LEE CARTER: What Americans want from Donald Trump in the next four years
The 2024 election is over. The star-studded cabinet is being confirmed. The ink on the executive actions is barely dry. MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow is freaking out. Policy by tweet is a thing again. The Diet Coke button in the Oval Office has returned.
In short, President Donald Trump is back.
As the nation enters Trump’s second (historic) term, it’s worth pausing to consider not just what he wants, but what Americans want from him. The demands for Trump 2.0 have never been clearer.
First and foremost, Americans want Trump to keep his promises. While many voters shudder at his policy positions, that’s what got him elected. Most voters are looking for him to be tough on immigration, especially those who think the border is synonymous with national security.
They want him to aggressively tackle the inflation that has eroded not only their purchasing power, but also their sense that America is a place where honest, hard work is how you get ahead.
They want him to restore energy independence, which was a hallmark of his previous administration, and bring a decisive end to the "forever wars" that drain precious American blood and treasure for no clear national security benefit.
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For many, "America First" isn’t merely a slogan; it reflects a yearning for a national strategy that prioritizes the interests of everyday Americans over foreign entanglements. "America First" may be unfashionable in the Harvard faculty lounge, but to the average Joe on the street it’s just common sense. It is why government exists.
But Trump’s appeal goes beyond that; Americans want a fighter – someone in their corner who cares about them first and foremost. Too many people see a broken system that actively works against them. But in Trump, they see someone who fights for them with unwavering resolve. They want a leader who isn’t afraid to confront not only adversaries but also the pressing issues that affect their daily lives.
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Beyond this, Americans want Trump to address the cultural battlefield that has upended much of American life. Like it or not, Trump's stance on gender has undeniably struck a chord. In small town America, the idea that boys and girls exist and are not interchangeable is not controversial. The Democratic Party’s elevation of niche social-justice issues above "the prices of eggs" (they say derisively) is why they lost.
The woke fever dream is over. Most Americans want to return to a simpler time when long-held, traditional views aren’t constantly under siege and where individuals aren't ostracized for believing things that were accepted wisdom until five minutes ago.
Fundamentally, Americans want the freedom to be themselves—to share a harmless laugh without fear of repercussions, to speak freely with coworkers or neighbors without walking on eggshells. The antidote to this pervasive sense of anxiety is straightforward: they want comedy to be funny again, discourse to be free again, and fun to be OK again.
More importantly, Americans want to be dreamers again. Trump has promised that we will be able to dream big once more, and that resonates profoundly. Americans by their nature long to dream, to envision greatness, and to chase it unapologetically. His promise of new golden age in America is more than nostalgia; it’s a call to action, a belief that success should be celebrated, not shunned or downplayed.
Trump's challenge isn’t merely to fulfill a checklist of policies but to ignite once more this essential American longing. If he can navigate beyond the noise—if he can deliver on substantive promises while also addressing these existential concerns—he might just do the impossible: get more Americans to believe in the promise of America again and even give him the credit.