This race for the presidency is one of the MOST polarized elections in modern American history… and as voters, WE get to be “in the room where it happens!”  Over the next few weeks, as Donald Trump and Joe Biden go head to head, I’m sitting down with the top 2 rising stars from each side of the political spectrum: Donald Trump Jr. (R) and Andrew Yang (D). My job in BOTH interviews is to ask the hard questions.  Too often, we put blinders on and don’t ever hear the story from the other side of the room. We only watch our favorite news station and get fed social media content that the algorithms know we like. Before we know it, the information we’re consuming becomes a one-sided conversation. I’m not political. I have NO AGENDA. I do myself no favors by releasing these interviews. This two-part series isn't about me or my beliefs … it’s about delivering UNFILTERED information so that YOU can be fully equipped to VOTE based on the FACTS and make the BEST decision not just for you, but for your family and your country. My sole intention in releasing these interviews is to make sure we, the #MAXOUT community, have both sides of the story.  The #MAXOUT Community doesn’t put their heads in the sand to avoid things that make us uncomfortable! We are independent thinkers. We value diversity and encourage insight from those who think differently. Most importantly, we invite being CHALLENGED, because we know challenges help us GROW! My first guest, Donald Trump Jr., is the eldest son of President Donald Trump. He currently serves as a trustee and executive vice president of the Trump Organization and is an active member of the Trump campaign. In today's conversation, we’re covering it all — from Trump's impact on the economy over the last four years, to why Trump handled COVID-19 the way he did, and what Trump could do better between now and election day. Let’s get started!

Who Is Donald Trump Jr.?

Donald Trump Jr. is the eldest son of President Donald Trump and New York Times bestselling author of Triggered. Like the three generations before him, he is a savvy businessman. Trump Jr. is considered a political activist, serving heavily in his father’s presidential campaign and writing books to expose, what he calls, the “Left’s agenda.” He is known for getting hard-to-come-by interviews and incorporating the information he gathers in his books.  On a more personal note, I rarely have favorite speakers. But the last two years at Republican National Convention, Donald Trump Jr. has been my favorite. He’s truly an incredible communicator. His message this year stood out to me in particular as one of the most moving summaries of what America stands for.  Regardless of your perspective on current politics, I think you’ll find Donald Trump Jr. to be candid and open about where he stands. I hope you read with an open mind!

Why Four More Years of the Trump Administration May Be Good for America

As my #MAXOUT Community, you know I believe cultivating your mindset is just as important as cultivating your environment — the things you listen to, the people you hang out with, and what you surround yourself with. I believe it’s the same for our country, and in this case, I would call our country an environment. So I asked Donald Trump Jr, Why would four more years with your dad being in the office would create a better environment for the majority of Americans to max out their life? Without skipping a beat, Dondal Trump Jr responded, “Economic. … I mean, look at your 401k, right now. It's as though we're not in a global pandemic.” He went on to specify two ways the Trump Administration has made history in the American economy: 

#1. The Lowest Unemployment Rate and Highest Business Startup Rate

“[Since my father took office, we’ve] had the lowest unemployment numbers in the history of America. We’ve had the highest new business startup numbers in the history of America. And that's not just for the old, angry, white guys that the media would love to have us believe. That was for women. That was for African Americans. That was for Hispanics. Every demographic benefited for the first time in modern history.” - Donald Trump Jr.

According to Donald Trump Jr., not only have policies under the Trump Administration decreased unemployment and increased the number of business startups, but they have done so across the board. That means any American citizen, regardless of race, who wants to live the American dream and #MAXOUT their life can do just that.

#2. Increased Wages for the Lowest Income Earners  

“We sort of achieved the ‘holy grail’ of American politics, which was being able to get wage increases for the lowest income earners. You know, their wages were going up for the first time in modern history. And it's because you had a guy that had actually done these things in the past, right? A guy who's run businesses and understood efficiency.” - Donald Trump Jr.

In other words, the Trump Administration has provided equal and improved opportunities for the American people. I think even people that aren't supporting President Trump would probably agree with the economic argument Trump Jr. presented. It’s hard to deny the impact President Trump's business sense has had on the economy of the United States as well as the wallets and bank accounts of many individuals.  

Why Trump Doesn’t Offer an Apology for the Way He Handled COVID-19

As a leader, I’ve always felt that it's very redemptive when someone says, “I'm sorry,” “I made a mistake,” or “I could have done this better.” Not hearing any of those responses from President Trump in connection with the way he has handled COVID-19 has been frustrating to me. So, I opened the floor for Trump Jr. to share his inside perspective of President Trump’s handling of the pandemic and why he hasn’t offered anything akin to an apology. Trump Jr. began by pointing out the Swine Flu of 2009 under the Obama Administration. At that time, Joe Biden was in a very similar position as current Vice President, Mike Pence. The Obama Administration made every wrong decision in the book, and tens of thousands of Americans had the swine flu before they took action once. Granted, the swine flu wasn’t nearly as deadly as COVID-19. Even still, by all accounts, their handling of a pandemic was a total failure, but you didn’t hear about it once in the media.  In reference to the way his father handled the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, he said:

“Now, at any other point in history, [it] would literally just be called common sense to shut down travel from the epicenter of a deadly viral outbreak. But because Donald Trump did it, [the Democrat’s] natural response — because it's the easy button of the far left — was to scream racism.” - Donald Trump Jr.

