Washington and Trump: Fair to Compare?

Hang on! Before you start thinking I poured curdled milk in your coffee or put icy hot in your skivvies, give me a chance here. Sometimes I have a thought about something, but more often than not, that's all it becomes. There isn't enough there, there, so I drop it and move on. Sometimes I come across something I am reading and I begin to think, "Wait a minute, that reminds me of so and so." That's what happened here. 

Several years ago, I read Joseph Ellis's His Excellency, a book about President George Washington. I read it while I was deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 2011-2012. Honestly, I didn't like the book. I felt Ellis had an axe to grind with Washington, or was one of those, "George Washington was not the guy most history books revere." Yes, there were some salient points made, historical notes, facts that are indisputable, but overall, I just felt like he wanted to take a dig at Washington. I felt the same way in his book American Sphinx about Jefferson. I'm thinking, what a turd this guy is. He is deliberatly trying to tarnish our Forefathers. Fast forward to early September 2024. I was loooking over my book collection thinking of books I could take over to Goodwill. I came across His Excellency, one of three books I have on Washington. I pulled it out and gave it another shot. I had forgotten so much of what I read 12ish years ago, so it would be good to see if this was something I was going to hang on to or hand over. 

I decided to give Ellis another chance. I mean, he is a historian. He does have a pretty solid reputation. And I thought, let's see how smart I am to decipher, interpret, or analyze a point of view I disagree with or have problems with. Yes, I do think about that when I am reading. 

I am not finished with the rereading of the book yet, but what I can remember from initally reading it, and reading some reviews, here is a quote from a guy named Joe, who read it back in 2010. I feel he accurately captured a lot of what I felt when I first read the book. "My impression of the author is that he is inherently deceitful, ambitious and godless cannot understand how someone can be ambitious but still serve others, and looks for examples to justify his own insecurities." 

Now, don't get me wrong. I am not here to directly compare the two. Each man is distinctly different than the other. What I am going to compare is style, purpose, vision, self-belief, and providential manifestation. 

I want to call attention to one particular statement made by Ellis that caught my attention and made me consider Trump. Before I provide the quote, a little context. At this point in the book, Ellis is talking about Washington assembling a team around him to help fight the Revolution. In all, Washington had 28 generals serve under him during the duration of the Revolutionary War (RW), but in the beginning there were four who stuck out: Charles Lee, Horation Gates, Nathaniel Greene, and Henry Knox. Ellis emphasizes that Lee and Gates had a lot more experience than Washington. Ellis says that Greene and Knox were less experienced and drawn to the military for their "zeal for American Independence." The main difference in these men was that Lee and Gates tried to "influence" Washington's movements and plans; whereas, Greene and Knox were more willing to trust Washington's vision, direction, and purpose for the war. Ellis submits that Washington was jealous of Lee and Gates' military experience and did not have the royal pedigree of the two. Ponder what you will of that. Anyway, so we have a split, Lee and Gates versus Greene and Knox. I think about Trump's first term and his second term. In his first term, because he lacked the political experience, he deferred to people he thought he could trust. Hence Pence as his pick and many Washington insiders for many important cabinet positions. By the end, Trump realized these people didn't have his vision. They had a systemic, swamp-esque entity to protect. Obviously ,Trump's second term looks glaringly different than the first. Back to Washington and Ellis' quote. 

Now that I have teased you with a little context of generals, vision, and purpose, let's make some sense of what I am proposing. On page 82, Ellis says this, "Washington's insistence on personal loyalty was rooted in his insecurity (in Lee's and Gates' superior credentials)." If you want to call it an insecurity, so be it. I would say it was an indifference to and mistrust of the establishment. There was a predictability to Lee and Gates. The British would know that, expose it, and ultimately prevail. Perhaps Washington had more keen insight than Ellis wants to recognize here. Ellis then says, "But the more compelling explanation is that he understood instinctively how power worked, and that his own quasi-monarchical status was indespensible to galvanize an extremely perilous cause." Ah-hah! That's it! Right? Nope. I would disagree with Ellis on the notion that "how power worked" were not the right words. Again, I go back to my previous statement. I think Washington had a keen insight into the old way of thinking and he needed a fresh, bold, and audacious process to win the war. He had a vision for success and didn't want his ideas sullied by "old ways". I will agree to this, the use of the word quasi-monarchical is almost spot on. Ellis later says in the same paragraph, "...Washington's king-like status contradicted the potent antimonarchical ethos in revolutionary ideology." Here, Ellis is correct. Washington did not want to be seen as a king-like figure. There is ample historical information that certifies that position. No, what Washington probably recognized was that he needed to express a style and manifestation of someone of royal nature and authority, while balancing the idea that he was just one of the guys whose soldiers would run through a brick wall for him. See where I'm going with this? In a sense, we can view Trump's presidency as quasi-monarchical in that he needs to project the idea of ultimate authority in an effort to enact his vision, which many believe in. It doesn't make him a dictator or authoritarian. It makes him determined and focused on the vision he feels America needs. You are either on board or you risk the chance of being on the wrong side of history. Washington had a vision and process. Was it risky? Hell yeah! The future of America was at stake. Is Trump's vision and process risky? Maybe not as much, because we have the precedence for it. Our Forefathers gave us the template. 

