Trump’s ‘smart shock and awe’

OPINION:

Liberals are masterful at showering their political enemies with so many independent targets at once they cause paralysis. This kind of “shock and awe” fractures opposition messaging, divides and wastes resources and produces infighting over strategy.

It’s exactly the kind of approach the incoming Trump administration and congressional Republicans should adopt as they take the levers of power this month. Dozens of executive orders and multiple pieces of legislation hitting every corner of President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda, which are released immediately, will be difficult even for the well-heeled liberal political ecosystem to handle.

While shock and awe should be deployed to right the ship of state badly listed after President Biden’s catastrophic administration, Mr. Trump and his advisers should also appreciate that voters use only a handful of issues as a barometer of success. The results of those issues will be the cornerstones of Mr. Trump’s legacy. Understanding those is “smart shock and awe.”

Certainly, Americans are revolting against “woke” orthodoxy, a dangerously tepid foreign policy, transgender cultism, diversity, equity and inclusion ideology, the censorship complex and soft-on-crime prosecutors. The president-elect may have made many bold promises during the campaign, but Americans are smart and realistic. They don’t expect Trump 2.0 to make good on every pledge with slim GOP majorities in Congress and the legal and political headwinds that will face the new administration’s ambitious policy agenda.

Most people will likely be satisfied with two or three big wins that affect their daily lives. “Smart shock and awe” attempts to hit many important policy targets but also husbands its political capital for a few key priorities.

People want more money in their pockets and greater financial stability. Therefore, the president and the new Republican Congress must prioritize making the 2017 tax cuts permanent, fixing the state and local tax deduction debacle that likely cost Mr. Trump reelection in 2020 and making good on the incoming president’s “no taxes on tips” pledge.

Mr. Trump’s no-taxes-on-Social Security promise — or a phased repeal — should be a secondary goal for the administration, with some spending cuts to pay for it. Tax policy wins will relieve nearly every American and bolster a flagging economy. Those tax cuts will also attract Democrats in suburban swing districts to get them over the line in Congress.

Immigration and public safety, as one issue, must also be given top priority. By all accounts, the Trump team’s efforts, led by Tom Homan, are readying for launch. Illegal immigration under Mr. Biden has unleashed crime, death, drugs and fiscal horror on the nation. Americans expect action, and the deportation plan has the added benefit of making Democrats who oppose cooperation look out of touch with the communities most affected by this human calamity.

But what about the informal Department of Government Efficiency? The size of the executive branch and the power of Washington over states, the free market and individuals represent a clear constitutional crisis. With only 17% of the federal budget discretionary, however, reaching anything near Elon Musk’s $2 trillion goal will be perhaps the most challenging for the new administration. Trying is, of course, worthwhile. Innovating is critical. Reducing departments and zeroing out the jobs of deep staters is vital.

Litigating to do it will be a necessity. That will take time. That’s why the success of the second Trump administration should not be allowed to be defined by cuts recommended by DOGE. Legacy media and Democrats will hang any shortfall of the fantastic campaign promises over the heads of Republicans in the midterms and the next presidential campaign, which will begin three short years from now.

Education could be the third leg in the policy stool. Mr. Trump has promised to dissolve the Department of Education, but however worthwhile that would be, Americans are looking for more when it comes to education reform.

Vivek Ramaswamy’s recent comments about American mediocrity forcing companies to hire foreign workers may have been inartful. Still, he lays bare the inconvenient truth that the nation’s public education system has been in a downward spiral for decades. Education, not welfare, is the key that opens doors for our youth, and the curriculum our schools prioritize is central to not only our national competitiveness but also our very identity.

The stranglehold of teachers unions over our public schools and the ideologically driven colleges that prepare the nation’s teachers for the classroom are daunting twin challenges. Mr. Trump is the right person to take on the liberal education complex using the levers of federal power to drive a realignment of priorities back toward rewarding states who emphasize reading and writing English, math skills, history and civics as well as science and engineering over the “woke” agenda. Reducing the union bosses’ grip on education would be a tremendous legacy for Mr. Trump.

As much as we like to talk about 2024’s uniqueness, this new year and new administration will still be defined by how Americans view their money, their safety and the welfare of their children. Shock and awe is an effective strategy, but in the end, smart, bold moves on a few issues will matter most to the voters.

• Tom Basile is the host of “America Right Now” on Newsmax TV and is a columnist with The Washington Times.