What I think Trump Jr. was trying to communicate is that, regardless of what President Trump does, the media isn’t going to put him in a good light. So, instead of worrying about the media and owning possible mistakes, President Trump makes decisions and keeps moving forward.  If you’ve perceived President Trump as insensitive and a poor decision-maker in the way he has chosen to protect our country from a pandemic, this is the behind-the-scenes perspective Trump Jr. offered:

“Now, I will say this. If it seemed like [my father was mishandling COVID], I think it's because he's a conservative. He believes in federalism, you know, he believes in States' rights. It's why he didn't just send in the national guard. He was sort of saying, ‘Hey, if you guys need help, we're here for you.’ But he wants to let the governors of the States — the way our constitution was designed — to make a lot of those decisions. You know, Andrew Cuomo is going to handle something differently in New York than Gavin Newsome will in California.” - Donald Trump Jr.

In summary, because of President Trump’s intent to let State governments govern themselves, he moved slower and made fewer decisions than many people believed he should have. Whether or not we agree with the decisions President Trump made, I think we can all agree that he is a decisive man and no one's going to tell him what decision he should or shouldn't make. Let’s give him some credit for that!

What Could Trump Do Differently Between Now and the Election?

As a businessman, I appreciate that President Trump has run this country like a business. However, in terms of a family, where people are supposed to feel loved and experience a sense of belonging — which I think a country should extend to their citizens — I don’t think many people are feeling that from Trump. So I asked his son this, “Do you think there's anything your dad could do differently between now and election day to make his personality more inviting and this country feel more like a family and less like a business?” Trump Jr. explained that in many ways his father is already doing this, but the media isn’t broadcasting it: 

“I think if you see [President Trump’s] personality, when it's not manipulated, [by] the media, then you know he's making a joke, [or that] he's a New Yorker. ... Don't forget, he's a billionaire from New York City, but man, he was able to touch middle America pretty well! … The brash billionaire from New York [has been] the voice of the blue-collar workers of America.” - Donald Trump Jr.

I think this is a good example of what it means to compare the facts — real results — with what other people (aka the media) are telling you. Like we talked about at the beginning of this post, numbers represent how Trump has improved the economy and equal opportunity in America. That, in part, speaks to President Trump’s personality.  You’ve heard me say it before, “Actions speak louder than words.” If you want to know the kind of person someone is, watch what they actually do. So a good question to consider, if you really want to know what kind of person someone is, ask yourself, “How are they spending their time?”  Trump Jr. confirmed that over the last several months, President Trump has been quick to offer support to states experiencing catastrophe and even traveled to these states himself.

“I mean, [President Trump] literally went to Wisconsin today. Don't forget he offered help and he's offered help for months. He hasn't been a dictator. He hasn't forced that help on them. He's acknowledging States have rights. … You know, my father went up to Wisconsin to deal with issues [earlier this year while] Joe Biden was still in his basement. … [President Trump] spent all weekend down in Louisiana to deal with the hurricane mess. … He does understand that these problems exist.” - Donald Trump Jr.

While the media tells us that President Trump's personality is aggressive, like a bull in a China shop, Trump Jr. was intentional in clarifying how Trump showed up for his citizens in distress by offering help, delivering help when requested, and even personally showing up. 

#MAXOUT with Donald Trump Jr.

Regardless of your opinion of Trump, here are three things I think we all need to do: 

1. Decide what kind of country we want to live in and what fundamental principles we want the leaders of our nation to act on and uphold. 
2. Then, we need to observe our current leaders and the up-and-coming leaders and ask ourselves: Are they making decisions and spending their time that is consistent with our answers to the first two questions? 
3. Using our answers to those questions, we need to choose who we will support with our vote. Because we’re not just getting someone elected with our vote. We are choosing legislation and continuing to build a nation with our vote.

Before I wrap this up, I want to leave you with the answer Trump Jr. gave me when I asked him this question: What advice would you give to anybody out there right now that's got a dream in their heart? 

“You just got to chase it and go after it. Don't take ‘no’ for an answer. … [Because] here’s the reality, despite what anyone wants to say about America — I don't think there's a country in the world where there's more opportunity. [There are so many] people that have lived the American dream, and they [said it] could only happen here. … We’re so blessed to be able to live in this country to have these opportunities, but you know, it doesn't just fall in your lap. It's not equality of outcome. It's equality of opportunity. So if you have a dream, chase it. Figure out what it is that you want to do and go after it because life is way too short to be miserable.” - Donald Trump Jr.

I loved this answer because it beautifully summed up the speech he gave at RNC that I mentioned previously, and I believe it aligns so much with what the #MAXOUT Community stands for. I’m so thankful that Donald Trump Jr. joined me for this two-part series on the Ed Mylett Show. Be sure to listen to the episode I did with Andrew Yang from Joe Biden’s Presidential Campaign and keep an open mind. Remember, we are individuals who INVITE a challenge because we are determined to GROW! Hey guys, if this conversation challenged the way you think or gave you a new perspective to what’s going on in the world, send it to a friend or share a screenshot of it on social media and tag me on Instagram @edmylett.  As always, I run the two-minute drill on social media EVERY DAY. Don’t miss it! I make a post at 7:30 AM Pacific time, Monday through Friday. If you comment within the first two minutes, you’re entered into a drawing to win anything from a flight on my plane, to coaching calls with myself or my guests, and gear from my shop. (Pro tip: turn on your notifications so you don’t miss the opportunity to comment on my post in the first two minutes!)  If you miss the first two minutes, there's a second way to win: Just make a comment on all my posts for the week whenever you get around to it, and you’ll be entered into a weekly drawing. Here’s something NEW! Every day we pin the TOP THREE COMMENTS. So, if you’re engaging with my content, you now have the opportunity to get exposure to the millions of people in my audience.  Choose to have an open mind this week. God bless you, and go #MAXOUT your life!