The Art of Not Having a Plan

Donald Trump claims to be a master dealmaker, but his actions (or lack thereof) reveal a different story. While he campaigned on fixing the economy and tackling major policy challenges, his early presidency has been dominated by distractions, divisive rhetoric, and an alarming absence of real solutions.

Rather than addressing pressing issues like inflation or healthcare, Trump has chosen to wage a culture war. His focus on rolling back protections for transgender individuals and dismantling Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives highlights his flagrant disregard for the wellbeing of historically marginalized communities and his strategic decision to deflect from substantive governance. These moves may energize his base, but they do nothing to help Americans facing rising prices or inadequate healthcare.

The consequences of this strategy extend beyond the federal level. For example, the Idaho House recently passed a resolution calling to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage. While largely symbolic, this action illustrates how Trump’s rhetoric emboldens state-level efforts to attack civil rights rather than address tangible challenges. It’s a pattern of prioritizing cultural division over real solutions, leaving Americans with inflammatory headlines instead of any meaningful progress.

Trump’s failure to deliver on his economic promises is particularly evident. He has no plan to address inflation, evidenced by the lack of any significant legislative or executive action from his administration or the Republican-controlled Congress. Even Vice President JD Vance failed to pinpoint a single executive order signed by Trump that addressed the economy. Despite his bold campaign promises, there has been no master plan: only empty rhetoric and political posturing.

Healthcare only further exposes Trump’s ineptitude. For years, he has vowed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) with something “better,” but no viable alternative ever materialized. His repeated efforts to dismantle Obamacare would leave millions uninsured, without any real replacement. This failure underscores his and his advisors’ inability to navigate the complexities of healthcare policy or improve upon the ACA.

Across the board, Trump’s leadership is defined by style over substance. He thrives on inflammatory rhetoric and buzzwords (including an array of offensive dogwhistles that you'd have to be willfully naive to ignore) to rally his base, but his governance is devoid of actionable plans. Instead of crafting policies, building coalitions, and solving real problems, he opts for unnecessary measures that generate attention but fail to create lasting change.

At the heart of this is a fundamental truth: Donald Trump is not equipped to lead (a fact that has become so abundantly obvious). His culture war distractions, failure to address economic issues meaningfully, and empty promises reveal a fundamental lack of competence. Americans deserve more than divisive posturing and headline-grabbing stunts; The people deserve real solutions to the challenges they face every day.