"Trump needed 4 more years to handle everything."
That is a comment that someone made to me in an exchange we were having on Facebook. I've heard many people say this in response to my criticism of Trump not having upheld his promise to hold people to account when he has had the opportunity. Below is my response to those who believe that Trump simply needed more time in office to get the job done.
I don't accept those excuses. Government of, by, and for the people must necessarily involve the people. Where Trump failed (many times, I think) is in looking for the solutions for broken government to be found from within the broken system. We have done our own part in contributing to that failure on Trump's part by relying far to heavily upon him to be the protector of our freedom. The protection of our freedom--if we are truly to exist as a government of, by, and for the people--has to start with us. Why is it that Trump only calls us to protest when his own ass is on the line? Such calls for OUR involvement should have come far sooner. When we withdraw from that responsibility (and we have), then our government is no longer of, by, and for the people. I focus a lot of my criticism on Trump because he is the one (or "the chosen one," as propaganda narratives have led many to believe) to whom many are outsourcing the protection of their freedom. I do believe that Trump has failed us. But I believe that we are every bit as much at fault for having allowed a narrative to develop that demands "loyalty" to Trump. I know firsthand how people are treated who would dare to question Trump. It isn't pretty. Trump himself has seeded that narrative in our nation. We should have weeded it out, but we have become to lazy or too afraid to do so. I fear we are in a dangerous place when we are cheering on those who seek leadership positions AND who demand "loyalty" from those whom they believe they have helped.
Should we be looking to Trump (or to anyone else) to "handle everything?" I don't believe we should, and I think there is a real danger in doing that.