WASHINGTON TIMES: DAVID BOSSIE: Trump never said draining the swamp would be easy

President Trump is bringing smart American common sense back to the federal government, and not a moment too soon.

For far too long, a wave of radical left-wing policies, regulations and irrational bureaucratic “norms” have been allowed to fester in hopes of altering the country we know and love into something unrecognizable. But on Jan. 20, Donald J. Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, put his foot down.

On the eve of our country’s 250th birthday, the historic reelection of the ultimate political outsider, Donald Trump, represents a much-needed American reset. To kick-start the massive undertaking, the Trump administration is getting back to basics by asking some fundamental questions such as: Is this policy, program or individual putting America first? Is the program beneficial to American taxpayers and workers? And a question all but forgotten in Washington: Is it fiscally responsible? Mr. Trump is exactly right when he says that asking responsible questions like this has become so rare that it now sounds revolutionary.

Mr. Trump has always had his finger on the pulse of America. He knows our citizens depend on a dramatic overhaul of a broken and unresponsive government that has been horrendously mismanaged in recent years to the point of neglect. The American people deserve no less, and for this president, it’s all about promises made and promises kept.

Mr. Trump is dedicated to getting the job done and is making it clear to hardworking Americans that he’s addressing their concerns. Mr. Trump’s mindset of a successful businessman is the polar opposite of tone-deaf career politicians like former President Joseph R. Biden, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. Mr. Trump has heard loud and clear that our $36 trillion national debt is unsustainable and that running a budget deficit as far as the eye can see is unacceptable; he knows that spending billions on diversity, equity and inclusion programs and staff is genuinely un-American; he understands the danger of a woke Pentagon and Central Intelligence Agency; and he sees the Green New Deal as the farce that it is.

Thankfully, the American people now have a unique, once-in-a-lifetime leader in the Oval Office who specializes in accomplishing difficult tasks very quickly. Make no mistake: We have an extraordinary chief executive in the White House who’s making the big calls necessary to stop America’s decline in its tracks.

The contrast between Mr. Trump’s decision-making prowess and transparency and Mr. Biden’s opaque delegating power to his radical, unelected staff is striking. Indeed, an enormous leadership vacuum has been filled, and the power and prestige of the presidency are back, bigger and better than ever. You can feel it in the air.

As the past four years have made abundantly clear, the world depends on a strong American president who speaks clearly and operates with common sense.

Look no further than Mr. Trump’s executive orders, which embody many of the long overdue reforms the American people demand from their government. To immediately address our open southern border, Mr. Trump declared a national emergency, reinstated his successful “Remain in Mexico” policy and designated drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Mr. Trump is also deploying troops to help secure the border and ordering more border wall construction. And because of these actions, illegal border crossings have already fallen dramatically.

Mr. Trump’s executive orders are designed to put America first, such as withdrawing from the World Health Organization and declaring a national energy emergency that will unlock our vast natural resources to help drive down the costs of gasoline and utility bills.

Mr. Trump also ended the Biden electric vehicle mandate to allow Americans to buy the cars they want and can afford. Additionally, the president is continuing to stand with Israel by targeting antisemitism in America by withholding federal funds and deporting foreign college students who are Hamas sympathizers.

Mr. Trump is also making consequential changes to the government’s operations. He ordered an end to all DEI programs, froze federal hiring and grants, halted the implementation of Biden-era regulations, and forced millions of federal workers to show up at the office for work or accept a buyout in exchange for their resignation.

The president has also greenlighted the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the External Revenue Service to collect money from foreign nations. Additionally, Mr. Trump made good on his promise to end the corrupt practice of government-sanctioned censorship and any other effort that violates the First Amendment.

The reckless policies of the Biden-Harris administration put America in a big hole, but with Mr. Trump back in office, we’re well on our way to digging out of it — and this is only the beginning.

Now, it’s onto major tax relief, cutting red tape, continuing to deport thousands of criminal aliens, law and order on the streets, peace through strength abroad, and optimism for a better future.

David N. Bossie is president of Citizens United and served as deputy campaign manager for Donald J. Trump for President.