Dear Friends and Family,
As you all are aware, Donald Trump won the 2024 election this past Tuesday. No matter who you voted for, please remember that we’re all in this together as Americans.
Our nation’s identity isn’t entirely on the right or the left; it’s somewhere in the center, a blend of values that include both conservative and progressive ideas. The political “spectrum” isn’t a simple left-right line; it’s more like a circle. Push too far to either extreme, and you eventually reach the same place: authoritarianism. Staying engaged with a balanced perspective helps us avoid that and protect our freedoms.
While some of us saw our candidate win, and others did not, one thing remains true: the American Republic is still standing strong and will continue to do so. Our founders set up a system that makes change happen deliberately and slowly, which means that, once rights are granted by Congress, they’re deeply embedded and very hard to reverse. If you fear we’re moving backwards, remember: these systems are designed to prevent any sweeping changes from happening overnight.
Looking back, I acknowledge, as I always have, that in January 2021, President Trump could have taken a more graceful approach to his loss. Yes, there was a riot at the Capitol, and it shouldn’t have happened—protesting is fine, but the unlawful associated activities were not acceptable. However, it wasn’t an “insurrection” as some media and politicians labeled it. Despite that day, there was a peaceful transfer of power, as there has been with every change in presidency over nearly 250 years. Trump left the White House without incident, and while his exit could have been more graceful, Biden took office at the proper date and time as always planned—without incident. I fully expect the same come January 2025, when Biden hands the keys to the Oval Office back to President Trump for his second and final term.
Take a look back at President Trump’s first term in 2016, and then at Biden’s in 2020. While there were shifts, they were modest overall, and most of the fears stirred up by the media didn’t come true. Today, if you look outside, life continues. There aren’t tanks rolling down the streets; our neighborhoods are calm, just as they were when Biden was elected in 2020.
If you’re disappointed because your candidate didn’t win, that’s okay. Some of the changes you may have hoped for might take longer, but we are still living in one of the freest nations in the world. Take pride in that, and let’s work together to keep moving forward—slowly but surely.
So let’s all take a deep breath and relax. Our country is built to endure, to stay strong, and to support us all.
God Bless The United States of America!
~Robert Ilardi