When you think of a leader, whose name comes up? Leaders like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Jimmy Carter are remembered not because of their perfection but because they led our country through difficulties with transparency, respect for the truth, and accountability. Our leadership now stands in stark contrast to that.
A recent article in The Washington Times covering the Republican Convention reported Trump’s declaration, “In 19 months, I’ve delivered on every single promise I made.” The contention that “every single promise” has been fulfilled is simply false and unsupported by evidence. False statements like these are damaging to the public’s trust and the country’s reputation.
Data from political watchdogs and independent fact checkers show that many of the Trump campaign’s major promises have contradictory data to statements he has made or incomplete statuses. A “MAGA-Meter” by PBS News illustrates how many of these so-called promises have been unfulfilled, stalled, or even broken. Specifically, a broken promise from the campaign is the increasing rate of inflation. It has surged significantly since he took office, and imposed tariffs, directly affecting the consumers. When leaders present their successes and claims as absolute, it can be very misleading to voters and people don’t get the full story on how national events will affect their everyday lives.
Though claiming partial success in tax cuts and expanded energy production would be truthful, declaring sweeping success is false. Selective success cannot replace true fulfillment and democracy cannot grow when demands for unquestioning trust and the dismissal of real evidence are frequent events. To improve the relationship between the public and its leaders, people must hold those in power accountable for their actions. Overall, citizens must demand transparency and accountability from our leaders or else we run the risk of being victims to a corrupt system once again.
Jacelyn Smith, Sandy