Trump’s State of the Union showed he represents the people, not the swamp – Washington Examiner

In his State of the Union address, President Trump encouraged all of us to strive for greatness. He also made a direct appeal to Congress to reject socialism, the very antithesis of our inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

In the past two years, Trump has delivered on many of his campaign promises. This alone has been a breath of fresh air to voters who believed the idea of elected politicians “doing what they promised” has been lost for decades.

There’s no question the economy is strong. We’ve hit 3 percent economic growth and unemployment is low across the board. The economy surpassed expectations and added more than 304,000 jobs in the month of January alone, despite a government shutdown.

Through tax reform, deregulation, criminal justice reform, and other meaningful reforms, Trump’s policies have made life better for people from all walks of life. America is once again open for business.

Thanks to a robust deregulatory agenda, the growth of government has been cut by nearly 96 percent compared to the Obama administration. Our prosperity has come from hard-working Americans, not federal programs.

Because of the Trump administration’s focus on bipartisan justice reform, our streets are safer and inmates have the tools to re-enter society as contributing members. To be smart on crime, which the First Step Act promotes, is the best way to be hard on crime.

Small government and individual liberty are what make America exceptional. Our nation was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and the rights of the individual are sacred.

With the rest of his first term, and most likely a second, Trump has the unique opportunity to build on his accomplishments and enact substantial changes that will bring us back to our founding principles.

Conservatives are confident that Trump will continue to shrink the size and reach of government and return power to the individual. It’s no wonder the president enjoys such widespread support from the grassroots — they want small government and they can count on Trump to deliver.

Unfortunately for Democrats, the Trump economic agenda is diametrically opposed to their vision. We’re seeing it from presidential hopefuls and House Democrats alike: higher taxes, socialized healthcare, expensive and unreliable energy, and restrictions on free speech. They oppose the very foundation of the American experiment in self-governance as they seek to control nearly every aspect of our lives.

Trump made it clear in his address that he represents the people, not special interests in the Swamp.

He must stay the course and seize on this momentum. The only true way to achieve greatness is for government to get out of the way and allow us all to be great.

Adam Brandon (@adam_brandon) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner ‘s Beltway Confidential blog. He is president and CEO of FreedomWorks.