1: He broke the old GOP consensus on trade and foreign policy, ushering in a political realignment for the ages that finally took the Republican Party out of the Cold War and into the 21st century.

2. His 2016 humiliation of establishment politicians set the bar higher for realness, intelligence and authenticity. Trump ran so Vance and Vivek could walk into the podcast era, where old school phony politicians would have never earned a voice. This has contributed to younger men turning MAGA.

3. He injected energy and style into the bland, corporate controlled GOP represented by Bush and Romney. Like the old Commodore Hotel, Trump's hostile takeover of the Republican Party allowed him to transform it into something vibrant and alive, a place people wanted to be again. This put pressure on the corrupt Democratic Party, which was expected to take over by default due to the GOP's prior unviability with growing demographics.

4. Trump redefined strength with regard to foreign policy. "The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting." Instead of phony tough talk and destructive grandstanding, Trump subdued America's enemies through the art of the deal, something neocons were desperately against from the start. The experience of not being at war for the rest of the world showed Americans how great it is to take care of ourselves first.

5. Building on the last point, Trump made "America First" part of the American lexicon again. For years, foreign aid went unchecked and unquestioned as our national debt ballooned into a disaster waiting to happen. Trump made people pay attention to where the money was being spent, and that alone is enough to change the conversation for the foreseeable future.

6. Whether Trump wins or loses the election, he already won the conversation. Democrats in 2024 are running away from woke. No more drag queens at the DNC, much less egregious bending to unpopular interest groups. Kamala Harris is now running on fracking, being tough on crime & the border and driving down inflation. Trump has so successfully set the tone of political discourse that his enemies can only bring up character flaws while impotently trying to out-Trump Trump on policy. That's a position you want to be in.

7. Trump's brand has finally given the GOP a way of appealing to minorities and low propensity voters without shameless pandering. His message has brought Americans from different walks of life together in defense of a common purpose, a far cry from the extremely fake and out of touch ways Republicans used to try to reach minority voters.

8. Trump's open-mindedness has created a political environment that allows new and interesting ideas to shine like never before. From banning seed oils to colonizing Mars, his inner circle is filled with quirky, brilliant personalities who each bring something special to the table. Trump has become the voice and outlet for anyone who feels stifled and held back by the gray political establishment.

9. Through his changes to the conversation, Trump has brought generations together politically in a way that never seemed possible. Old retired people, gen-x moms, black crypto bros, middle class business owners and terminally online young men are all voting for Trump this time around. He managed to bridge a huge gap between people of all stages of life with a message that appeals to frustrated outsiders of all stripes.

10. By just offering a viable alternative, Trump taught us just how much we disliked life under the system that prevails today, and how much better it could be. He made it possible to question key assumptions and honestly evaluate our situation free from the influence of our powerful institutions. As soon as we were allowed to think and question the status quo, the status quo fell apart and nearly every old consensus was shattered in short order.

11. Building on the latter point, Trump's ascendence has exposed just how corrupt, gamed, and stratified our regime really is at every level. From the media to the military and national security apparatus to Hollywood and the donor class, academia, Congress, school boards, local party leadership, big tech, big pharma, and the biggest corporations. Trump tore the wool over our eyes and exposed the profound institutional rot "our democracy" has been suffering from for ages. Their legitimacy will never recover without a serious reckoning followed by honest reform.

12. Trump has given the people something to believe in again. For far too long we've been expected to hold our nose for the lesser of two evils. For the first time in a very long time, people have a leader and a message they can truly believe in and get excited for without having to sacrifice what they really want. Trump actually understands the will of the people. He doesn't try to tell you what you aught to want.