A Do’s and Don’ts List for Donald Trump

Wall Street Journal writer Andy Kessler has created a Trump do’s and don’t list. Which ones do you agree with?

Donald Do’s and Don’ts, Andy Kessler

1. Do protect the dollar: Emulate former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, who repeated ad nauseam, “A strong dollar is in the best interest of the United States.” It really is. Have your Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent say it—and mean it
2. Don’t impose tariffs: Tariffs are an unnecessary sales tax and can be inflationary, which is why long bond yields are rising. Tariffs kill trade and economic booms. Go easy on the Tariff Man shtick, and banish tariff touters Robert Lighthizer and Peter Navarro to the Social Security Administration.
3. Don’t create migrant camps: The border mess is one reason you were elected. A recent CBS poll found that 57% of Americans approve of deportations. But do it right. Say you are returning Mr. Biden’s uninvited guests. Reversing the Joe Flow. Removing illegal “Bigrants.” That even sounds Trumpian. Remind everyone why you are doing this.
4. Do scrap DEI: Do it across the entire federal government by Executive Order 13985a, word swapping Joe Biden’s “whole-of-government equity agenda” signed on his first day with a “whole-of-government equality agenda.” Simple and effective.
5. Donald Do close the Education Department (and let DOGE close or clean up many others): Encourage charters. Liberate the curriculum. Encourage AI—what the Khan Academy is doing—which will become our children’s best and most efficient teachers. In the spirit of Grover Norquist, shrink government to the size where it can be drowned in a bathtub.
6. Donald Do encourage electric vehicles: But don’t mandate or subsidize them. The average price of a new car in October was $48,623. Putting tariffs on Chinese EVs, especially from the world’s largest EV maker BYD, who sells cars for as cheap as $10,000 to $20,000, is stealing from Americans in exchange for a handful of jobs. Dumb.
7. Donald Do protect Taiwan: A Chinese attack would trigger a world recession. Remind China that it will be hurt worse as equipment-maker ASML added remote-kill switches on their equipment for chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, rendering the equipment worthless after an invasion.
8. Donald Do let Israel and Ukraine win: Don’t restrict their weapons or how they use them, and the wars will end quickly. Let these countries focus on technology and innovation rather than having to defend their citizens.
9. Donald Do encourage domestic energy: Boost fracking. Boost nukes via faster permitting. Boost geothermal energy, which will enable our cleanest fuel source.
10. Donald Don’t continue the CHIPS+ Act or any industrial policy. Do provide advanced orders to chip companies. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration did this in the early days of Silicon Valley. It worked out.
11. Donald Do encourage digital interstate commerce: Do it for medicine, education and everything. Scrap car mileage standards. Create more national parks. Go to Mars. Don’t kill the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
12. Finally, Donald Don’t fall for crypto: You raised money from a bunch of guys who buy and trade worthless puka shells and claim that they have all sorts of magical financial powers (beyond money laundering). They are still securities. Your latest harebrained idea is no capital-gains taxes on U.S.-based crypto. 

That’s a very good list by Kessler in Donald Dos and Donald Don’ts

I agree with all but number 8 and possibly number 3 depending on what he means by doing deportation the right way.

In lieu of number 8, I would add: Do stop meddling. It was US meddling in Ukraine by John McCain and US reneging on promises to not expand Ukraine further East that led to this mess.

I strongly disagree with US policy in Israel, supporting everything Israel does. We should be ending wars, not prolonging them. There is no excuse for some of Israel’s actions.

Regarding number 12: Trump’s crypto idea is total nonsense. It’s another handout of favoritism that no one should cheer, even the industry.

There is no case for selectively eliminating capital gains on anything. We should not be adding favors to the tax code for anything. We should simplify the tax code by ending all deductions and opt for a flat tax coupled with a VAT or national income tax.

Regarding number 3, I want want Trump to close the border, mandate stay in Mexico, and start with deportations of criminals. Then we need a pause.

I support the Dignity Act sponsored by Republican rep. Maria Salazar from Florida. I expect her to be a rising star in the Republican party.

For discussion, please see The New Home for Hispanics is the Republican Party

Please play this PBS video interview of Florida rep. Maria Salazar on Hispanics, Trump, and deportations.

More Do’s and Don’ts

I outlined my policies in I Wrote In “Mish” for President of the United States

I discussed, Immigration, Personal taxes, Corporate taxes, Collective Bargaining of Public Unions, Student Loans, Military Spending, Social Security and Medicaid, Stock Options, Abortion, Food Stamps, Tariffs and Subsides, Energy Policy, Banking, and DEI.

…. This is a general framework that encourages more savings, more investment, and work instead of welfare.

The goal is to have tax cuts that primarily benefit the middle class while balancing the budget over a 10-year time frame.

If the tax code is simple enough, organizations won’t need an army of lawyers, and we will barely need an IRS at all.

A corporate tax rate of zero inside the US will spur massive US investment. Elimination of tariffs will lower prices.

Getting rid of the public unions and their onerous and undeserved pensions will dramatically lower the price of education, the cost of building roads, etc.

My do’s list was more comprehensive than Kessler’s. Please have a list.