North Texas Daily

The Editorial Board

As uneasy as it is to write these words, you know by now that Donald Trump is going to be the 45th president of the United States.

After a year of belittling races other than his own, battling controversies over his financial history and gradually splitting the GOP apart, Trump did it.

We all have to move forward as a nation and continue living our lives. Despite whatever side of the coin they fall – whether vitriolic or fully supportive of “building a wall” – it is our hope that politicians can be cordial to one another in the future.

Because Democrats and Republicans have spent this election on thin ice, it is time to put old feelings aside and make sure Trump can be cooperative with others.

This is no longer the land of Lincoln, Roosevelt or Kennedy. The election that has finally, and thankfully, ended has been marked by Republican belligerence, covert Democratic shadiness and the foolishness of Gary Johnson.

The institutions we have in place, and the constitutional rights of all Americans, must continue to hold our nation together.

If you’re worried about the next four years, the checks and balances system remains the historical way in which the powers of the president, congressmen and the Supreme Court are regulated.

As commander-in-chief, Trump can now veto any congressional legislation; a power he’ll need since Congress has blocked hundreds of bills for the last two presidential terms, according to Barack Obama.

Congress still controls the federal budget, can pass laws in spite of any vetoes and has the willful ability to impeach the president.

Hopefully, Republican citizens who don’t quite identify with the radical aggression of the GOP can reign in Trump for a decent inaugural year. We’re not asking conservatives to blindly praise all of his policies, but for open-minded, moderate and sane conservatives to tame Trump and ensure that he is an objective president.

These conservatives shouldn’t be spineless suits like many of the leaders perpetuating the party’s satirical image, like Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell and Ted Cruz. They need to be willing to work with Democrats in strengthening economics and foreign policy, especially because Trump wants the U.S. to “be prepared to let [other] countries defend themselves.”

Trump’s reasons for thinking that aren’t necessarily wrong because all 28 NATO countries are required to pay for military defense. According to NATO statistics, the U.S. spent about $650 billion last year, more than double the amount that the 27 other countries spent between them.

Although the entirety of NATO should step up, leaving any of these countries alone to defend themselves is a direct violation of the organization’s Article 5, where “an attack against one Ally [is] an attack against all Allies.”

A bigger incentive for normal Republicans to mediate President-elect Trump is the possibility of what his cabinet will look like. Imagine a body of advisers that included former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani as the head of the FBI, or Gov. Chris Christie as the new Secretary of State.

It’s not a totally impractical thought, considering how Giuliani has begun dissociating himself from the FBI’s most recent investigation of Hillary Clinton’s emails. The Daily Beast also reported that one of Trump’s billionaire backers has been paying $563,003 to Giuliani’s law firms since last year.

As for Christie, he was chosen by Trump to “lead his transition team if he [won] the White House,” and now that he has, he is likely to sustain prominence in Trump’s cabinet.

Overall, it is our civic duty to make sure Trump adheres to American values during his presidency. And even if he doesn’t, we have little doubt that the upcoming executive term will be an interesting ride.

Us college students are soon to be working at businesses, institutions or even somewhere in the political world, all under a minimum of four years under President Trump.

Featured Illustration: Samuel Wiggins