Of course, this is but a snippet of information and distinction Ellis draws from his research of Washington, so it may be unfair of me to speculate such a direct correlation and connection, but here is my subjective view. Oftentimes, reading becomes an exercise in observation and sometimes application. Based on those descriptions, I want to compare Washington and Trump in this way. 

I go back to my original talking points. Imagine this comparison as a metaphorical analogy of circumstances, style, purpose, vision, self-belief, and manifestation. Both men led or is leading a Revolution (of sorts). Washington's was a physical war that had many tentacles of politics, social order, and America's future course. Trump's Revolution is more social, but we could include national security, the future of politics, and of course, our future. direction. Where are we going? 

Two, when it comes to style, the comparison ends there. Washington was known to be reserved, a quiet confident leader; whereas Trump is more obtuse, in your face, and (at times) crude. Where the comparison can be viewed is their style of leadership. Washington and Trump emphasize trust and loyalty above anything else. You might argue, don't all leaders want that? Not necessarily. A lot of times leadership is based on this for that. Consider why the Democrat party is in such disarray right now. There is no loyalty to a particular person. It's too an ideology. It can also be argued that dictators value loyalty and trust above everything else, but that is more so based on "If you don't ,I'll kill you." So, it's a feigned loyalty. If Washington was going to put his trust in Greene and Knox, two men who did not have the credentials as Lee and Gates, he was taking a huge risk, but because Greene and Knox believed in and admired Washington's bravado and ideas, they were willing to run the gauntlet for him. Loyalty and trust are born out of vision, and both Trump and Washington have a lot of that.

Three, purpose. Washington's purpose was to win independence for America. To separate it from the oppression and over regulation of England. Trump's purpose, in many respects, is not that much different, but his separation is from the Swamp (uniparty mentality), an oppressive, over regulated, corrupt industry complex. 

Next, vision. Washington had an idea of what America could be post-war. His vision of westward expansion, individual rights, freedom, property, etc. and not that much different thatn the vision of Trump. He wants to restore people's rights. He doesn't want big government interference or some bureucratic body telling people what to do. He wants to unleash the power, energy, an inovatoin of America. Although one issue that Trump has to deal with that differs from Washington is immigration. That was not an important issue for Washington; however, the idea of sovereignty was. America's sovereignty has been under attack for decades and Trump wants to end that and make more sense of our immigration system. It is safe to say that Washington and Trump believed in America First. 

Self-belief. I don't need to delve into that very much. Both men had/have a true sense of self-belief. Washington believed in what he wanted to do, how he wanted to do it, and who he wanted to do it with. Trump's recent cabinet choices clearly outline those same sentiments. 

Divine providence. Ellis repeatedly "inferred" (my interpretation), that Washington rarely used the word God, but would often use providence. I would think both are mutually agreed upon, as meaning the same thing. Is it different if we say my parent or my dad/mom? No. It's understood either way. Besides, there are plenty of references in George Washington: In His Own Words where he refers many times to God. There are several accounts where Washington's life seemed to be spared during the Revolution, whether it was horses being shot underneath him or his overcoat showing bullet holes. It could be said thatnTrump's life was spared in Butler, PA and in Florida. It's hard not to dispute either assertion that providence played a role. 

In closing, I would submit that Washington and Trump are similar in many ways. Both men were/are tremendous leaders whose vision was/is to make America free and great. To not cower to authority. To not be dictated to. Their management styles were similar in how they valued loyalty and trust above everything else. They were/are willing to take risks to achieve the end result. In some ways, our Forefathers entrusted Washington to "save" America from the British monarchy and oppressive rule. I believe Trump has been entrusted by the American peope to once again "save" America from the ravages of a warped ideology, corruption, and the practice of quid pro quo. It was said that Washington was the right man for the right time. I would say the same for Trump. 

