Why pro-Trump ‘rubes’ will win again in 2020

Even as their impeachment “case” crumbles before our eyes, Democrats simply refuse to move on. 

California Rep. Adam Schiff, the most impeachment-crazed Democrat of the bunch, continues to denounce President Trump as a “threat to the integrity of our democracy.”

Elitist Trump-haters like Schiff are emboldened by their faux-Republican allies in the “Never Trump” orbit. In a recent CNN interview, one such ally, longtime never-Trumper Rick Wilson, openly ridiculed President Trump and his tens of millions of supporters. In Wilson’s words: “This is an administration defined by ignorance of the world.” He didn’t stop there, describing President Trump’s conservative base as a “credulous boom rube demo” with no understanding of math or reading.

Unfortunately, “Republicans” like Wilson, although few in numbers, are still all too common these days.

Last December, a coalition of “Never Trump” Republicans (that is, Republicans in name only) launched the Lincoln Project, a new super PAC aimed at taking down President Trump in 2020. The group is led by the usual anti-Trump suspects, such as Washington, D.C., attorney George Conway and former Kasich adviser John Weaver.

On the surface, it may seem like the walls are closing in on President Trump, who faces enemies from many sides. But that’s not quite the real picture.

Step outside the Beltway or quit listening to the media megaphones on the two coasts, and you’ll find that the anti-Trump #Resistance is no closer to taking him down than in 2016, when Donald Trump won 63 million votes en route to the White House. 

I was one of those voters. I saw numerous parallels between President Reagan, whom I served for many years, and Donald Trump. Along with Republican strategist Eric Beach, I and many other concerned citizens started Great America PAC to advance President Trump’s “America First” agenda and defend him from the left’s partisan attacks. 

Like “The Great Communicator” before him, President Trump possesses an uncanny ability to message traditionally conservative values directly to voters. His message is to believe in America: our economic might, our individual liberties, and our potential to reach new heights in the future.

President Reagan saw “morning in America.” President Trump similarly sees greatness — an America that, if put first, can indeed be a shining city on the hill.

By and large, Americans believe in their vision too. No impeachment charade can change that. Rick Wilson and the “Lincoln Project” certainly won’t.

Just look at the numbers. President Trump’s approval rating is now the highest it’s been since February 2017. In key battleground states, President Trump is repeatedly shown to defeat every single Democratic candidate.

This past week, 175,000 Americans applied online to get tickets for President Trump’s New Jersey rally. Many lined up in the freezing cold for more than 48 hours to attend the event.

What American voters see — and I’ve spoken to many of them, on behalf of Great America PAC — is a country on the rise. They see a booming economy. In January, consumer confidence reached its highest level since August of last year, with half of Americans claiming jobs are plentiful. Even 62 percent of Democrats believe that economic conditions are “good” right now. 

But perhaps President Trump’s greatest advantage is the utter arrogance of establishment elites like Rick Wilson. When “Never Trump” zealots routinely demean millions of Americans as “rubes” (or “deplorables”), Trump voters become incensed and ready for battle. Criticizing the millions of Americans who support the president sends a message to the American heartland: that your views and values don’t matter. Attacking their president comes down to attacking them and their beliefs.

Just like in 2016, President Trump’s supporters see a president who is facing unprecedented attacks from the Washington establishment: Democrats, faux-Republicans, and the liberal media. Those establishment figures can’t help but express their disdain for their fellow countrymen — the “rubes” outside the Beltway. Every time they do, it’s a win for President Trump.

The “rubes” will rise up in 2020. “Rubes” like me will reward a president who is committed to economic growth and border security. “Promises made, promises kept” is not just a campaign slogan, but a roadmap to continued prosperity, with better jobs, higher wages, secure borders, improved education, and a stronger and more appreciated military. But, most of all, it is a roadmap for the next generation to continue leading the world.

The losers may be uniting, but neither President Trump nor Great America PAC are tired of winning. And we will win again in 2020 — because the country and the world need our agenda.

Ed Rollins serves as chairman of the pro-Trump Great America PAC. Throughout his career, Rollins has served in the administrations of, and advised, four U.S. presidents. He was the assistant to the president in charge of the White House Office of Political Affairs and the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and deputy chief of staff during the Reagan administration.