The Godfather Presidency

American  Thinker 

When the FBI visited Deep Stater John Bolton early Friday morning, a line from The Godfather crept into my mind: “Today I settle all family business.”  Surely I wasn’t the only one who hoped cable news would soon be reporting similar raids at the homes of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Brennan, James Comey, Jim Clapper, Susan Rice, and all the other co-conspirators responsible for the Russia Collusion Hoax, the Ukraine impeachment, the Hunter Biden laptop cover-up, and all the fraudulently predicated criminal investigations into President Trump and his associates.

Alas, Bolton was the only fish dumped out of his sanctuary bowl for the time being.  Still, with the farcical half-a-billion-dollar civil fraud judgment against Trump recently overturned and the Supreme Court slowly but surely ruling in his favor on a host of executive orders intended to streamline the federal government, I feel as if we’re getting closer to a time when a great deal of “family business” will be settled swiftly.

That thought sparked another thought: President Trump’s entire governing philosophy has a lot in common with some of the better wisdom from the Godfather movies.  Consider some of these jewels from Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola:

(1) “Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.”

Does it drive you nuts that Trump seems to quickly forgive people who wrong him?  He lets left-wing “journalists” interview him.  He gave Hillary Clinton a pass for illegally transferring highly classified government documents to a private and unsecured computer server.  He even considered Mitt Romney — a “man” who repeatedly stabbed him in the back — for the position of secretary of State!

At the same time, though, Trump has no problem rumbling with those he brings near.  After all, he made Bolton his chief national security adviser before firing the warmonger a year later.  Trump likes having his adversaries where he can see them.  That reminds me of something Sonny Corleone once said: “You gotta get ’em close like this, and badda-bing, you blow their brains all over your nice Ivy League suit.”

(2) “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.”

Most of the celebrity economists on television hate tariffs because they primarily benefit American workers and Main Street businesses, while threatening the bottom line of multinational corporations and Wall Street investment firms.  For years, the pundits have said that Trump’s tariffs would destroy both the economy and relations with allies.  What Trump and his economic policy team have known all along, though, is that no nation on the planet can afford to be closed off from the American market.

American consumers are the wealth-creating engine for the entire world.  When Trump insists that other nations treat America fairly, he does so while holding a giant stick.

(3) “Don’t ever take sides with anyone against the family again.”

Notice to all Democrat-run “sanctuary cities”: Your days of aiding and abetting illegal aliens, harboring criminals, and putting the American people in danger are over.  How many times have we heard Democrats describe foreign nationals who broke into our country more favorably than they describe American citizens?  How often have we seen Democrats fighting tooth and nail to keep foreign robbers, rapists, and murderers in the United States?

President Trump is absolutely committed to removing invaders from Democrat “sanctuaries” and preventing future harm to Americans.  He will assume control over criminal enforcement operations in Democrat-run cities if he must.  The era of taking sides against the family has come to an end.

(4) “It’s not personal; it’s strictly business.”

Trump’s done with North American trade “deals” that enable Canada and Mexico to operate as pass-through entities for China and other adversaries flooding American markets with cheap goods.  Whether it’s illegal drugs or finished products from foreign companies exploiting trade loopholes, the U.S. will no longer subsidize Mexico’s cartel government or Canada’s “Green New Deal” unicorn economy.  America must be self-resilient and have an economy more diverse than Wall Street bankers and taxpayer-funded NGOs.  It’s not personal, Prime Minister Carney.  It’s economic security.

(5) “Hold on to your friends, but make peace with your enemies.”

The Russia Collusion Hoaxers can push for war with Russia all they want.  President Trump knows that America loses if it gets stuck in a European civil war over Russian-speaking lands in Ukraine whose people have repeatedly voted to be a part of the Russian Federation.  Sending money and weapons to Ukraine until every last able-bodied man dies prolongs useless slaughter.  From the Arctic to the Middle East, the U.S. and Russia have much more to gain by working together.  Both also correctly view communist China as a serious adversary.  As Sollozzo tells Tom Hagen, “I don’t like violence. ... I’m a businessman.  Blood is a big expense.”

(6) “Revenge is a dish best served cold.”

Hillary, Obama, the lawfare operatives at the DOJ, or the gangsters manipulating global affairs in the espionage agencies — take your pick.  With Bolton getting his home and office tossed and ongoing criminal investigations heating up with regards to Senator Adam Schiff, New York attorney general Letitia James, and many others, those who abused their offices to defraud the American people and overthrow President Trump in a Deep State-engineered coup d’état should be afraid.  How many Establishment figures in D.C. are unlawfully in possession of classified materials?  How many have profited in quid-pro-quo arrangements with foreign nations?  How many have committed fraud when signing mortgage documents?  How many are guilty of insider trading?  Perhaps we will soon know.

(7) “A man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man.”

Out with the “transgender” madness.  In with the traditional nuclear family.  Have you noticed that the winds of American culture are shifting after twelve years of Obama-Biden delusions during which we were told that families are “oppressive” and “systemically racist”?  Obama’s “Life of Julia” campaign promised women that they did not need men or children because the government would be their perfect “partner” for life.  Biden’s DOJ harassed parents for opposing school districts’ obsession with sexualizing childhood education.  The Democrat party argues that teachers should secretly “transition” children away from their biological sex and assist young girls in obtaining abortions without parental notification.  Trump is putting an end to all that.  

Children need moms and dads.  Adults need spouses.  America needs more children.  Families grow the economy and foster strong communities.  As the Trump administration shows every day, there is nothing more critical for America’s success than promoting healthy American families.

(8) “Great men are not born great; they grow great.”

There are many similarities between Donald Trump and Winston Churchill.  Despised by the Establishment of their respective times, they changed the course of history through sheer force of will.  They share an exuberant energy and tenacious spirit.  Churchill reportedly remarked, “Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.”  After surviving an assassin’s bullet, Trump clenched his fist and shouted, “Fight!  Fight!  Fight!”  These two imperfect men perfectly personify this lesson in leadership: Never give up!  You are not bestowed with that kind of greatness upon birth.  You must suffer and fall and get back up — again and again — until everyone — including your opponents — marvels at your fearlessness.

(9) “I believe in America.”

Not since Ronald Reagan have we had a president who is so unabashedly pro-American.  Trump’s enemies call his “Make America Great Again” slogan “imperialist” or “racist.”  He calls it a mission statement.  You are either part of the monumental effort to secure peace, prosperity, and freedom for the people of the United States, or your loyalties lie elsewhere.  You have to really love something to sacrifice everything for it.  President Trump loves America.