The Lamp of Liberty

Thomas Paine once said, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” I would go one step further in that these are the times that try “good and noble people’s” souls. Fellow Patriots, we have entered a perilous time in our history, the chapter not yet written but clearly the outline evident. I echo Paine’s call to appeal to reason, to common sense, to put away your prejudices and presuppositions as I offer simple facts that are as bare as a newborn babe. We can no longer “turn the cheek”, or capitulate to a mob of malcontents. Our nation may be fractured, but not broken. Which means there is still great hope in Her revival of unity and purpose. But the hour to unbind Her from the rope that chokes this country is at hand. We live in a time where opposing opinions are no longer respected. Where our voice is further being suppressed or censored. We live in a time where we cannot even debate great issues of national concern to reach a consensus, to move the country forward as ONE. The very question of freedom, individual rights, equal justice under the law, and opportunity are in peril. America stands on a tethered tight rope that is splintering and splaying, the abyss the only alternative should it tear apart. The word “united” becomes an afterthought. Our Forefathers, who sacrificed everything to make us free and independent, relied on those who would follow to continue their vision, but in our current state, we are witnessing the dreams and ambitions of our forefathers vanish. The hope that is the beacon to the world, snuffed out. The following sentiments I speak freely and “without reserve.” 

So true to the “Declaration of Independence” or Patrick Henry’s “Speech to the Virginia Convention” or Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, there is a time in a person’s mind where their toleration for usurpation, constricting of liberty, stripping of individual rights, and other assailable acts exacts its toll and the soul cries out, “No more!” Our sole aim is to arrive at truth and to uphold the responsibility to which we hold for God and country. Our means to celebrate individual liberty, God-given rights, and the pursuit of happiness is being drowned out by a tidal wave of historical revision, treasonous ideologies, and a new social religion. This tidal wave intends to darken our land and erase the ideas, the values, the faith, the love, the patriotism built on great achievements and yes, even mistakes of good, noble intended people. The judgment of those who wish to erase any notion of our history and founding exist upon a bevy of half-truths, misinformation, and warped sense of time and place, rejecting any sense of context, proportion, or perspective. The appeal to look at history through a lens of today belies any sense of reasoning or scope. The implements of their war on our country are not arms, for it has been said, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” So they use clever words masked in lies and obfuscation promulgated by a soulless and complicit media, and through the eyes of academic know-it-alls who have little sense of the actual world around them. The noted professor who knows so much that he keeps but one jacket in his closet because his mind is cluttered with vaults of “knowledge” that to make a decision is stifling and paralyzing. They have infiltrated and infected nearly every institution we revere and respect: education, media, the judicial system, the military. To them the Constitution is written in pencil. Their aim is not to create a better United States, on the contrary, the only purpose for the application of united is to have One Party rule disregarding the hopes and dreams of millions who continually see this as the country of freedom, opportunity, individual rights, and justice. The utopia they envision is a world that will not exist because they exhibit the very things they loathe: hate, bigotry, racism, race and ethnic based identity, censoring, ignorance. Their world is an illusory attempt to make real what cannot be made real. Their ministry is the ministry of man where God is no more and never was. The universe of these people is filled with objects of fantasy and galaxies of the imagination. They swim in the cesspool of their own righteousness. Hearts empty, void of any true Patriotic blood. Party first, people last, always. Their means of compassion is a means to control. Their operation of goodwill is to hold asunder those they “lift up.” Like the mutant character “Rogue”, they suck the life force out of everything they come in contact with. 

For years we have stood by relatively quiet, amiably compliant, busily making a life, and what have we for such conciliatory behavior - a hateful, fomenting, virtue signaling minority of unhappy people who have wriggled away the will of the people to the will of the most mindless, galactically stupid, unrealists to walk this earth. We have capitulated in order to appease, but the insatiable hunger of the predator cannot be satiated. We have deceived ourselves into this false space that only knows the bounds of its own creator. Their violations have been great. We have been spurned, called contemptible, liars, racists, bigots, and every “-phobe” associated with mankind. They think we are weak, unable to wage this battle, uninformed idiots of great magnitude, an ignorant adversary. How long do we stand by and watch the disintegration of all that we hold dear? Our parents have flaws, but we love them. We recognize our imperfections; the blemishes that mar Her beauty. Every country of note has its scars, some more than others. We do not hide our scars or wish them gone. We acknowledge them so as not to make the same mistake that caused them in the first place. We understand the human failings of our forefathers, but we recognize the greatness of them as well. Those who hold them in contempt are but jealous, intellectually inflated, gratuitous narcissists who deem themselves smarter than them. Hah! It’s easy to challenge those who are not here to defend themselves, so we must defend them for them, their posterity, and their contributions heralded around the world by countless millions of admirers. 

