So, What's the Problem?

“We need a good old case of salvation to put the love of God in our souls. We need a whole lot more of Jesus and a lot less rock and roll…” We Need a Whole Lot More of Jesus…Wayne Raney… MAGA, evangelicals, and main street conservatives should be all smiles, they got 51% of the vote and control of (albeit by a razor thin majority) the Presidency, the Senate, and the House. Their cult leader is back in charge, he hasn’t even been sworn in yet, and he’s already acting like he's president. So, what’s the problem? Things went along fine for about 15 minutes ‘til Trump and his bagman, Elon Musk, got mixed up about who’s actually the elected president. For everyone who thought a more mature Trump would show up, the first few days haven’t looked like a united well-oiled machine. Trump wanted to raise the debt ceiling or eliminate it, but the adults in the room defied him, said no, not today, we’ll do a short-term fix and then discuss it in the new session. Elon Musk got involved, wasn’t on the same page, and it led to embarrassment for Trump. Elon Musk, the richest man in the world is a polarizing figure. Half the world views him as a visionary, who thinks decades ahead of the rest of us and the other half thinks he’s a pasty-faced weirdo who was good at math in high school but couldn’t get a date because the girls thought he was creepy. Creepy or not, he donated $277 million to Trump’s campaign and that buys you a seat at the table. In the movie, Four Christmases, Robert Duval says to his son, “…the one you fight with the most is the one most like you…” It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to see where this is headed- two wealthy men with huge egos who crave center stage, demand constant attention and adoration, and don’t welcome advice or counsel. The Oval Office doesn’t have room for both, and this relationship has a “sell by” date stamped on it. Elon Musk isn’t Trump’s only potential problem, he has his MAGA base to think about, they were fed a laundry list of promises and aren’t known for their patience. Trump was elected on three issues—immigration, cost of living, and crime. Immigration is the quickest way to make a splash as a new president. You’ve already shot your mouth off about deporting millions your first day in office which everybody knows is unrealistic. So, shut up (good luck with that), go for quality over quantity. Law Enforcement and Border Protection have intelligence info that would allow for the arrest and rapid deportation of hundreds, maybe up to a thousand people here illegally who are cartel members, gang members, on the terror watch list, have a felony record in their native country, or a felony arrest since they’ve been in this country- go for quality not quantity, declare a victory and move on to grocery prices and street crime. Trump has two years until a midterm election, he’s made a truckload of promises and the swing voters who voted for him in November can be fickle. If he gets bogged down on pursuing political enemies or re-living old grievances instead of concentrating on those core issues, he could have trouble….