[Hoot Gibson]

That rearward facing 20/20 has the advantage over looking forward, does it not? Makes geniuses out of naysayers every darn day. Those concessions were rejected by the other side. It's not like they're established law. Trump has done wonders with the economy to include raising this country's pension plans from the dead. That alone affects everybody over 50 BTW. Trump recognized the true threat posed by our enemies back when Barack declared (and MANY bought) war as being a thing relegated to the 20th Century. With Trump's election, our military is therefore at least partially restored. And with Russian military hardware and contractors now on the ground in Venezuela, and China in control of the Panama Canal, the restoration of the US Armed Services was also a high priority.

The point would be, there was a tremendous mess left behind by the last administration and the fixes would have been daunting even with the cooperation of his own party. But as you say the wall is very important too, and there's no denying that his failure to build the wall is in plain view. What is also obvious as well as obviously dismissible, is the fact that though the wall remains un-built, that no more excuses those in the government responsible for granting funding from their treachery, than it supports placing the complete blame on Trump. No administration ever faced such a veritable avalanche of lawsuits, and no administration ever faced an organized resistance such as we've seen in this one. Democrats are on TV 24/7 disputing the idea that a wall is even functional, much less necessary. That's not Trump's doing, that the establishment in full on resistance mode. An establishment and a media which refuse to make so much as a mention of the threat posed by the dozens and maybe soon, hundreds of caravans.

If you're right and Trump is a lame duck one termer, at least you'll be able to gargle out a few crows as we're all going down. Unlike some, I don't see this time of US history as just a survivable hiccup. Nor do I see it as a social transformation which has any promise of continuing US sovereignty, much less dominance.

Well, I think that even a cursory review of my posts during Trump's campaign will show that my perspective is not even close to one of hindsight. I knew for a fact that Trump's past position on illegal immigration did not match his campaign rhetoric. Ted Cruz was the only Republican primary candidate who had a credible record of standing tough on illegal immigration.

Previous presidents have faced much tougher obstacles when they took office than Trump did. Reagan faced double digit inflation and interest rates, and a national unemployment rate of 7 percent. Lincoln took office with the nation on the brink of a bloody civil war. FDR took office during the Great Depression.

Now, with the benefit of hindsight, I would not give high marks to FDR or Lincoln for results, but nobody can argue that any of the presidents mentioned above were not effective leaders who shaped public opinion and turned their agendas into actions despite bitter partisan opposition. (Lincoln ended slavery a little earlier than rapid industrialization would have, but at the cost of more than a half million deaths; and FDR saddled us with a legacy of socialism from which we may never recover.)

It is time to stop making excuses for Trump's blunders and playing make believe by saying he has faced unprecedented challenges. That argument is ludicrous.

Any Republican president would have overseen a much improved economy after freeing the country from the shackles that Obama placed on American businesses. JFK and Reagan proved that following a recipe of cutting taxes and reducing regulations will always stimulate the economy.

Trump deserves credit for the improved economy, but so far, he has failed miserably to effectively address our illegal immigration problems.

As for crowing about Trump's failures, I have supported and will continue to support Trump's policies with which I agree. Illegal immigration is an existential threat to this nation and it is the primary reason that I supported Ted Cruz over Donald Trump in the Republican primary campaign.

If Trump fails, all Americans who value their personal and economic liberty will suffer the consequences. If that happens, then it will be of little consolation to be able to say, "I told you so."