President Donald Trump?

Gianna Caravetta | Opinion Editor | @giannacara

Donald J. Trump, a multi-billionaire entrepreneur and self-professed nice guy is running for President of the United States for the upcoming 2016 presidential election.

It seems as though everyone is talking about him, every class on campus is mentioning him by name, every student is dialoguing about his precedent, and every American is toying with the idea that he very well could be the next President of the United States.

People seem to have many different opinions about Trump, his effectiveness as president, his political incorrectness, and his desire to “Make America Great Again.”

Some topics on his political agenda include immigration, foreign policy, and tax reform. Of course, the population has conflicting views on Trump’s way of dealing with these issues. Whether you agree or disagree with his politics, it is uncontested that what he is saying is deeply resonating with a large population of Americans.

Yes, he is calling his opponents out by name and singling out groups of minorities, but, in doing so, he is also demanding that the American people hear what he has to say, something all great rhetoricians are able to do.

Trump’s net favorability with Republicans and Republican leaners even went up 16 percentage points on the most recent Gallup poll from Aug. 19 to Sept. 1.

This past Labor Day weekend, SurveyUSA released a nationwide poll that showed Trump is likely to defeat all of the Democratic Party candidates. Donald Trump is even anticipated to win against Hillary Clinton by 45 percent to 40 percent and against Bernie Sanders by 44 percent to 40 percent.

So, then, it seems as if Trump does not care (or rather does not need to care) that so many people are not as welcoming of his outspoken rants. After all, he has the world’s attention. So many Americans are fervently listening and eager to keep up with what he is saying, especially since keeping up with him and his campaign does not have to mean you are endorsing and voting for him.

In an interesting turn of events during this presidential hopeful season, many American people seem genuinely excited to see a candidate have the gall to speak his or her mind. Trump is unafraid and unphased in doing so. Thus, for some, he is a slight breath of fresh air amidst so much political hot air.

Unlike some of his opponents vying for the presidency, who have massive international donations from anonymous donors, Trump has no need for, sometimes shady, financial campaign contributions. His net worth is approximately $8 billion, so he surely can finance his own presidential campaign.

Trump tweeted on his Twitter page that he is absolutely not accepting any sort of donation to his presidential campaign, unlike his opponents who are using what he called special interest and lobbyist money to fund their campaigns.

“I’m turning down millions of dollars of campaign contributions, feel totally stupid doing so, but [I] hope it is appreciated by the voters,” the tweet said.

The tweet received over 4,600 retweets and 11,000 favorites. He has over four million Twitter followers that keep up with his personal updates about his ongoing campaign.

With so many candidates promising to make changes to better our nation’s infrastructure, healthcare, and education and to lessen the $18.1 trillion debt we have accrued, Trump does not seem to be hiding behind pithy slogans or facades. And, as much as some people may seem to dislike him, Trump has been unequivocal in his efforts to tell you what he stands for, where he stands, and how he is going to “Make America Great Again.”

Even if you still think he is crazy and egomaniacal, some can start to see the benefit of Trump being outspokenly politically incorrect.The American people are demanding change without a shadow of a doubt, and Trump is reaffirming these needs.  

For the first time in a very long time, it seems that the American people have a voice. Voters seem to be excited that someone is taking an interest in these issues that are infrequently discussed.

Maybe getting behind his campaign is not something many of us want to do, but we can acknowledge the fact that he is a smart businessman and an experienced orator. Whether that means that he has the skill set to rebuild America is still hotly contested among critics on both sides.