Within hours of taking the oath of office for a second time, Donald Trump showed the country that he plans to keep his promises, even the most controversial ones. In granting a blanket pardon for the Jan. 6 protestors, he freed those victimized by the Biden administration’s two-tiered justice system. In justifying this decision, Trump pointed to the leniency shown towards left-wing terrorists in the summer of 2020 and his predecessor’s sleazy 11^th hour pardons for his own family members.

In his inaugural address, Trump hailed a “revolution of common sense.” Eschewing the flights of fancy and corny rhetoric Republicans normally offer, Trump instead gave a blunt, serious, concise mission statement that all but declared the death of the Democrats’ woke political project. Civil? Hardly. But who expected Trump to sing kumbaya with people who tried to put him in prison?

Trump has humbled critics across the political spectrum, including right-wing pessimists who have long dismissed him following the failures of his first term. It’s true that Trump’s first term had its disappointments, but Trump was also operating in an unfamiliar and inhospitable climate. The left and, even more, the GOP establishment needed to be beaten into submission.

The Donald started his second term with a blitzkrieg of executive actions on mass immigration, DEI, and other sacred cows of progressivism. He took direct aim at the federal anti-discrimination regime packaged as “civil rights” by President Lyndon Johnson and used by the left to inject the narrative of systemic discrimination into the public sphere.

And, in an act of goodwill toward one of the more restive corners of his coalition, Trump pardoned more than 20 pro-life activists prosecuted by the Biden regime. Trump is often criticized by anti-abortion activists for being too moderate on abortion, but this gesture and his Supreme Court appointments, who made the difference in ending Roe v. Wade, remind us that it’s better to be a winner than a “principled” loser.

While the right has long treated politics like a debate club, Trump knows it’s a slugfest—and he is a skilled political pugilist. Consider his handling of the California wildfire recovery, which sparked outrage when he threatened to impose conditions on federal money. Why shouldn’t Trump use the leverage of those funds against a vulnerable enemy that is in open rebellion against federal immigration law? And why should Americans who displayed better political judgment be on the hook for the mistakes of California’s voters without getting something in return? California’s Democratic leadership should be made to face the wrath of their voters, or, if they want federal assistance, they should play ball with the White House.

Trump is often charged with being a mere transactional politician, as if that is somehow surprising or distinguishes him from other politicians. In truth, the only thing distinguishing Trump from Republican politicians of the past is that he wants to share the spoils of victory with ordinary people and not just the donor class. Before Trump, mass immigration was not taken seriously as a matter for real political dispute. It was sometimes useful as a fundraising device or rallying cry for the masses, but the Republican Party was wholly uninterested in stopping the invasion, and never considered mass deportations, despite the preferences of the majority of Republican voters.

The actions Trump has already taken on his signature issue are bold and necessary. He has targeted the absurd practice of birthright citizenship, which has acted as a magnet for millions of illegal aliens for decades. To hear some on the right, this ridiculous scam is a sacrosanct part of the American tradition guaranteed by the most venerated part of our woke Constitution, the 14^th Amendment. Naturally, a federal judge appointed by none other than Ronald Reagan has already blocked Trump’s order.

When he burst onto the political scene in 2015, Trump famously pledged that he would make America win so much that we would get tired of winning. Four years ago, it was difficult to believe Trump’s words could resonate again. The right was demoralized, and the Biden regime was ascendant. Trump bulldozed through all the obstacles in his way. He returns to power with more goodwill than he has ever had, with a public ready to turn the page on woke leftism, and a loyal team willing to execute his mandate. The “blackpillers” who doubted Trump have been chastened and those who remained loyal and steady are having the last laugh.

This spectacular change in historical trajectory would not have been possible without Trump and his uncompromising confidence. If Trump had a typical conservative’s loser attitude he would have quit a long time ago. There is much work to be done, but a return to sanity appears within reach at last. Perhaps, with Trump as their guide, conservatives can finally allow themselves to win.