by Guest Contributor Kurt Meyer
New Year’s Day! A time of optimism and renewal! A time when many millions of Americans envision for themselves a better life, a brighter future! A time of renewed hope that this will be the year that we finally fulfill those resolutions that have eluded us in years past: to eat better and exercise more; to take a little less and give a little more; to be a kinder, gentler person.
Right?
Well, not for President Donald J. Trump, who has set a record, even among politicians, for the number of promises made and promises broken.
Just how many promises has our Dear Leader made and broken? Too many to count!
Still, I invite you and your family and friends to try. I offer this “Top Twenty” list—to which you can add a score or two more.
Which broken promises on my list also appear on yours? Which have I inadvertently left off? And does the broken promise topping my list also top yours?
Let’s find out. Take a look!
20. “I would like to sit down with Mueller.” (April 7, 2018)
19. “No obstruction. No collusion.” (Feb. 16, 2018)
18. “The economy will grow at 6%.” (Dec. 6, 2017)
17. “Don’t sell your house; no plants are closing down!” (Nov. 2016) I have found the magic wand for manufacturing.”] (Nov. 2018)
16. “We’re gonna save Medicare; we’re making Social Security stronger.” (Sept. 5, 2018)
15. “Trade wars are easy to win.” (March 6, 2018)
14. “ISIS has been defeated.” (Dec. 12, 2018)
13. “Mine will be bigger, I believe, than any other tax cut ever. Maybe the biggest tax cut in history!” (April 25, 2017)
12. “I’m going to drain the swamp!” (Dec. 23, 2016)
11. “My administration has accomplished more than almost any other administration in the history of our country.” (Sept. 2017)
10. “I’ll choose the best people for my administration. I only hire the best people.” (Sept. 15, 2016)
9. “I know words. I have the best words. Obama is stupid.” (Dec. 30, 2016)
8. “I’m a stable genius.” (Jan. 26, 2018)
7. “It has not been easy for me. My father gave me a small loan of a million dollars . . . and I had to pay him back with interest. I’m a self-made man.” (Sept. 2016)
6. “Mine was the biggest inauguration ever!” (Jan. 23, 2017)
5. “I’ll be the most transparent president ever!” (Dec. 20, 2016)
4. “I’ll be the most presidential president ever!” (Jul. 25, 2017)
3. “I’m going to build a big, beautiful wall, and who’s going to pay for it? Mexico!” (Oct. 28, 2015)
2. “You’re gonna be so tired of winning!” (May 20, 2016)
1. “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” (Jan. 20, 2017)
So there you have it: my “Trump’s Top Twenty Broken Promises.”
But why look back over the past two-plus years when you can look ahead? Isn’t that what we Americans do best—look ahead?
What do you think will top your 2019 list of Trump’s Promises Made, Promises Broken?
“I will never be impeached.”
“I won’t be removed from office.”
“I will never serve a day behind bars.”
Personally, I’m going with the most predictable broken promise: “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
* Editor’s Note: Most, but not all of the dates listed above, are the first time Trump uttered such a lie or broken promise.
* Acknowledgement: Kurt Meyer thanks Jennifer Bledsoe for her contributions to this blog.