Thursday, October 1, 2026
When you reach the stage in life that I have, you’ve seen politicians come and go. I have seen overly aggressive pols flame out because they thought they knew everything, and it turned out they knew nothing. I have seen brilliant political people crash and burn because they thought their secrets would never be uncovered. And I have watched Donald Trump go through more ups and downs than any political figure I can recall.
When Trump took the oath of office last January, I wondered whether he was aware of the many opportunities a president has to create a lasting, positive legacy. Now that he has been in office for a year, I’m taking a look back at his actions, which I will try to keep as fair and balanced as possible, considering that I’m a Democrat.
I have known the president in ways other than having interacted with him as officeholder. I have been one of his many lawyers over a long period, so I’ve had an up-close view of him in the many roles he has played. I’ve watched him in action, and have some knowledge of how he views the outside world and people in general. So I temper my comments with the knowledge of a man who went from master builder to commander in chief.
As hard as I try to single out the positive things Trump has done, I must start by saying that his time in office up to now is a long period of missed opportunities. He came into office with a chance to make the Republican Party one of the strongest parties in American history. Instead it faces a potential electoral disaster this coming November. The results of many contests last November prove that the 2026 elections will be a real challenge for the party of Abraham Lincoln.
I agree with many of my friends who are Trump supporters that he has successfully closed the border to new entrants, keeping his election promise to do just that. Sadly, President Biden caved in to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and allowed an estimated 11 million immigrants into our country. There is a mechanism for people to enter the country, but it was badly abused under Biden.
America has always been the beacon of hope for people throughout the world, but Trump’s current immigration policy is a disaster, because it keeps out much of the professional talent that we badly need. Setting the immigration quota at 7,500 people, with a preference given to white South Africans, makes no sense. Silicon Valley executives will find a way to get the talent they need, but a brilliant researcher from, say, Sri Lanka who wants to work at a hospital specializing in cancer treatment will be blocked from coming here unless his or her potential employer wants to spend a million dollars.
We can all agree that there is too much waste in government at all levels. There is a need for careful analysis of needed jobs, and then those that aren’t needed should be eliminated. Regrettably, that didn’t happen in Washington. Elon Musk took on the assignment of cleaning house, and used his buzz saw to cut alleged waste. More than 160,000 people lost their jobs, but many in Washington tell me that many badly needed personnel got the ax. As of now, not one person kicked out of their job has been prosecuted for “fraud or abuse.”
During his 2024 campaign, Trump promised that his focus would be on cutting costs for the average American. You can call it a “Democratic hoax” or whatever you want, but millions of Americans are hurting from crushing prices, and there is nothing on the horizon that will change that.
Lots of readers will weigh in on the pros and cons that I haven’t mentioned, but I don’t have the space to recite them all. The recent remarks of an Indiana Republican state senator struck a chord in my mind. She said she was a Trump supporter, “but I don’t like his tone.” 2025 was a year when he could have set a positive tone for America that could have helped heal our great divide. That was his biggest missed opportunity.
Jerry Kremer was a state assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. Comments about this column? jkremer@liherald.com.
