OPINION
(Editor's Note: The following opinion column does not constitute an endorsement for any political party or candidate on the part of Newsmax.)
America’s veterans have won wars and defended our freedoms.
They’ve sacrificed at home and faced the prospect of their own mortality without flinching.
You can’t fool a veteran when it comes to knowing who’s fighting for them.
As a Marine and chairman of the U.S. House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I can safely say President Donald Trump has been America’s most consequential president in delivering results for our veterans.
Under the Trump administration, veterans were provided expanded access to care at the VA and in the community.
They had more choices and greater control over their healthcare than ever before.
President Trump signed into law a wholesale reform of the disability claims appeals process, ensuring that veterans who needed help and weren’t getting it could have their appeals resolved more quickly.
He also granted disability benefits for Vietnam-era Blue Water Navy veterans and doubled tele-mental health services.
Veterans’ unemployment approached record lows during the Trump years.
Veterans’ homelessness decreased too.
He overturned an Obama administration policy that prohibited National Guard troops stationed at the southern border from receiving GI Bill benefits.
They say a week is a long time in politics.
Well, the three years since President Trump left office must feel like an eternity for our veterans. Many have experienced the difference firsthand.
Trump made it easier to fire or discipline bad and poor-performing employees at the VA, a major victory for accountability at one of the nation’s largest bureaucracies.
That change was rolled back by Joe Biden. As my committee continues to uncover malfeasance, waste, and mismanagement by VA officials, it is clear Biden’s change was unwarranted and dangerous.
Under Biden’s watch, the backlog of claims for disability compensation has increased by over 50%. Hundreds of thousands of disabled veterans are waiting longer for their claim to be decided due to red tape and bureaucracy.
When a government fails its veterans, it is a weakness that can spread rapidly to other areas. Look at the southern border, for example.
I visited Eagle Pass, Texas, in the spring, meeting with border patrol agents who were overworked and undermanned because of the Biden administration’s failure to prioritize border security.
When President Trump was in office, we knew our country was safer, our immigration laws were stronger, and the wall was being built.
In contrast, the Biden administration began selling off materials for the border wall for pennies on the dollar.
Around the world, allies and adversaries knew America was stronger under President Trump. Our allies trusted our leadership and our enemies knew the consequences of undermining us.
While President Trump always put America first, Biden emboldened our adversaries to test our resolve in the Mideast, in Europe, and in the Pacific Rim.
President Trump unleashed America’s energy potential, opened new areas for safe domestic exploration of resources, and energized our economy.
Under Biden, we experienced inflation at a 40-year high, record prices at the gas pump, a crippling supply chain crisis, and empty store shelves.
In Trump’s America, conservatives knew we had a fighter in the White House who would stop at nothing to protect our values.
He consistently defended life, the Second Amendment, and strong families.
Biden, on the other hand, ushered in an era of malignant wokeism that weakened our education system, our military, and our communities.
At a time when our nation is bitterly divided, it can be tough to find areas where both parties agree.
The one thing Republicans and Democrats seem to agree on right now is that Joe Biden needs to go. We are weaker with him in office, and even the liberals know it.
America is desperate for a leader who won’t be afraid to fight, to challenge the status quo, and to make a difference.
We need someone who will put America first.
That leader is President Donald Trump.
How do I know?
Because he did it for four years, and he will do it again.
(A related article may be found here.)
Michael Bost has served as the U.S. representative for Illinois's 12th Congressional District since since 2015.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.