President Trump reached another mile marker on Sunday six months into his second term. There was, of course, a four-year window in between, a time of very different policies under Joe Biden.
Those differences? Now the southern border is closed, the administration recognizes only biological genders as it works to protect the safety and integrity of girls’ and women’s sports, the stock market is up and woke and wasteful spending are being attacked.
The administration, however, is drawing criticism from many of its supporters for its handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, an ongoing saga that at present isn’t a win for government transparency.
The White House calls Trump’s early time in office “promises made, promises kept.” One can argue about how the sausage is made, but it’s hard to disagree.
In fact, what’s happening now is “incredibly historic” in American governance, Frank Pavone, founder and director of Priests for Life, said on American Family Radio Tuesday.
“I want to really urge our listeners: take the time to read, explore, dig into, and digest all the details of the accomplishments of these last six months. And the reason I say pause and really take some time to study them is that we risk missing American history unfolding before our eyes,” he told show host Jenna Ellis.
Platform concerns last summer
Many conservatives expressed concern for changes to the Republican platform with Trump as the party nominee last summer. The word “abortion,” for example, appeared only once in the platform compared to 35 mentions in 2016.
Also, language from the 2016 platform that explicitly opposed same-sex marriage was removed and replaced with a statement saying the party would “promote a culture that values the sanctity of marriage” without specifying gender definitions.
Pavone, though, has been pleased with Trump’s support for life.
“When it comes to pro-life, we've got the 'Trump Accounts' that were created for American children. They are going to have this private investment account seeded with a thousand dollars. The employers of the parents of these children can pay into it, and you're going to have just a major turnaround for the financial well-being of the family and of children, which of course just does nothing but encourage a culture of life,” Pavone expressed.
The Trump Accounts are basically savings accounts for qualified minors. Private contributions are allowed up to $5,000 a year from parents, employers or nonprofits. Employee contributions up to $2,500 may be excluded from taxable income. Withdrawals can begin at age 18 with full access by age 30.
“You've got historic school-choice funding that was included in this Big, Beautiful Bill – and school choice means more education in the things we believe in, the biblical worldview and Christian values and pro-life positions,” Pavone said.
Critics contend that Trump’s tariffs are fueling inflation and hurting Americans. They attack Trump’s immigration and mass deportation policies.
Inflation was 9.1% in 2022, a 40-year high. It’s roughly 2.7% now compared to 2.9% at the end of Biden’s term. Some economists predict a rise later this year because of tariffs.
“If you look at the right track/wrong track polling … you compare the beginning of last year to now, those Americans who believe the country's on the right track have more than doubled,” Pavone noted.
The 'Butler Effect'
These wins claimed by Trump have come from policies he would have pursued even if there had never been an attempt on his life at an outdoor speaking event in Butler, Pennsylvania, a year ago. But that attack changed Trump, Pavone argues.
“The Butler Effect, as I call it, something shifted. What has happened since then, and many of those close to President Trump have acknowledged this and really he's acknowledged it himself, is that he has become supercharged with an awareness of the protective hand of God and that therefore the mandate … that not just the voters gave him. No – God gave him a mandate also.”
The Butler Effect, according to Pavone, has also created in Trump a “seize the day” mentality.
Pavone believes Trump is “more sensitive than ever before, that every moment counts. We don't know if we're going to be alive from one minute to the next. Our life is in God's hands from one minute to the next. We have a sacred duty to accomplish as much as we can of the mission God has given us.”
Trump was already a hard worker and was set to benefit from the understanding gained during his first term of how Washington actually works, Pavone said.
“Now there's another dimension that we're seeing unfold, which accounts for six months of absolutely historic victories,” he said.
Walker Wildmon, American Family Association (AFA) vice president, gave Trump an A grade for conservative leadership through his first six months. Trump, he said, has accomplished about as much as is possible for an executive whose authority is checked by Congress and the judiciary, the latter with a number of activists opposed to his positions.
“He’s done a really good job of advancing conservative principles, and he’s virtually at least attempted to fulfill all of his campaign promises,” the AFA spokesman told Ellis.
Wildmon gave Trump high marks for signing legislation – the Big, Beautiful Bill – that defunds abortion providers even though that commitment is for only one year. The “defunding” comes through the restriction of Medicaid reimbursements.
The House version of the bill defunded abortion providers for 10 years, but Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough found that multi-year defunding violated the Byrd Rule, which prohibits the inclusion of provisions in a reconciliation bill that would increase the federal deficit beyond the standard 10-year budget window.
“While it's only 12 months, and that's disappointing, that's not the standard, the fact that President Trump and the White House were committed to defunding abortion providers for at least a year through Medicaid reimbursements, that in and of itself is a generational win,” Wildmon said.
Finishing the job at the border
Wildmon also credited Trump for securing funding for the wall along the southern border.
The bill provides $46.5 billion in wall funding which makes up a significant portion of the more than $70 billion border security appropriation in the package.
“That is a biblical issue, and that is national sovereignty, the Lord establishing boundaries of the earth. The fact that that President Trump got the entire border wall funded and not just 10 miles of it or 50 miles of it is a really, really big deal.”
Editor's Note: American Family Association is the parent organization of the American Family News Network, which operates AFN.net.
