What has President Trump's time in office done to you, personally?

[Root of Jesse]

Perception is an interesting thing.

*Note: I am in Australia, so how it's affected me personally is at more of a distance*

But how it's affected me personally is that it's created more work for me, pastorally. I've had pastoral conversations with people who have anxiety - to the point of extreme insomnia - over their perception of President Trump, and his personality. They fear war (nuclear war), they fear economic chaos and a growing culture of exploitation of those who are already economically vulnerable, they fear a lack of care for the environment, and they fear the way that (what they perceive as) an incompetent and unstable President might negatively affect the whole world.

I believe the pertinent phrase is "what they perceive as"...

And they bring all of that to me, looking for wise counsel. That's not an easy thing to respond to, because from where I'm sitting, a lot of those fears look to have some basis. So it then becomes about how we manage ourselves, how we cultivate resilience and invest in self-care and work together on positive responses, in a time of global anxiety.

So the main affect it's had on me personally is doing an awful lot of work really on basic mental health stuff, which has been triggered or exacerbated by international perception of President Trump.

Again...perception. Which is not always reality.

 

[Root of Jesse]

There may be a small percentage which have felt what you say but most who believe that things are better are feeling that euphoria from a new administration which they embrace and not from what has actually happened. At least yet.

I am of the belief that no president really creates or deletes jobs, but their policies can. The fact that many obsolete regulations are being cut, that the corporate tax burden is being reduced, and the general optimism of having a real business man in the White House is what's moving unemployment downward. Also, moving the numbers of those dependent on government subsidies like foodstamps and welfare down.

Employment numbers are a continuation of the past 7 years. Stock Market is a continuation with a bump due to investor confidence in a tax cut. etc....

Just my personal 401K, which was practically stagnant for 8 years, has gone up 25% in 2017. Steadily, not a bump at the end.

Our standing in the world has taken a huge hit due to Trump's bullying, which most all of the GOP disagrees with him on.

Actually, there are not very many GOP who disagree with the way Trump deals with the world.

I am one who surely wishes that John Kasich would have gotten the nomination.

Now that's an egomaniac. Should have gotten out of the race a lot sooner. I used to like him.

 

[rjs330]

My children are frightened of nuclear war and unchecked climate change, and racial hatred has become more visible at both the schools and where I work. Some of their friends, who have depended on CHIP, have lost services and healthcare. We've experienced loss of funding at my work (which would surprise folks, one would think that my field would thrive under a Trump administration, but since I'm a university prof, I'm in a tug of war between Trumps support for my industry and his lack of support for public universities)

Aren't public university supported by student tuition and state tax dollars? Our university had the state cut funding due to the needs of state budgets. Trump had nothing to do with it. My healthcare costs went up A LOT under Obama due to Obama care. Most folks that got healthcare under Obama care lost their ability to use it as the deductibles were so high they couldn't afford to go. They also lost the ability to choose as insurance companies bailed out due to the restrictions of Obama care.

Why are your children afraid of nuclear war? Are you blaming Trump or the North Koreans who have been developing nuclear missles and making threats long before Trump ever took office. The rise of racial hatred and divides also took place under Obama who was supposed to be the great uniter but instead he took every opportunity to promote division. Global climate change had been going in for a very long time. I remember it in the 70s. The fear mongering over it increased over the last 20 years or so and had nothing to do with Trump.

So please don't blame Trump for the stuff you mentioned. He's only been in office a year and most of this stuff has been going on for a long time before he got into office.

We can't blame Obama for the healthcare cost either. They were going up before he got into office. He tried a program and it failed. Time to move on. Can't blame Obama for nuclear problems either. He tried to appease and that didn't work either. Nuclear threats such as Iran and N Korea were going to happen no matter who was in charge.
Racial divides have been here forever. It's not Obama's fault either. I think he escalated it by his rhetoric, but it didn't start with him.

 

[rjs330]

The changes to the child tax credit will increase our tax return this year helping my family this year.

Me too!

 

[rjs330]

I assume you mean NK, and I guess you're suggesting that the way to avoid war is to engage in a urinary contest via Twitter.

I do agree that the president should stay off of Twitter. As I said in another thread he has gotten a lot of good things accomplished. He has said a lot of stupid things. If he just stuck with working to accomplish things instead of saying dumb things in Twitter it would be a lot better.

 

[DZoolander]

Right. Many just don't think they need insurance.

