Sid Miller, Texas Agriculture Commissioner, recently wrote an op-ed which few newspapers reprinted. I would like to share his insightful column with you as we start 2017. (I edited his column to fit this space.)

“Critics said he would never win. Hollywood celebrities – and many in the media – guffawed at the thought of Donald Trump becoming president. They snickered at his trite campaign slogan, laughing at the notion a billionaire reality-TV show host could ever ‘make America great again’.

Well, they are not laughing anymore.

I predict that not only will Donald Trump defy his critics, befuddle his opponents and become one of our greatest presidents, but he will fulfill his promise to Make America Great Again.

In fact, he already has.

From the economy to our standing in the world, Donald Trump has already Made America Great Again…a month before he is even sworn in as president.

The economy has gone wild since his election on November 8. The U.S. stock market is soaring to new heights, with the Dow Jones poised to break historic records in the next week. Clearly, investors see a bright new day coming.

Additionally, as promised, Donald Trump is already bringing jobs back to America. IBM announced it will invest $1 billion in the new economy and add 25,000 new jobs here in America. Air-conditioner maker Carrier has suddenly reversed its decision to send jobs elsewhere and will be keeping almost 1,000 workers here in the U.S. Not only is that a big win for Americans, but Fortune magazine has shown the positive impact of those jobs on U.S. tax revenues.

And don’t believe the media when they dismiss automaker Ford’s decision to keep its Lincoln plant in Kentucky instead of moving it to Mexico. After months of being used as a whipping boy by Trump at his massive rallies across the country, the iconic American corporation decided it was [a] good idea to align its interests with that of the new president-elect.

Trump bump

Critics mock it as the “Trump Bump.” They might say it’s not surprising to see a temporary rise in the economy with the election of a new president. Nope. The day after Obama was elected in 2008, the Dow dropped through the floor, plummeting by nearly 500 points. The economy has been stagnant ever since.

However, a less obvious way Donald Trump has already Made America Great Again is how he subtly dismantled the power structure in Washington D.C. He sent a message with a five-year ban on lobbying by members of his administration and has already challenged bloated Pentagon spending.

The focus is now the golden lobby of Trump Tower, the new symbolic representation of power in America: an edifice built by sharp-edged business acumen and cold American cash rather than taxpayer dollars and political pork.

Across this stage has paraded a host of America’s powerbrokers and influence leaders on their way to meet with the new president-elect. Much to the absolute consternation of the liberal media, Trump has met with visitors from across the political spectrum: from Al Gore to Sarah Palin, from Ted Cruz to Kanye West, Unlike our president of the last eight years, Donald Trump wants to hear from everyone, even if – especially if – they don’t agree with him. As a matter of fact, even his harshest critics have gotten a warm welcome. Just ask Mitt Romney.

But Donald Trump’s impact is not reserved for our shores alone. Foreign governments have gotten his clear message that America is poised and ready to regain its position on the world stage. Trump’s call with Taiwan put the Communist Chinese government on notice that this American president won’t be bowing to anyone.

Perhaps even more important for Texas, Donald J. Trump has gotten the attention of our southern neighbor.

Just this week, the Mexican Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of State have reached out to me and asked for a meeting to discuss vital issues of importance to the Texas-Mexico border, including immigration, border security and NAFTA. They made it clear they wanted to meet before the inauguration on January 20.

From bolstering our position on the world stage, to healing our deep partisan divide and bringing confidence back to our economy, in just over one month Donald Trump has already kept the pledge written on thousands of red caps across America:

He has already Made America Great Again.”

Mr. Miller may be a bit premature in concluding the President-Elect has met his campaign pledge. However, he seems to be off to a good start, and let’s hope he selects a Secretary of Agriculture who can contribute to the new president’s pledge.   

The opinions of the author are not necessarily those of Farm Futures or Penton Agriculture.