Donald Trump has broad policy agenda needed to win in 2020

The policy agenda of President Trump is replete with underappreciated bipartisan achievements that have broad appeal to the electorate, posing a real threat to the Democrats in 2020. Still, even while most liberals are working overtime to distort his broad spectrum platform, some Democrats are acknowledging that Trump pursuing goals they genuinely support, such as withdrawing American troops from overseas conflicts.

In a recent interview, Democratic Representative Ro Khanna of California praised the foreign policy of Trump, calling for a coalition of bipartisan lawmakers to help him accomplish his objectives. “Instead of all the trillions of dollars that we have spent on these wars, imagine if we built our infrastructure, if we invested in our people, if we helped build our country to make sure that we win in the 21st century,” he said, echoing concerns Trump has with China. “That is a message that every American, regardless of whether you voted for President Trump or whether you voted for a Democratic member of Congress, can get behind.”

{mosads}The noninterventionist stance Trump has taken on foreign policy is hardly the only part of his platform that has broad appeal among voters. As hinted at by Khanna, Trump views foreign affairs as directly to his belief in adopting “America First” policies and strengthening the United States economy. To accomplish this, Trump has implemented targeted tariffs against China and renegotiated outdated trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement that failed to serve our interests.

Taking such bold steps on trade was a significant departure from the political orthodoxy of both parties in recent years. While the Republican establishment had sought to placate China rather than stand up to its rampant trade abuses, the Democratic establishment had abandoned American workers in pursuit of job killing environmentalist policies.

Instead of toeing the establishment line, Trump had the courage to point out that “free trade” was not really free. The president took the necessary steps to strengthen once forgotten middle class, resulting in hundreds of thousands of new manufacturing jobs since he took office. Trump has also received bipartisan accolades for his work on prison reform as well as the opioid epidemic, which have resulted in meaningful policy changes that will make a real difference in the lives of millions of Americans.

“With the election of Donald Trump, advocates worried they had missed their chance at criminal justice reform,” NBC News wrote last year as the president was poised to sign the landmark legislation First Step Act into law. “They were wrong.” The network added, “The rare bipartisan consensus came directly as a result of White House involvement.”

Despite the endless barrage of attacks from his critics on the left, Trump has actually been a broad spectrum leader with a policy agenda that serves the interests of every American voter. That vision is exactly what propelled Trump to an historic election victory in 2016, and it should be the greatest concern for Democrats in the campaign for 2020.

Anthony Scaramucci is the founder of the global investment company SkyBridge Capital and served as White House communications director under President Trump. You can follow him on Twitter @Scaramucci.