Why We Shouldn’t Act Like Trump Has Been President for Five Years
“It’s premature to treat Trump as if he’s been president for the past five years.” That line cuts to the chase and forces a reset on expectations. Too many commentators and opponents already behave as if his presidency never stopped, and that bias matters.
Acting like someone has held power continuously changes how we judge everything around them. For conservatives this matters because it shifts the burden of proof away from those making accusations and onto voters. Fairness and due process suffer when narratives outrun facts.
The legal battles and investigations around him are serious and deserve careful handling. But legal scrutiny should not be a substitute for political debate or an excuse to erase democratic choice. Treating ongoing disputes as settled history denies Americans the chance to weigh evidence and decide at the ballot box.
When media and institutions present him as perpetually in office, they normalize extraordinary measures. That normalization makes aggressive tactics seem routine instead of exceptional. The result is a chilling effect on political participation and an unbalanced public square.
Republicans who defend Trump aren’t suggesting he’s above criticism, they want that criticism to be grounded and proportionate. Honest voters can reject or support policies and character without accepting stacked narratives. Political accountability must compete with partisan theater, not be replaced by it.
There’s an important distinction between criticizing past actions and pretending those actions are the present state of affairs. Confusing the two turns campaigns into mock trials instead of contests of vision. That’s dangerous for a healthy republic because it substitutes judgment for justice.
Another consequence of acting as if he’s already president is the compression of political timeframes. Policies, appointments, and legislative priorities get judged prematurely. Citizens deserve debates over future choices, not verdicts based on hypothetical continuations of power.
Voters are capable of deciding what leadership looks like without having the narrative pre-loaded by elites. Republican messaging should emphasize real differences on economy, national security, and culture, not defensive storytelling. Clear, direct contrasts win arguments and elections.
We also have to consider how this affects institutions like courts and law enforcement. When public discourse assumes a person is effectively in charge, it invites selective enforcement and political theater in legal processes. That undermines trust and leaves citizens wondering whether rules apply equally.
Conservatives should insist on even-handed procedures and the presumption of innocence where appropriate, while holding firm to principles. That balance protects both individual rights and the public interest. It also reclaims the moral high ground from those who rush to judgment.
Finally, treating Trump as if he’s been president for five years simplifies a messy reality and cheats voters. Democracy is messy by design because it allows correction and debate. Republicans who defend liberty and fair play should push back against shortcuts that substitute certainty for deliberation.