As President-elect Donald Trump gears up for his second inauguration, speculation is rife about his plans for his second-term "legacy achievements.
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Trump's 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton has already secured his place in history as the orchestrator of the "biggest upset win in a presidential election ever." Moreover, his political comeback, arguably the greatest in American history, has eclipsed even that of his old friend Richard Nixon.
Trump's influence on the United States Supreme Court is also unparalleled. His commitment to aligning the Court with the actual text and public meaning of the Constitution has resulted in a significant shift in its direction. This legacy could potentially extend even further if retirements occur at the end of this SCOTUS term or the next.
As reported by Fox News, if the GOP retains its Senate majority in 2026, Trump is likely to break Ronald Reagan's record for the total number of federal judges appointed during a presidency. Reagan's record stands at 383, which is 149 more than the 234 judges Trump appointed in his first term.
In terms of federal appeals court judges, Trump's first term saw 54 nominees confirmed, just one less than the total confirmed during Barack Obama's eight-year tenure. Trump is expected to surpass this number within three months of his second inauguration. (For comparison, President Biden appointed one Supreme Court justice and 45 appeals court judges, who are obliged to follow the law as declared by the Supreme Court.)
When "the Wall" is completed, it will stand as a testament to the nation's resolve to control its own borders. Trump is expected to attend the completion of its final section, and the Wall will likely remain a symbol of national determination for generations to come.
Trump's second economic boom is anticipated to follow aggressive deregulation, particularly in the areas of energy production and housing construction.
However, Trump's first term did not see the fulfillment of his promise to expand the U.S. Navy to 355 ships and revitalize shipbuilding through the expansion and modernization of dry docks and graving docks. Despite efforts by Ambassador Robert OBrien, Trump's national security advisor, to move the DOD bureaucracy towards this goal, time ran out. However, Trump's second term offers a new opportunity to achieve this legacy.
Trump's ambition to make America's Navy as great as it has ever been is a significant undertaking. However, if he begins on January 20, it is a goal he can achieve. This objective can be communicated in his second inaugural address and reinforced daily by asking his senior staff: "What did we do for the Navy yesterday and what are we going to do for it today?"
The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank specializing in national security matters, reports that "China now possesses the worlds largest maritime fighting force, operating 234 warships to the U.S. Navys 219." The report also notes that "about 70 percent of Chinese warships were launched after 2010, while only about 25 percent of the U.S. Navys were."
China's ship production significantly outpaces that of the United States. The Office of Naval Intelligence assessment noted that China has dozens of commercial shipyards larger and more productive than the largest U.S. shipyards. In a protracted war, China's massive shipbuilding industry would provide a strategic advantage, allowing it to repair damaged vessels or construct replacements much faster than the United States.
Trump has consistently aimed for a seapower legacy akin to those of the greatest presidencies of the 20th centuryTR, FDR, and Reagan. These leaders understood that the United States is primarily a "seapower," and that maintaining dominance of the worlds waterways is essential to American strength and endurance in the face of global adversaries, particularly the Peoples Republic of China.
Trump is well aware of Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, and the leader of a ruthless regime. While Trump is not afraid of Xi, he would prefer to manage tensions between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party rather than escalate them into conflict. "Making America Great Again" necessarily includes avoiding a war with China, which in turn means maintaining our strategic superiority over the Peoples Liberation Army and the Peoples Liberation Army Navy ("PLAN").
Mackenzie Eaglen and Brady Africa of the American Enterprise Institute recently assessed both the U.S. Navy and the PLAN. They concluded that "China has been investing so much in shipbuilding over the past 18 years that it can now build more ships in a month than the United States can in a year and Beijing aims to keep widening its advantage."
"If the U.S. military does not soon catch up to this capacity, it risks finding itself off-guard and ill-equipped in a conflict scenario," they continued. "Chinas recent expansions should alarm American military planners and spur investments to bolster naval power."
Trump has the opportunity to join TR and Reagan as the godfather of a fleet designed primarily to deter wars, but also capable of supporting victory in them. When Woodrow Wilson first sent a half dozen destroyers to join the Allies in World War One, the first six destroyers to reach Ireland and join the battle against the Kaisers U-boats were the USS McDougal (Destroyer #54); USS Conyngham (Destroyer #58); USS Porter (Destroyer #59); USS Wadsworth (Destroyer #60), and USS Davis (Destroyer #62). All six of these ships were built between 1913 and 1916. When Wilson finally reacted to unrestricted warfare on all shipping and to the revelation of the "Zimmerman telegraph," he had the destroyers at hand to dispatch to the Channel and the waters nearby.
We dont need a Zimmerman Telegraph to alert us to Xis plan. Hes building ports in Peru and Namibia to support a blue-water PLAN and new ships suited to the invasion of Taiwan. Trumps best way to go down in history as a "peace-maker," is to throw much of his vast energy at rebuilding our power on, above, and under the seas.
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