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We Are All Relieved: Trump’s Press Conference Is a Breath of Fresh Air
We are all familiar with the feeling of our muscles relaxing, our jaws unclenching, and our fists loosening after a prolonged period of stress. Watching President-Elect Donald Trump’s extensive press conference at Mar A Lago on Monday was like this for many of us.
Over the past four years, we’ve grown accustomed to the stress of watching President Joe Biden’s mental decline, just hoping he can get through public appearances without incident. We don’t really listen to what he says anymore; instead, we watch to see if his empty stare returns to his eyes.
The presser on Monday, which lasted over an hour, was a fresh start. Trump engaged in playful and informative rhetorical sparring with the press, and it felt like the sunlight of real leadership shone through after years of Biden’s cloudy term in office.
The press conference was ostensibly to announce a $100 billion investment in the US, which will create 100,000 new American jobs, courtesy of Japanese businessman Masayoshi Son, CEO of Softbank. Son said he’s optimistic about America’s economic future due to Trump’s election. It would have been enough, but Trump stuck around to answer every question the press corps had, including several the current administration struggles to address.
When a reporter asked about the mysterious giant New Jersey drones that have stumped the Biden White House, Trump responded, “The government knows what is happening. For some reason, they don’t want to comment. And I think they’d be better off saying what it is our military knows and our president knows.” This is what people have been demanding from the Biden administration, which has offered changing and confusing answers.
Trump also settled a fire surrounding his nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., assuring the public that his administration will not ban the Polio vaccine, a notion that Republican Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell has raised.
Trump said, “You’re not going to lose the Polio vaccine, it’s not going to happen… I’m a big believer in the polio vaccine.” This is a tone Americans have been longing for: a scientific approach to science, rather than relying on the medical establishment.
As the press conference concluded, Trump addressed pardoning New York City Mayor Adams, the war in Ukraine, the looming Tik Tok ban, and more. Perhaps the best moment came when a reporter asked if he would support a preemptive strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Trump’s response was classic: “Why would I say that? Can you imagine if I said yes or no? You’d say: that was strange that he answered that question. Is that a serious question? How could I answer that?” It was an incredibly stupid question, but one that reveals the farcical charade that has been the press’ relationship with the Biden administration, which would have replied with something cryptic and vague.
The gentle breeze that you hear whispering through the branches of our body politic and government is the sound of millions of Americans finally exhaling, safe in the knowledge that we once again have a president who can lead. It’s nice to be so close to having an actual and functioning president of the United States once again.
