That change has transformed me in another way, as well. To wit, Trump has made me less partisan. I’ve disagreed with plenty of policies of Republican presidents in the past, but I still always felt the need to defend GOP administrations; they were on “my team.”
The beauty, and the curse, of the Trump administration is that the man at the top is on his own team. I can see clearly the good and the bad that his office produces, and there is no need to sugarcoat any of it. Tax cut, good. Tariffs, bad. I can praise the first, criticize the second and stay true to my own beliefs.
His presidency also helped me refine which issues truly matter to me and which only appeared to matter because “my party” happened to be pushing them.
I remember caring deeply about President George W. Bush’s effort to partially privatize Social Security. But when the issue faded away, it barely left an imprint on my mind. No longer tied to a political personality or party, my main issues now remain fairly consistent.
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