of this nation and sentencing our grandchildren to a drastically low standard of living. Remember how Trump ditched the lock her up movement? Compare that with the outrageous and racially-reinforced vendetta weaponizing Justice against Trump. A vendetta created by the greasy Biden family that would be indicted by a real Justice department. Obama still calling the shots to bring us down many rungs while he and Michelle are enriched with no scrutiny by the M5M.
I could never have said it as well as you have. Excellent!
Thank you.
I’m loving the Kamala commercials talking about how ‘fearless’ she is, and how she put criminals in jail in California. What a hoot! Those illegals she turned loose killed some US citizens. It matters not: the American Left voter is basically clueless and will vote for her anyway. This election is the two-door special: damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
Those commercials are usually preceded or followed by commercials that paint her worse than a rabid rat.
Bottom line:
The GOPinheads and Project 2025 have but one goal: To turn the U.S. into a Christian caliphate–a Jesus-based version of Taliban/ISIS. It and the republicancers must be terminated (politically speaking) with extreme prejudice. Anyone who disagrees hates America. Period. End of story.
🎯