Best of 2024: Heather du Plessis-Allan - Let's put Donald Trump's win into perspective

Let me tell you, it was absolutely no surprise to me to see my Facebook friends going crazy over Trump winning the election last night - and there's been plenty of hysterical predictions now that he's won.

My absolute favourite one was from my husband, who said that Trump would take us to the brink of war. Hello - the world is already at war, we don't need to be taken to the brink, we're already there.

 We've got two significant wars under way in two of the most worrying parts of the world - Europe and the Middle East - and neither of them are because of Trump, they started under Biden.

It's got me thinking - we need a bit of perspective here. People are really losing their minds over this.

We cannot predict what is going to happen in the future, but we have the past to guide us. So why don't we compare the last time Trump was President with the most recent period under Biden and see who wins at being the real crazy one here.

Because as far as I can see, Biden is the one who's been far worse for New Zealand. Sure, Trump introduced the steel tariffs on us and started a trade war with China - but last time I checked, Biden hasn't removed those tariffs and he hasn't ended the trade war with China. 

So as far as I can see, they're basically the same as each other on that.

Under Biden, two new wars have started, both of which have put prices that we pay in New Zealand up. Under Trump, no new wars were started.

My husband was quick to point out North Korea and 'Rocket Man' and how they came close to staring a war - but they didn't. It might have nearly, but it didn't. Nothing happened, despite all the warnings.

Trump is too much of a crazy-maker - and other world leaders don't know how far they can push it with him and they suspect they can't, so they don't try at all.

That is why Putin invaded Georgia under Bush, Crimea over Obama and Ukraine under Biden - but there were no invasions under Trump.

Under Biden - never mind the threat of North Korea maybe doing something, two wars actually did happen. And they are worse than anything North Korea might have done.

Under Trump, the withdrawal from Afghanistan was orderly, and under Biden, it was an unmitigated disaster - which he was at the centre of - and it completely undermined America's credibility.

So before we get too hysterical about all the bad things Trump could do, how about we remind ourselves about all the bad things Biden did do? Get a bit of a grip, and ask ourselves - what would Trump actually have to do in the next four years to be worse than Biden?

Why weren't we as hysterical about Biden? Or is the hysteria just something we reserve for Donald Trump?

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Together due to see Ellen. Let me tell you, there
was absolutely no surprise to me to see my Facebook
friends melting down over Trump winning the election last night.
Whoa are they going? Crazy? Boy? Boy? Have there been
some hysterical predictions about how now that he's won, the
world is going to end. My absolute favorite one was

(00:21):
from my husband who told me last night Trump is
bad because Trump is going to take us the world
to the brink of war. Hello. Hello, the world is
already at war. We don't even be taken to the brink.
We're already there. We've got two significant wars underway in
two of the most worrying parts of the world, which
is Europe in the Middle East. Neither of them are
because of Trump. They started under Biden. So anyway, it

(00:43):
got me thinking, I think we need a little bit
of perspective here, geez. I mean, people are really losing
their minds over this. We cannot predict what is going
to happen in the future, right, but we have the
past to guide us. So why don't we compare the
last time Trump was president with the most recent period
under Biden and see who who wins as being the
real crazy one here? As far as I can see
Biden is the one who's been far worse for New Zealand.

(01:04):
I mean, look, sure, Trump introduced the steel tariffs on
US and started a trade war with China, but I
checked with Winston Peter's office. It doesn't look like Biden's
removed those steel tariffs from US, and he hasn't ended
the trade war with China. So as far as I
can see, they're basically exactly the same as each other
on that. Under Biden, two new wars started, both of

(01:26):
which have pushed up prices that we pay here in
New Zealand. Under Trump, no new wars were started. Now
my husband counted that with who But we remember when
he met with Rocketman. Oh, North Korea nearly did start
a war, Yeah, but they didn't. Did They might and nearly,
but they didn't. Nothing happened despite all of the warnings.
And that's because Trump is too much of a crazy maker.
Other world leaders don't know how far they can push

(01:47):
it with him. They suspect they can't take it very fast,
so they don't try it all. That is why Putin
invaded Georgia under Bush, invaded Crimea under Obama, invaded Ukraine
under Biden, and pulled his head and did no invasions
under Donald Trump, but under Biden, never mind the threat
of North Korea may be doing something. Two things actually
did happen. Two wars actually did happen, They did start,

(02:08):
and they are worse than anything that North Korea might
have done under Trump. The withdrawal from Afghanistan was orderly.
Under Biden, it was a complete unmitigated disaster which he
was at the center of, that completely undermined America's credibility.
So before we get too hysterical about all the bad
things that Trump could do, how about we just remind

(02:29):
ourselves all the bad things that Biden did do, get
a bit of a grip, ask ourselves, what would Trump
actually have to do in the next four years to
be worse than what Biden was And why aren't we
as hysterical about Biden and how bad he is or
is this just this hysteria just something we reserve for
Donald Trump. For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen

(02:50):
live to News Talk sai'd Be from four pm weekdays,
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