I’m a liberal columnist. My dad is a Trump supporter. He gets his say again

Dear readers: Last year, I was inspired by New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, who published the right-leaning political views of her brother Kevin, and I asked my father, Mitch Epley, to write one of my columns explaining his conservative politics and ideals.

People who normally agree with me were shocked that I’d yield my platform to a Donald Trump supporter. Then there were people who usually dislike me and my columns, but found my dad refreshing to read, and they hoped I’d learn a lesson from him.

Truthfully, I almost always find it helpful to hear how my dad experiences the same world events I do. The conversations give us an opportunity to look outside our own bubbles — even though he says I turn his beard white, and he sometimes makes me want to tear my pink hair out.

So, my dad and I have continued the conversation, since we can always agree on at least one thing: The state of the nation hasn’t gotten any better, but thoughtfully talking about it can only help.

Your turn, Dad.

World events have certainly changed since last year’s article, and, honestly, I find it a bit more difficult to defend my presidential choice these days. Yes, I voted for President Donald Trump.

Last year, I wrote that Trump was better — albeit marginally — than any other choice presented to us as a viable candidate.

I stand by that. Yet, my faith is not in Trump.

The way he leads, and the way he belittles others, from various world leaders to the handicapped, grates on me.

But the man is an agent of upheaval. And, generally speaking, I believe upheaval ends up changing things for the better, eventually.

Results show that a few of his policies have succeeded, and there are some policies I agree with and even applaud:

I approve of Executive Order 14390 relating to cybercrime, fraud and predatory schemes against American citizens, as well as EO 14379, the Great American Recovery initiative, which directly addresses addiction — one of the most socially destructive issues in the country — using established legal tools.

I am also in favor of EO 14385, also known as Criminal-History Information Sharing for Immigration Screening. This is one of the few immigration orders that is targeted, legally clean and socially defensible.

I also support a strong border policy. I believe there must be a path to legal immigration that is accessible to all, and believe illegal immigration must be monitored, deterred and enforced.

Can it be done humanely, impartially and to everyone’s satisfaction? No, not everyone is going to agree with everything, but the status quo prior to Trump wasn’t really working very well either, was it?

Do the Trump administration’s achievements counterbalance the attempts, the overreach and the failures? Does it reduce the pinch Americans feel at the gas pump? What about Medicare funding? The questionable effectiveness of the Department of Government Efficiency? The hostilities and deployment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement?

Domestically, I would have to say that this presidency is currently pulling a failing grade.

Internationally, however, I don’t know what to make of the situation.

I am a veteran, and I am not entirely against military action in the Middle East. It’s clear our administration’s demeanor is prompting traditional allies to consider changing their economic and political stances in response.

So in the vein of supporting America, I posit the following: Whether you like Trump or not, can’t we agree that something needs to be done, without tearing everything apart and hating our fellow countrymen?

At the end of the day, I still support the current administration because it is the current administration — legally and lawfully installed as our leadership. It will eventually change. And I’m sure people will complain about that as well.

That’s the great thing about our country, even though it’s far from our utopian ideal.

It is postulated that in the 1500s, an established polymath scholar, Erasmus of Rotterdam, was one of the last people who could claim to hold the sum of western knowledge in a single mind.

“By the mid-sixteenth century, the expansion of printed books made universal knowledge impossible; Erasmus represents the end of that era,” according to cultural historian James Burke.

Some 600 years in the future, we’ve come a long way — and nothing has gotten any less complicated. We certainly cannot comprehend all the possible ramifications of our actions. We make them, we live with them and we adapt.

Things are certainly not easy now, but things will get better. And, objectively, things are better now than they were in the mid-16th century. I’m sure they didn’t have to deal with internet outages — just plague, typhus and smallpox.

Still, among the turbulence, I do truly believe we are better served by the chaotic nature of the Trump administration than we would have been by a Kamala Harris administration.

I cannot know everything, I can hardly control anything. I just have to have faith in myself and society. The saving grace? I will hold myself accountable to be able to change my mind as I continue to learn.

And here is one issue I have changed my mind on: It may be time for something other than the two-party system. In these unsteady times, new decisions, new people, new methods and new ideologies must be ushered in.

Perhaps we will see a new generation of non-geriatric politicians with stronger resolve, less adherence to tradition and new ideas bring forth a healthier society. We must allow for time, stay adaptable and have hope.

This story was originally published July 4, 2026 at 8:00 AM with the headline “I’m a liberal columnist. My dad is a Trump supporter. He gets his say again | Opinion.”