Breaking news: President Donald Trump has been in office for 2 years and contrary to popular opinion, we have actually, survived. It might seem like no big deal, but the unacknowledged accomplishment is quite impressive for us Americans, because boy, have we seen it all.
We have had the unfortunate experience of living through an abundance of uncomfortable press conferences, awkward interviews, lengthy news segments and reading an unbearable amount of inappropriate tweets since the January inauguration. Although the past 2 years were rather interesting, to say the least, I have come to the conclusion that there is unintended good in Trump.
Whoa; you didn't see that one coming.
Before you roll your eyes and irritatedly close out of the article, give me and my good friend, optimism, a chance. Trump is "Making America Great By Mistake" in the following, unpublicized ways:
1. Trump's own bigotry is placing the most controversial issues on a pedestal.
Whether or not Trump intends to do so, his attacks against Muslims, Mexicans, African Americans, the LGTBQ+ community, women and other minorities are only inspiring people to come together to stand up for those that he attempts to knock down.
2. Trump is challenging both political parties, Republican and Democratic.
As the Republicans' main man, you can bet that with each word that Trump says, or tweets, a new level of shame is brought to the Republican party, while the Democrats are just happy that Trump's not their party's representative. Either way, no matter what Trump does, each party is growing stronger in their beliefs, and making sure to promote it to the public.
3. Trump is creating a well-informed political population.
Ah, the power of tweeting. Trump is a source of informative entertainment for all generations. When I see Trump tweet, along with someone quoting and retaliating against his carelessly crafted 140-character filled attack, I learn. When my parents jump from FOX, who do not discuss Trump, out of frustration to CNN or NBC, who debate Trump from the earliest of mornings to the latest of nights, I learn. Trump is everywhere, making Americans assess their political stances on the daily.
4. Trump is making late night TV great again.
Weekday or weekend, you know that I am going to stay up to see Stephen Colbert's hilarious and informative anti-Trump monologue on CBS' "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert", or Alec Baldwin's impressive impersonation of Trump in the news segment of NBC's "Saturday Night Live." There's nothing better than educating through humor, and Trump's presidency is definitely providing these sources with the material necessary for accomplishing that.
5. Trump's policies are raising awareness of the issues that need to be addressed in the nation.
Whether Trump is promoting loose restrictions on gun control or is making laws that affect women's bodies, he is advocating the controversial ideas of the unspoken population — those who voted for him. Luckily, the risky and outspoken behavior of the president is received with enough backlash that helps shed light on the stances of both political parties, bringing them to the national scale.
Trump's presidency is the hardest challenge facing Americans today. Although it is easy to see the negative effects of Trump's presidency, it is important to appreciate how the president is making Americans learn and take action in new ways that we have never attempted before. Optimism can be nice every once in a while, right?!
