Trump’s triumphant first year in office

When you have a president who has toiled in the rings of the World Wrestling Federation and on top-rated reality TV, you know the upcoming State of the Union Address will surely have some surprises and some drama. But there also isn’t much mystery about what President Trump’s first State of the Union Address will focus on.

Dare I say, winning?

{mosads}The speech will, and should, begin with a triumphant recitation of his first year successes because, by any measurement, it was a very good first year. Between gritted teeth and intermittent wails, even many of his enemies have grudgingly admitted that his list of accomplishments was impressive.

Throw in the nonstop assault of many in the mainstream media, a lot of stepping on his own message and the albatross of an illegitimate Russia investigation, and Trump’s accomplishments become that much more impressive.

It started with his nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, and despite a major set back on health-care reform, his accomplishments added up as the year went on.

Twelve circuit court judges confirmed, ISIS in the midst of being crushed, his rolling back or delaying of over 1,500 regulations, and the passage of a major tax reform bill which also ended the ObamaCare individual mandate. By even Heritage’s estimation, Trump’s first year exceeded Reagan’s, and that’s saying something.

The theme and message of Trump’s campaign and his presidency has been, “We choose not to decline, we choose to be great.” His actions are a repudiation of the idea that we must manage America’s decline, that it is somehow wrong for America to assert itself on the international stage. So we will hear a State of the Union speech that lays out a hopeful vision for the future, one that is not about decline but about exceptionalism for all Americans.

With the biggest tax cut and reform in American history fueling an economic boom, even the likes of Jamie Dimon think there will be 4 percent growth. Trump’s policies are just beginning to work for America.

In the first month of the tax bill being passed, many companies have given bonuses, or pay increases or increases in 401k plans to millions of workers. Trump should remind those listening that he will now work to make both the individual and small business tax rates permanent, to give back to the American people the money that is rightfully theirs.

He’ll lay out his vision for a trillion dollar infrastructure plan that will create jobs, improve productivity, and help America compete globally. Imagine a country not with decaying infrastructure, but the big beautiful bridges and roads that Trump speaks of, and inner cities revitalized.  

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You can bet Trump will also highlight his legislative plan to eliminate bureaucratic permitting delays, focus on rural needs, and give federal taxpayers a better return on their tax dollars being spent by the federal government.

Trump will also address immigration, one of the more sensitive subjects in politics today. He full intends to help the 690,000 DACA-Dreamers gain immediate legal status and help put them on to a path of citizenship.  

But he will make it very clear that a DACA-Dreamer deal will only take place if we also enact permanent reforms of our immigration and border security policies, from full funding for and the building of a wall to ending chain migration and the visa lottery to enacting merit-based immigration reform.  

Our immigration system is broken, but now is the time for a reset on it, to fix it so that moving forward the issues of DACA or immigration are not used for political gain and that we can have a properly functioning immigration system so that we can be a vibrant and healthier society.

Part of the vision for America that Trump will lay out is that, from now on, our trade deals will be fair and reciprocal. With American running a $750 billion trade deficit annually, roughly half of which is with China, Trump has made it very clear that he will not allow trade deals that hurt the American worker and U.S. companies.

While some scoff at his “America First” agenda on the international stage, at least Trump is being honest about putting America first. While many international leaders pretend that there is some global kumbaya moment, every leader of every nation is constantly working to put his or her nation’s interests first, and that is precisely — and unabashedly — what Trump is doing. 

Trump will no doubt make it clear that America’s interests in regards to national security will be accommodated on the international stage. While some bemoan his strong rhetoric with North Korea, he has made it clear that we will have clarity about our friends and our enemies and that America will not tolerate existential threats to its safety.

Instead of leading from behind, Trump is leading from the front, asserting that, in fact, while he is the president of the United States, he will do his best to protect and defend this country and its people. Because that’s what he was elected to do.

While Trump will always have his detractors, hopefully with his State of the Union speech viewers will see a man committed to America, to its people, to its workers and, most importantly, to a promising future. 

Due to his commitment, the American people are growing more confident that they will have good, well-paying jobs and they are investing in and growing our economy at a rate not seen in a decade or more. With this optimism, and the policies in place turning hopes into reality, there’s no reason to believe that America’s greatest days cannot still be in front of her.

Ned Ryun is a former presidential writer for George W. Bush and the founder and CEO of American Majority. You can find him on Twitter @nedryun.