True, also.

 

[Yarddog]

I am of the belief that no president really creates or deletes jobs, but their policies can. The fact that many obsolete regulations are being cut, that the corporate tax burden is being reduced, and the general optimism of having a real business man in the White House is what's moving

A real business man??? Come on, Trump is not a good business man and the failure of so many of his businesses attests to that. He is a real estate man. And, most of the deregulations has more to do with paper work than anything. Others will take time to see a true result of the effect on business.

unemployment downward.

And again... unemployment has been dropping throughout the Obama administration. it has continued but nothing shows that Trump's policies had anything to do with that.

Just my personal 401K, which was practically stagnant for 8 years, has gone up 25% in 2017.

Thank Obama and the Fed. The Fed raises and lowers the rates based on employment and inflation figures. The unemployment rate has been dropping for the past 7 years and when those numbers finally got under between 4.5 and 5% the Fed looked at raising the rates. Thus, all of our savings got a kick in the heinie. Do you read the Atlantic? They have some good articles about this.

Steadily, not a bump at the end.

This had nothing to due with your interest rates. The Stock Market got a bump from the election.

Actually, there are not very many GOP who disagree with the way Trump deals with the world.

Not sure where you got that. Shoot, many of his Cabinet members disagrees with him on this.

Now that's an egomaniac. Should have gotten out of the race a lot sooner. I used to like him.

Nobody is a bigger egomaniac than Trump. Even Rocket man has less ego than Trump. LOL

 

[Root of Jesse]

I do agree that the president should stay off of Twitter. As I said in another thread he has gotten a lot of good things accomplished. He has said a lot of stupid things. If he just stuck with working to accomplish things instead of saying dumb things in Twitter it would be a lot better.

If he would get a fair shake in the media, I'd agree. And perhaps he could tone down the rhetoric, but then again, let Trump be Trump.

 

[Almost there]

I definitely "feel" freer. It's hard to nail down, but it has a lot to do with him gutting regulating agencies like the EPA. Also, I feel for the first time in a long time that the country is led by a man who wants the government to get out of my way to let me succeed.

It's a little bit like being a basketball player that feels you got rid of the refs that were members of the family of the players on the other team, and replaced them with unbiased refs. Now you can play your best and let the chips fall where they may. a

I used to say, back in the 70's that the difference between an American that lives in Queens, but never leaves, and a russian that lives in Moscow, and never leaves, is that the quality of life of the American is much higher because he believes he could leave if he wanted to.

Same thing here. It's that freedom "feeling" that increases your quality of life, even if you don't take advantage of it today.

 

[Hieronymus]

Trump gives me hope.
Hope and even faith in a change of course behind the world's stage, now that he's apparently actually cleaning the swamp.
No, you won't find any of that in the MSM, either in USA or EU.
#ReleaseTheMemo

 

[Root of Jesse]

A real business man??? Come on, Trump is not a good business man and the failure of so many of his businesses attests to that. He is a real estate man. And, most of the deregulations has more to do with paper work than anything. Others will take time to see a true result of the effect on business.

Yup. Contrary to anyone, almost anyone, in Congress, Trump has been responsible for the welfare of employees, and is very weathy. Real estate fluctuates, and sometimes you roll with the punches. Look at all the malls in the US. Many are ghost towns, whereas a few years ago, they were cash cows.
Regarding paperwork, do you realize how much paperwork increases your medical bills? It costs money for businesses to do paperwork regarding government regulation. There is a direct correlation between reducing paperwork and increasing profitability.
As I said to someone else, you realize that the Dept. of Education actually educates no one? That the Dept of Energy does nothing to create energy?

And again... unemployment has been dropping throughout the Obama administration. it has continued but nothing shows that Trump's policies had anything to do with that.

Not really. Statistically, yes, but real unemployment has done nothing but grow.

Thank Obama and the Fed. The Fed raises and lowers the rates based on employment and inflation figures. The unemployment rate has been dropping for the past 7 years and when those numbers finally got under between 4.5 and 5% the Fed looked at raising the rates. Thus, all of our savings got a kick in the heinie. Do you read the Atlantic? They have some good articles about this.

Nah, I don't waste my time. I live on the other side. Fed rates have been low for decades. But I was talking about my 401K, which is growing, as is my IRA because stocks have gone up that much since Trump got elected.

This had nothing to due with your interest rates. The Stock Market got a bump from the election.

