A year ago today, Donald Trump was elected as the 45th president of the United States. For Trump, getting re-elected may be even more significant than getting elected the first time. He has always faced incredible opposition, but someone could rationalize his election as a fluke or as the stars aligning perfectly.
Though a few years away, 2020 will be here quicker than we expect. Eleven months into office, we are starting to get an idea of Trump’s strengths and weaknesses. To stay in office after 2020, Trump is going to have to play on strengths and temper his weaknesses.
No matter what side of the aisle you find yourself on, the economy is undeniably trending in the right direction. The stock market in particular is surpassing all expectations, putting to rest any ideas that it would tank during a Trump presidency.
There are several key economic trends that bode well for a Trump re-election if they continue. The unemployment rate fell to 4.1 percent in October, which is the lowest since 2000. As of June, the average housing price is at a record high of $263,800, which is another bright spot for the Trump administration since housing prices under Obama were dismal. The stock market is surpassing everyone’s expectations, and I can imagine there are some sour economists who predicted a Trump presidency would crash all markets and western civilization as we know it.
Other notable and positive economic trends include a narrower trade deficit, increased consumer spending and increased borrowing by companies and individuals. And with Trump’s approval rating recognizably low at roughly 39 percent in October, continuation of these positive trends should bolster approval of Trump.
The promise of a healthy economy moves voters to the polls, and actually having a healthy economy will help motivate voters to help win a re-election. People want to make more money, have nicer things and be able to save more. It is still early, but if Trump continues to improve the economy, many of his various unpopular foibles will be forgotten. Trump deserves credit for economic growth and health, and sustaining the uptrend is the single greatest factor in his re-election bid.
Trump ran his whole campaign on building a wall on our southern border with Mexico. 11 months into his term, exactly zero percent of this wall has been constructed. If he wants to be re-elected, he is going to have to make good on his promise and get some form of wall built.
A good economy is vital to Trump’s re-election bid, but people want safety from illegal aliens coming into our country, becoming a tax burden, taking jobs and committing crimes. It’s a similar situation with immigration from predominantly Muslim countries: people want to feel safe and they want a commander-in-chief who is going to keep undesirables out of our country.
While his travel ban has been extremely contested in the courts, he has done well in acknowledging the threat of radical Islam to our country. This is something Obama was never able to do and Hillary Clinton would have refused to acknowledge. Despite what liberal media propagates, radical Muslims are a threat to this country and a strong effort by Trump to keep radicals out of our country is extremely important for his approval and re-election.
Trump can satisfy his base if he tackles the two-pronged problem of closing our southern border and keeping out radicals all while initiating a more proficient, safe and legitimate immigration policy.
In recent weeks, claims of Trump and Russian collusion has been overblown. As time passes, the president is becoming more and more vindicated in this fight with Democrats and the media.
Last week, news broke about how the Hillary Clinton campaign rigged the Democratic National Committee system in her favor. Even the touted leader and possible future of the party Elizabeth Warren agreed this happened. DNC chairwoman Donna Brazile is even writing a book about the unethical practices used by the Clinton campaign to steal the nomination away from Bernie Sanders.
Trump has to take advantage of this insanity in the Democratic party. Even if he fails to unite the Republican party, he has to at least show some semblance of unity. Trump may well come into 2020 limping because of his own gaffes, but if the Democratic party is in shambles, it won’t matter.
Trump must maintain a level composure among himself and his party for the next two years. The Democrats have no leader and no idea who to run against Trump. This was their biggest mistake in 2016: they ran the worst candidate in election history. It will be interesting to see who they bolster in 2020. If they plan on running a crazy old socialist like Bernie or Elizabeth Warren, a woman so liberal and out-of-touch she might as well be on Jupiter, they will lose.
The Democratic party is the wildcard in Trump’s re-election bid. Will they continue to shoot themselves in the foot by parading around crazy liberals like Obama and the Clintons, or will they unify around someone new and more moderate? Only time will tell. The ball seems slightly in their court on this one.
Jacob Maranto is 21-year-old mass communication senior from Plaquemine, Louisiana.

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