How do we build a better future for America? Is it better education? More opportunities for minorities and the poor? Reviving the American Dream? What about on a more individual scale? Some changes that LM students would like to see implemented are: “[Decreasing] the price of medications since both my parents constantly have to get things from the pharmacy,” “more gun control and laws,” and “[protecting] womens’ safety and [keeping] abortion legal,” said Ari Sandler ’27 and Walker Pennington ’26, as well as Stella Sommer ’27 and Chloe Jarbah ’27 respectively.
I think we can all agree that the future of the US starts with building up this generation, Gen Z, and giving us opportunities to have successful and impactful careers. At the base of our future must lie a strong economy that benefits all classes to provide us the most opportunity to achieve, and former President Donald Trump can get that done for us.
In Former President Trump’s first term, Investopedia explained how the Trump tax cuts benefited middle class America by dropping the income tax rates by 3 percent. Along with the distribution of his child tax credits, it made families more economically stable. Additionally, Investopedia data shows that the average year-over-year inflation was 1.9 percent under Trump’s presidency, with the lowest month, May 2020, having only 0.2 percent inflation. Compare that to the Biden-Harris administration, where the year-over-year average is 5.1 percent and inflation reached its highest levels in forty years. I’m sure you or your parents have noticed how much gas prices have risen and how expensive it is to invest in a new car or home. Inflation has hit these areas the hardest over the past four years, but during Trump’s presidency, the average gas price was $2.57, and from Forbes’ data, the thirty year fixed mortgage rate dropped to the lowest levels in U.S. housing market history, at 2.65 percent. It was even more affordable to buy a house, with the average price during the Biden-Harris administration being over $50,000 more on Redfin and Zillow, two major real estate agencies, than during the Trump administration.
Another thing Trump did to benefit the future of the US, and will undoubtedly do again is economically improve the lives of minorities. According to Trump’s website, the median income for minority groups in America increased during his administration compared to Biden-Harris, as “under President Trump, Black Americans saw a 9.2 percent increase ($4,540)—nearly twice as high as the increase under Kamala ($2,650)” and “Hispanic Americans saw an 11.7 percent increase ($6,960)—ten times higher than the increase under Kamala ($700).” These increases were seen in Asian American communities as well. Another thing he did to benefit the Black-American population, according to the White House Archives, was to sign an executive order granting $255 million dollars annually to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Clearly, Trump has proven that he can and will again give great economic opportunities to the minorities of the US. As seen from polls on 538, an ABC news website that focuses on polls surrounding the major US elections, Trump has gained support from African Americans and Hispanics—because they know Trump will produce these economic benefits again. Trump even managed to lift 1.6 million Hispanics, 1.1 million African Americans, and 450,000 Asian Americans out of poverty. Compared to the current administration’s 760,000 in total being lifted out of poverty, Trump clearly did a better job. A second Trump term would continue to benefit all groups and give us a strong economy, as our generation nears attending college, finding jobs, and buying homes.
National security is another important issue; without a safe and secure nation, our country as a whole can’t grow toward a prosperous future in terms of strength and stability. Under Trump’s presidency, the US boasted a very secure and strong border, while under the Biden-Harris administration, eight million illegal aliens flooded into this country, with over 425,000 of those being convicted criminals, according to ICE data. That same data also revealed that over 15,000 of those people were rapists and 13,000 of them were convicted of homicide, which poses a huge security risk. The Migration Policy Institute also states that the former president worked with Congress to instate the RAISE act, which cut down on the number of families being able to enter by over 1 million people. In contrast, the current administration has allowed more to enter the nation freely with the “Catch and Release” policy, where illegals that are apprehended at the border are taken into border patrol custody, and released without being charged. This means illegal aliens are able to roam anywhere they want in this country. The magnitude of this issue cannot be understated. Think of Laken Riley, the 22 year old nursing student murdered by an illegal immigrant. These atrocities must stop. Trump’s record is much better, as he harshly punished those who didn’t take the legal path to citizenship and deported many illegal immigrants back to their country of origin. Nearly one fourth the amount of immigrants crossed into our country illegally and FBI records reported lower amounts of crime during his presidency as opposed to during the Biden-Harris administration. Furthermore, Trump is endorsed by police groups and the border patrol because they observe the border crisis firsthand and know Trump is the best choice to secure our southern border.
Now, critics of Donald Trump have often portrayed him as an extremist. On the issue of abortion, for instance, the media has been promoting the idea that Trump will ban abortion nationwide with no exceptions for rape, incest, or life of the mother, but this is false. At the ABC presidential debate on September 10th, 2024, Trump stated, “as far as the abortion ban, no, I’m not in favor of [an] abortion ban.” Trump also explained that he will allow the states to continue to make their own laws on abortion, meaning there will always be places in the country where you can get an abortion without it being illegal. Additionally, Trump vows to make sure the women of the US are safe and protected by his presidency. The White House Archives explain that he created the Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security, which gives women more opportunities in economics, lead roles in jobs, and equal access for government and private assistance programs. He truly cares about the American people, especially American women.
It is evident that Trump is the right man for the job to create a flourishing future for these great United States. Even if you don’t like Trump as a person, that doesn’t mean that he won’t do good for you. Trump is far from the extremist the media portrays him as. With the Trump-Vance ticket giving us an economy that benefits all, a secure border, keeping the abortion rights women have right now, and improving their safety, the US will have a strong and promising future.