Opinion: Defining success with Trump

President Donald Trump has reached his 50th day in office. To some, it seems like those 50 days have taken years to pass.

In his first 50 days, Trump has signed 34 executive orders, including 2 attempts at implementing his very controversial travel ban. Last week, Republicans released their Trump-backed plan for an Affordable Care Act replacement, named the American Health Care Act (AHCA) — which has been roundly criticized by healthcare experts, doctors, nurses, hospital groups and lawmakers — including some republicans who believe it is “Obamacare-lite.”

If AHCA passes, a shift in who gets more help in paying for insurance — from an income-based system to an age-based one—will leave many young, low-income people with a larger financial burden for healthcare.

Also in AHCA is the elimination of a tax that primarily targets wealthier people in the country, which is projected to bring in over $340 billion in tax revenue.

But if the AHCA passes, that is a victory for Trump. Let me assume for a second that the plan is bad for American people at large. Is that a success?

For Donald Trump and his agenda, yes — he got what he wanted. But what about the American people?

If we look at what experts are saying, it is a massive failure. There is a conflict of interest in Trump and select Republicans’ hopes and the needs of the American people, leading me to hit my knees and pray that it doesn’t pass.

Let’s look at a different issue: infrastructure. Last week, Trump began mapping out his plan for a $1 trillion, nationwide infrastructure project to improve the D-plus rating the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the U.S.

If this works, and projects are started and successfully finished, that would mean an influx of construction jobs on top of an overall improvement to city structures and systems. That’s a win for Donald Trump and a win for the people.

I often hear people who oppose Donald Trump say that they want him to fail miserably so that he has no chance for re-election. I get that line of thinking — I make no secret of my feelings about the president—but there must be a distinction on what a failure is.

I hope the AHCA fails. I hope his immigration ban gets stricken down. I hope he fails in his attempts to help the rich and further oppress women, LGBT people and the rest.

On the other hand, I hope his infrastructure plan works. I hope he becomes a better diplomat and does not alienate our allies. I hope he keeps all the people of this country safe.

In the end, I want to see this nation succeed. Sometimes, that means Trump lands in the win column. Other times, he will take a big hit loss and the nation will be better off.

Each issue is going to be different, meaning that while Trump is president we all have to examine each issue and decide whether we need to root for him or not.

There is never a one-size-fits-all response to Trump’s various plans — thinking like that is the worst of partisan politics. If you care about this country, root for its well-being, regardless of Trump.

Nicholas Hunter is a columnist, contact him at [email protected].