Former Aberdeen Mayor Mike Levsen has some burning questions in the wake of the disastrous 2024 election results
Assuming campaign promises were sincere, many reasonable questions arise with the takeover of government by Donald Trump and his political party. Here are some that come to mind quickly:
1. When do we start rounding up millions of Mexicans, Venezuelans, Haitians and others and how soon will they be deported? How will their jobs and tax revenue be replaced?
2. Will Trump demand the Senate filibuster rule be eliminated so Project 2025 provisions can pass with a simple majority?
3. Should we expect promised tariffs will once more lead China to retaliate against U.S. farmers and will Trump compensate for their losses again — now that he doesn’t need their votes? Will someone explain to him how tariffs work?
4. Will Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas resign and Justice Sotomayor’s health force her out, too — leaving room for three lifetime appointments for new, young members?
5. Are subsidies for wind and solar power ending, and what happens to employees in those industries? Maybe they can replace deported workers?
6. Should all the news networks take care to not anger Trump and if they do will he move to shut them down as he has said he would? Now that he will have “presidential immunity” can he disregard the First Amendment? What else?
7. How soon will all felons convicted for actions leading to destruction and deaths during the Jan. 6, 2021, attempted insurrection be pardoned and released to live among us?
8. What will the details be for replacing the Affordable Care Act after the “concept of a plan” evolves to an actual plan?
9. Will Inflation Reduction Act projects already enacted and scheduled be canceled, or will they proceed so individuals who voted against them can still take credit?
10. Have thousands of Ukrainians died for a lost cause as adequate aid for their fight against Russia is no longer provided and Putin dictates the end game?
11. Are there enough qualified MAGA employees available to replace all of the federal workers Trump will reclassify as appointees and who fail the loyalty test?
12. Which, among various abortion policy options floated in the campaign, will become national policy? Should we let each state decide as they once did about slavery?
13. How will U.S. military leaders be selected and what will be the political demands made of them?
14. Is Robert Kennedy Jr. prepared to lead us if there is another pandemic or other major health crisis? Will he allow public schools to require vaccinations?
15. Will the Secret Service find a way to protect Trump and allow him to get back to cheating at golf?
Mike Levsen is a former Aberdeen mayor and a regular contributor to The South Dakota Standard.
Photo: public domain, wikimedia commons
