Guy Ciarrocchi: Trump’s doing what many said they wanted. Why are they complaining?

Americans can be fickle, in life and in politics. We want to be in shape, but we don’t want to exercise. We want dogs as pets, but we don’t want to clean up the stuff. 

Voters sometimes ask for things, yet complain even when they get what they wanted. They don’t want any “mess.” Some cringe when change makes others uncomfortable.

But confronting and fixing things is messy and uncomfortable. Some problems require courage, and even confrontation.

Don’t wish for something if you don’t have the stomach to see it through. 

If we can’t agree on anything else, we should all agree that President Trump is the “sausage-making” king. Telling him that something is hard, has never been done before or might make friends uncomfortable may be a good way to get him to do it. 

Take the legacy media. For decades, Republicans have grumbled at cocktail parties, meetings, and in their homes about media bias. From taxes to welfare, education to the military, police to spending, legacy media seems to defend our opponents and bash us. They misrepresent data, take things out of context, exaggerate (or underestimate) impacts and have a bias that’s so obvious to us. It was not only the stories that they ignored, but also those they chose to highlight.  And digital media and 24-hour news only makes it worse.

Trump comes along and confronts reporters, calls out biased questions in real time — and labeled them “fake news.” Some establishment Republicans clutched their pearls and spit out their Chardonnay. 

Take NATO. For years, many recognized that Americans supplied the overwhelming amount of troops, weapons and dollars. Way too much of our treasure, and best and brightest. (Recall, NATO exists to stop communism and socialism, and preserve our way of life…ahem.)

Trump comes along and tells the Germans, French, etc., to “pony up.” We’re tired of bearing so much of the burden — tired of hearing about their free museums, ten-cent trolleys and free college, while kids from Coatesville stand guard in Germany with weapons built in Beaver Falls, paid for by folks from South Philly. Again, many longstanding Republicans heard this and“tsk’d” at the kitchen table while reading the New York Times. “That’s so impolite!”

Illegal immigration may be the shining example. For years, many have complained about the number of illegal immigrants — especially those committing violent crimes. Those who had no business-sponsor, no host-family waiting for them. It only compounded when the Biden/Harris administration went to court to block Texas and Arizona from securing the southern border, and then literally tore down parts of Trump’s border fence. Perhaps 20 million poured over — many enabled by agencies being funded with our tax dollars!

They broke the law, and are breaking our safety net, schools, and hospitals. Plus, they’re taking advantage of those on legal immigration lists to get admitted through the process. 

If nothing else, we can all agree that Trump pledged that he’d secure the border and deport those who came in illegally, especially those who broke the law or who would do us harm.

Trump secured the border and then the Border Patrol (CBP), FBI and, yes, ICE began to remove them — often in raids. Democrats yelled in Congress, cursed on MSNBC and sued in courts to try to stop Trump. They even worked overtime to get the Orwellian-named  “Maryland Man” (Kilmar Abrego Garcia) back to Maryland. (A gang member with a criminal record in El Salvador, who had a protection-from-abuse order against him to keep him from again beating his wife.)

But as the raids continued, things got messy. (In part due to some Democratic officials and activists refusing to cooperate, even taking steps to make it “messy.”) Some didn’t like the images of actual people being deported, or law enforcement faced with two bad decisions — keeping the children with their illegal (often criminal) parents or “separating” them. 

Then, the hand-wringing, the head-shaking, the sighs among some Republicans, and former Republicans. It’s messy. Confrontational. It’s upsetting.

Well, what did everyone think would happen when the federal officials went after the murderers, rapists, drug dealers, and child-traffickers who came here illegally? Did you think they’d give up voluntarily?

And for the majority “non-violent” who gave fake documents, lied about seeking asylum, or pretended to be caring for a child (not their child) and those who “merely” snuck in, how else do we get them to leave? (Recall, we did offer free airfare and a check.)

For decades, large segments of legacy media have fought, ignored and vilified Republicans, and conservative policies at every turn. And no one dared do anything about it. For decades, leaders from both parties allowed our “allies” to shift more of NATO’s burden to us — while they grew their welfare state (and didn’t secure their borders). For years, our border was left wide open — literally. We are spending billions, endangering towns, and risking the lives of too many Americans — like Laken Riley.

From colleges to the UN, from left-wing judges playing roulette with our lives to the teachers’ union, American institutions, many of our allies, and parts of our own government were doing things that weakened our families, our communities and our nation.

Finally, it’s being addressed. Many cheer. Yet, some finally got what they wished for and recoil. 

Are you actually angry at President Trump, or yourself?

Guy Ciarrocchi writes for Broad + Liberty and RealClear Pennsylvania. A Senior Fellow with the Commonwealth Foundation, follow Guy at @PaSuburbsGuy.