The GOP platform, in a nut shell

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.