Donald Trump’s first week in the presidency has been fascinating—and it’s not over. So far, he has met with congressional leaders, including Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and scheduled a meeting for Friday with British Prime Minister Theresa May. She will be the first foreign leader to visit the White House under a Trump presidency.
Then there were sessions with new CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Senators Mitch McConnell, Chuck Grassley and Diane Feinstein, to name a few others on the political front. In addition, he issued some important executive orders that were in keeping with a few of his campaign promises.
However, among the unprecedented meetings were those with corporate America. No president—in his first few days in office—has sat down and talked with some of the people that are responsible for America’s economic future.
Rebuilding the Middle Class
President Trump is setting out to make sure that corporate America understands his ultimate responsibility to begin rebuilding middle-class America. So, he met with Dell Computer founder Michael Dell and the leaders of other familiar corporate names, such as Dow Chemical, Ford Motor, International Paper, Lockheed Martin, Tesla, Under Armor, Johnson & Johnson, General Motors, Fiat Chrysler, Boeing, U.S Steel and Whirlpool.
Yet, in all likelihood, the most dramatic and historical meetings were with labor leaders from around the country—namely, from unions like the Teamsters, sheet metal workers, carpenters, plumbing, iron workers, steamfitters, insulators, laborers and the North American head of the building trades union.
It isn’t likely that these people supported Donald Trump. Most were in Hillary Clinton’s camp and among that vast majority extremely unlikely to ever be invited to a Republican White House. The comments from these leaders as they left the Oval Office was nothing short of remarkable. They voiced overwhelming support and a palpable excitement over the steps this president will take to keep jobs in America, rebuild our middle class and regain our economic might.
Coming Renaissance
President Trump asked many of these leaders about what needs to be done to create more jobs and bring more industry to America. After their meeting, Ford Motor CEO Mark Fields made what I thought was an extremely interesting comment: he believes we could be seeing the beginning of a whole Renaissance era in America.
I have often said—indeed, wrote an article about this two years ago—that because of the energy powerhouse that America now is, we could be on the verge of an Industrial Revolution. The likes of it could make the 1950s pale by comparison. It sure sounded like Fields was relaying the same thoughts.
The president also made no bones about the fact that a Trump administration would only consider a two-way street when it comes to trade deals. Despite this sound reasoning, many are beginning to prejudge the president’s positions on trade deals. There seems to be a lot of media attention around the house that’s only 10 percent painted. In fact, I would submit the painting hasn’t even begun. Yet everyone is criticizing everything, from the color of the paint to the lousy job of painting so far.
Rush to Criticize
Trust me, I will be the first one to be critical when these deals are complete—if they’re deserving of criticism. Only once we see what has been done and have had a chance to analyze the pros, cons and benefits (or lack thereof) should we complain. In the meantime, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves.
I’ve written much about the decimation of the middle class that has taken place over the past 10 years. I think we can rest assured that we will soon break out of our 1978-style labor participation rate. We will begin to see pressures on the labor force, where wages will rise and companies will strive to retain good employees, where job opportunities will abound, and where we begin to see the idle hands of the inner-city unemployed enter the American workforce.
Such developments will bring new opportunities, as will steps to stop any more federal hiring so we can get a handle on what we have, get Obamacare in check, and halt any new regulations from happening as we begin to eliminate the duplicity and regulations erected on an ideology of more government control.
We are now seeing things that make sense for American workers, such as the reopening of the Keystone pipeline and instilling a buy-and-build American attitude. We are seeing the beginning of an energy, industrial and—I hope—an educational revolution, where legal immigration will be welcomed with open arms.
Benefits for Future Generations
What does all this mean? A unity among those who have been divided, prosperity for those who have lived in poverty, opportunity where there has been little, and law and order instead of chaos. Add to that the establishment of justice, a more perfect union and domestic tranquility, thanks to leadership that will build and promote our common defense, consider our general welfare and fight to secure the blessings of liberty. This will happen while we stand firmly on clear, Constitutional principles.
The transforming of the American economy and a focus on future generations and prosperity to those generations means leaving a country that is far better off than the way we found it. I believe this future is right around the corner, as long as politics do not once again take our country hostage.