For those who discount, discredit, and/or disgrace our flag, we know your intent. The ceremonial fold of the flag disturbs you. It is an honored tradition, and it often represents the fallen who helped to defend her so she may wave proudly atop any flagpole. It infuriates those who wish to unfurl their own version. The unity of her stars captured in a frame of blue, or the contiguous stripes even to one another with none having dominion over the other appear to cause those who wish her gone to turn away as if they are face to face with the Almighty Father who “Shed his Grace on Thee.” The flag is the left’s kryptonite and they wish to destroy her at all costs. Change the flag, change the country. By God, do not let them! 

There is no longer time for debate or hope if we wish to continue to be free. We cannot ignore or abandon the noble struggle of this human experiment and deny ourselves the continued grace and glory that is innate in all. The object of our fight is freedom. The plight of our struggle is liberty. The outcome of this glorious battle is the pursuit of happiness. The lamp of liberty burns brightly when good people stand united in the preservation of Her ideals and rejects the misguided ideology and fancies of those that would extinguish that flame of pride, loyalty, love, equality, opportunity, and individual rights. This battle cannot be won with hope or trust in the powers that be, for they have abdicated their duties many times over. No, this war will be waged in the communities that wish to preserve, protect, and continue to pursue those ideals that made this country the beacon of hope She is. Do not stand idly by as the storm of radicalism and misguided promises swarm the land like voracious locusts destroying everything in its path. These people are termites and they eat away at the foundation of our freedoms. President Reagan said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

The sun shines brightly on our cause. It illuminates the continued pursuit of creating a more perfect union. Posterity for future generations must be won NOW! There is no reconciliation with radicalism or the ideologically demented. It must be stomped out with an emphatic unity call to defend our ideals and principles. We must wholly reject the notion that for the sake of progress that we yield our freedoms, our thoughts, our principles, our rights. As President Truman echoed, “We were not built on fear, but on courage, imagination, and an unbeatable determination...” It was not built to surrender to a false god of wokism or diabolical cabal. It was not built to supplicate ourselves to a small number of sad, unhappy, disgruntled, and hateful group of people. We defeated tyrannies around the world, fascism, naziism, socialism and the like. We cannot in good conscience allow the defeat of such greatness and contribution to come from within. And this storm does not stop at our shores. If it is successful, it surely will infect any Western Civilization that allows it to fester and gain momentum. If America represents the standard of what Western Civilization has for centuries been trying to build, surely Her demise will have worldly ramifications. Oftentimes as our history has exhibited, we are first in, last out when it comes to worldly contributions, assistance, and protection. Should She falter, who would protect the vulnerable? Will this new revolutionary mob of radicals protect the vulnerable? With what, money? Hopes? Adoption of “woke” policies? Their record of failure is on exhibit in virtually every major city in this country. The continued evidence of destruction lay in the rubble of inner cities, fractured families, untold violence, drugs, and failing education. That recipe of destruction is on full display. Pockets of prosperity designed only for those in charge. As they revel in their high rise, high priced conclaves of excessiveness wholly protected while those who suffer the miscarriages can only meander by and hope. Or the collapsing education system, once the harbinger of opportunity and hope, continues to fail minorities or the disadvantaged at nearly every turn; money being their remedy rather than addressing the root of what is truly missing: faith, family, and opportunity. The collapse of greatness is front and center, and if we do not stand united in Her cause, then we witness our own failings and look at our children with a forlorn sense of disappointment. I cannot in Godly conscience abandon my duty to continue the legacy of living and pursuing the ideals that made this country exceptional in so many ways. Paine said, “The Almighty has implanted in us these inextinguishable feelings, for good and wise purposes.” Let not that fire be extinguished. The robbers and thieves of “wokism” must be brought to a civil and communal justice. Much of the world has given away its freedoms and what have they to show? Millions desire to come to our shores because we are that LAST HOPE for mankind. If we perish our freedoms, we perish our honor and God-given rights. 

If we fail in our mission to save this country, to preserve Her uniqueness, to continue to be exceptional in words and deeds, and to showcase Her unbridled contributions to the world and humanity, then what has the rest of the world to hope for? If the final flame of freedom be extinguished, the world plunges into a darkness of tyranny, tribalism, and destruction. The result being man’s regression not progression. Liberty and freedom keeps the world honest. Our pursuit to create a more perfect union is worth fighting and dying for. No country has a more diversified portfolio to offer the world. No country has a more diversified yet unified populace. No country can grant the wishes, dreams, hopes, and faith that we offer. We have dressed ourselves in a Patriotic uniform that fits all who wish to don the wardrobe of America. We cannot allow the Patriotic uniform to be torn away from our possession and cast into the fire of destruction. My fellow Patriots, do you have the will? We must be warriors for Liberty. We must be valiant in our attempt. I say STAND and FIGHT! The cause for Liberty is never too great. The loss of Liberty grave and permanent. 

Scott A. Reighard

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