Not a bump. A 7000 point rise in the DOW. That's about 30%.

Not sure where you got that. Shoot, many of his Cabinet members disagrees with him on this.

Because they're coming around to see his success. Besides, the buck stops with him, so why worry whether the cabinet disagrees. He listens to all sides, and goes with what works.

Nobody is a bigger egomaniac than Trump. Even Rocket man has less ego than Trump. LOL

Cow chips.

 

[Root of Jesse]

You know, you who criticize President Trump can't have it every way. You see a picture of an empty desk in the Oval Office with Trump at it, and say he's not doing anything (while pictures of Obama, Clinton, both Bushes and Reagan showed an empty desk). You claim he's very rich and is helping all his rich buddies, and yet he's not a good business man because he's had deals go bad. You say he's mentally challenged, based on newsies opinion but no doctor's examination, but when a real doctor examines him, and finds him physically and mentally sound, you want to shoot the messenger.
I have my own beefs with Trump. I would like him to follow the Constitution more. But there's a lot of good he's done. Every president has strengths and weaknesses.

 

[Paidiske]

I believe the pertinent phrase is "what they perceive as"...Again...perception. Which is not always reality.

I agree it's perception. Which may or may not approximate to reality; and specific points of reality are difficult to assess from the sources I have. (I mean, it's not like I can meet the guy and form my own assessment of him).

But it does give me pause that if there is one person in the entire world who has the resources for image management, surely it's the POTUS. So what does it say that the perception that is being formed is so universally poor? Is he a good president who just isn't managing his image? Is he a poor president whose image can't be effectively managed? Should either of those inspire confidence in his ability to manage anything else?

 

[Hieronymus]

I agree it's perception. Which may or may not approximate to reality; and specific points of reality are difficult to assess from the sources I have. (I mean, it's not like I can meet the guy and form my own assessment of him).

But it does give me pause that if there is one person in the entire world who has the resources for image management, surely it's the POTUS. So what does it say that the perception that is being formed is so universally poor?

How about the main stream media being against Trump, also here in EU.

 

[Paidiske]

How about the main stream media being against Trump, also here in EU.

It's the job of the media to hold our leaders to account. But, you know, I don't need to look at mainstream media on this. You only have to look at his tweets!

 

[Hieronymus]

It's the job of the media to hold our leaders to account.

It is the supposed job of the news media to inform the public of the news.
Not to spread fake news in order to slander the democratically elected president.

I've never seen such sore losers before as the Democrats after their defeat.

 

[Anto9us]

impeach the media

 

[Root of Jesse]

I agree it's perception. Which may or may not approximate to reality; and specific points of reality are difficult to assess from the sources I have. (I mean, it's not like I can meet the guy and form my own assessment of him).

But it does give me pause that if there is one person in the entire world who has the resources for image management, surely it's the POTUS. So what does it say that the perception that is being formed is so universally poor? Is he a good president who just isn't managing his image? Is he a poor president whose image can't be effectively managed? Should either of those inspire confidence in his ability to manage anything else?

I would have to turn this back to Obama. Lots of Americans didn't like Obama in the White House. And yes we did our share of complaining, but in reality, he did nothing to affect me, personally, except to raise my taxes and my medical insurance premiums. I never said I wanted to leave the country, I never threatened anyone that this president's policies would kill people, and in general, just kept my positive outlook because I spend a lot of time looking at the face of Jesus.
My stance is that government does nothing, really, for me, except to keep me safe(r), keep the roads safe(r), and the water clean(er).

 

[Root of Jesse]

It's the job of the media to hold our leaders to account. But, you know, I don't need to look at mainstream media on this. You only have to look at his tweets!

His tweets are mainly because he cannot get the message he wants to present out, because the media doesn't cover it. If President Trump was seen by the media walking on water, the headline would be "Trump can't swim."

 

[archer75]

I would have to turn this back to Obama. Lots of Americans didn't like Obama in the White House. And yes we did our share of complaining, but in reality, he did nothing to affect me, personally, except to raise my taxes and my medical insurance premiums. I never said I wanted to leave the country, I never threatened anyone that this president's policies would kill people, and in general, just kept my positive outlook because I spend a lot of time looking at the face of Jesus.
My stance is that government does nothing, really, for me, except to keep me safe(r), keep the roads safe(r), and the water clean(er).

But his policies did kill people. Remember his drones?