Looks like our new acting President – excuse me, “President-Elect” – is already causing the inevitable stir, domestically and internationally.

The media is in an uproar over everything out of his mouth. …Well, I guess that’s not fair. They were the same way before the election. But now they’re really mad. I’m having 2016 flashbacks.

DOGE is exposing government waste and that’s ticking off not just the government, but their allies. The exposé of breathtaking waste is not only impacting current agency funding but shining a light on the congressional pork in otherwise commendable legislation. The kind of pork sometimes used to stagnate bills they never expect to pass, to appear the bad guys reside on the other side of the aisle (read: Democrat border bill). The kind of pork used to blackmail resistors with a government shutdown (read: current situation). Besides DOGE consuming and expectorating the pork, there is the looming consumption of federal jobs. The media is wringing its hands in righteous indignation over the idea that people who are currently doing nothing on the taxpayers’ dime are going to stop being paid for doing nothing on the taxpayers’ dime.

Maybe some of the light shone on federal agencies will help expose the massive corruption upon which the Biden-Harris administration thrived for personal and political retaliation (and that failed attempt to resuscitate their election campaigns). That’s a definite shot in the belly of the Democrat machine. And speaking of shots, let’s treat attempted assassinations seriously regardless of the target. And maybe not instigate them…? Instigation of trespassing (insurrection) was a big deal in 2020. Seems odd that all Biden’s and friends’ rhetoric about a former President being an existential threat, before there were two attempts on his life, wasn’t concerning enough for a media blitz in 2024. Even on Fox News, which I hear is the only politically biased news outlet on television.

Aside from their inspired assassins proving unsuccessful, guess what else is angering the media and the sewer-dwellers? Democrat politicians are coming to terms with the fact that the influx of illegal immigrant criminals is becoming unsustainable – literally killing their citizens and desecrating their cities (more so than Democrat cities had already been desecrated by inept leaders). It’s only a matter of time before crime waves hit uncomfortably close to home… “Home” being the swanky neighborhoods in which mayors and governors live, with walls (walls!) surrounding their mansions, high-tech security… and the safety of personal transportation. They can’t keep ignoring the voters who’ve had enough.

Trump has spoken frequently – constantly – and candidly about his views and plans to address these issues. To the point that leftist Democrats like the New York City mayor are pleading for help from “Trump’s Border Czar”. Yep, the media has already acquiesced that Trump’s people are the only chance we have of righting this particular ship. Neither Biden nor the former (current?) Border Czar Harris has been able to articulate a way of getting out of the mess they’ve exponentially worsened. To paraphrase Harris, in one of her softball interviews, “This is a very important issue, and we take it very, very seriously.” Sure, we can see that, lady. Anything else?

Then there is Biden’s inflation, which is another issue Trump has been candid about addressing. I’m not saying he has the right answers – I simply don’t know. I’ll say it again; you can disagree with him on any or all of these issues, but this is the first time in four years our nation’s leader is willing to answer hard questions from both friends and foes with any level of clarity, even knowing the media will dissect it. They already censored the President once, but I don’t think it’ll work for them again. We’ll see. Censorship of the highest office in the land might have given us pause – were it not Donald J. Trump, and the 2020s.

For all intents and purposes, former President Trump is once again President Trump. His inauguration is just pomp and circumstance. And the world knows it.

Contrary to what the media would have us believe, Trump is and has been of extreme prominence and significance on the world stage. The performance of that role with good intent and an effective strategy means everything. It’s far more critical right now than our perceived climate sins and social justice woes (which, sorry, are trivial compared to those of most other countries) – and will have a far-reaching effect on these very issues that the blessedly short-sighted don’t seem to grasp.

Eleven world leaders congratulated Trump on victory within 24 hours of his election, with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer calling it a “historic election victory” and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu describing it as “history’s greatest comeback”. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said he’s “looking forward to personally congratulating President Trump”. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offered her “most sincere congratulations” and, noted that “our alliance will now strengthen even further.” Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi declared that a Trump Presidency will “establish peace and maintain regional stability.” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán echoed Netanyahu’s statement that the victory was “the biggest comeback in U.S. political history” and “a much-needed victory for the World.”

Even Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – a strong critic of Israel – stated that he was hopeful during Trump’s term “that Turkey-US relations will strengthen, that regional and global crises and wars, especially the Palestinian issue and the Russia-Ukraine war, will come to an end.”

Since the election Trump has already met personally with a number of world leaders and high-ranking foreign officials (among them, Argentine President Javier Milei and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau) and made calls to even more (including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum). Many have been invited to the inauguration.

Joe Biden has met with zero foreign dignitaries during the same timeframe; his major recent accomplishment was pardoning his son Hunter on his way out the door. And Kamala Harris is still licking her wounds, dodging her creditors and musing a run in California where ignorance is immaterial.

Like it or not, Donald Trump is already the American President.

And it’s a good thing for America that we HAVE a leader willing and able to do the job – like him or not.