Assignment: Write Donald Trump’s Inaugural Address

Workers ready the platform for Donald Trump’s inauguration in Washington, D.C., tomorrow. As a class assignment, BU students crafted speeches for the incoming president. AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

It seemed a fun assignment: write Donald Trump’s inaugural address as he might write it. But for Hannah LeBlanc (COM’18), it “was one of the most challenging assignments this semester.” For too many of her 21 years, she’d watched her mother endure cruel taunts because of a disabling bone condition. Now LeBlanc had to write a speech for a man who, during his campaign, had mocked a reporter with a disability, which had left her mom in tears.

LeBlanc wasn’t alone in being troubled by the assignment, part of two classes that met jointly in the fall: the College of Arts & Sciences course Special Topics in the History of Media and the College of Communication course The Presidency and the Media.

“A few students were really dismayed at the thought of writing in Trump’s voice and point of view,” says Christopher Daly, a COM professor of journalism, who taught the latter class. “I told them that we believe that a major goal of a liberal education is to understand another person’s point of view.”

Fellow instructor Bruce Schulman, William E. Huntington Professor of History, tethered his Special Topics course to Daly’s for the first time ever last semester, to coincide with the election. The goal of the joint classes, he says, was to introduce students to the changing role of news and entertainment in American politics. Writing Trump’s inaugural address was “an exercise in imagination and historical empathy.”

Befitting Trump’s rhetoric, the students’ speeches are long on promises to “make America great again” and exhortations to “trust me” on great pledges. And like many past inaugural addresses—and much of Trump’s policy-light campaign—they are short on specifics. Following are excerpts from some of the students’ work.

Cristina Gallotto (COM’17)

First and foremost, we are going to start respecting one another in this country. Kindness is the cure to violence and hatred around the world. The United States of America is the victor when we are unified. Black, white, Hispanic, Asian, LGBTQ, Muslim, Christian, immigrant, native, rich, male, female, poor, young, and old—we respect one another, period.

A leader that sees anything less than greatness in his people, especially in the face of division, has no place leading you. America is home to the greatest minds in the world, across all industries. Top industry professionals will be governing our country towards greatness. While this may be a new idea for some of us, to welcome nonpolitical, private-sector individuals to the White House, I urge you to recognize their outstanding aptitude to restore national greatness. Washington insiders and personal political interests are no longer allowed a seat at the table to pollute the integrity of the greatest country in the world.

The United States of America is the victor when we are unified. Black, white, Hispanic, Asian, LGBTQ, Muslim, Christian, immigrant, native, rich, male, female, poor, young, and old—we respect one another, period.

It is my promise to you that any and all opportunities to shut down senseless violence are to be pursued immediately. Stronger military, incredible investigative minds, and great negotiators: nobody is touching us.

Starting today, hardworking Americans are going to wake up knowing that American jobs belong to hardworking Americans first. Major industrial corporations and manufacturing plants are being incentivized to lift you up and grant you fruitful opportunities to be employed.

The best country in the world will have the infrastructure to match the phenomenal success story that we have built. Hospitals, airports, schools, streets, and bridges are going to be beautiful. And they will be safe.

The establishment, the lobbyers, the special interests, the donors, they will come nowhere near the White House or near me. Now, as president, I serve you.

Hannah LeBlanc (COM’18)

Our country is facing a period of oppression. For years, we have watched our infrastructure crumble in front of our eyes. Tens of millions of Americans have lost their jobs, homes, and businesses. Health care costs have skyrocketed; many Americans are not receiving proper care. A lot of our tax dollars are being put into schools, but the results we see are not parallel. Children are not excelling. We struggle with problems of racial and social issues that have divided our nation. We are at war with corrupt countries, and it needs to end.

Some of you may not support some of my political stances, and that is okay.

We can, and we will, fix America’s crumbling infrastructure to create economic growth and provide millions of people with jobs. We will lower health care costs and taxes to give middle-class Americans better care, allowing them to care for themselves and their families. We will improve our public school system in America. We will stop the gender inequality that occurs within the workplace and the shame that women face. We will stop shaming people of different nationalities, faiths, and sexes. We will increase our nation’s security to prevent future terrorist attacks on our beloved country.

We cannot let our neighboring nations destroy our prosperous nation that millions of your ancestors labored and fought for during times of oppression.

Some of you may not support some of my political stances, and that is okay. I hope you accept this as a sign of good graces. If we all work together, we can unite America. As President John F. Kennedy said, “And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” With your help, we can rebuild our nation; it has tremendous potential.

Kelsey Borovinsky (CAS’17, COM’17)

For those of you who have not supported me, I am reaching out to you. I see your marches, I see your protests, and I want to hear you now. We may come from very different backgrounds, but what makes this country the greatest is that Americans are so hardworking. I am the leader of this movement of hardworking men and women who love this country and want to make America great again.

That is why there will be 25 million more jobs within the next decade. My father gave me a loan of a million dollars and look where I am today. I know what it is like to tap potential and build a profitable business, and that is what I want to do for this country. I want to put jobs back on this soil, and I have started this by passing a major bill to rebuild bridges and highways. I will fix the problems in inner cities and build infrastructure.

I want to be historic for the right reasons, and all of you can help me. I promise I will not let you down.

I want to get out of this $19 trillion debt. Right now, 92 million Americans are without a job and that means they are not participating in the economy and I am going to change that, trust me. This is going to start with a progrowth tax plan and making sure that America always comes first when it comes to trade. We need to end the current policy of globalism and replace it with Americanism.

We have had many conversations and negotiations that put American trade first. This unleashes so much prosperity for the American people; there is no limit to the number of jobs that will be created. We win and the countries that have good relations with us will win, too, because we will be the greatest place in the world to invest in and create new jobs and industries and technologies. I want to be a superpower again.

This country won two world wars and put a man on the moon. Let us think big once again. You deserve to dream about the biggest things. You deserve to live your dreams. I want to be historic for the right reasons, and all of you can help me. I promise I will not let you down. This is my honor, to be standing here today. We will do a great job together.

Molly McDonald (COM’17)

With decades of deal-making experience and the promise to make America great again at my core, I am confident in our beliefs that my experience can bring major social and economic change to this nation. Through strategy and acumen, we can endeavor to inject that confidence into this country’s economic future, especially within the demographics that are lacking or feel excluded, trust me. You did a good job electing me; it was a really smart move. Congratulations.

Past inaugurations have referenced this nation as indispensable and outstanding, and I understand that because it was once true, but I ran for office because I recognize that we are not what we once were. We’re struggling on a lot of fronts: 19 trillion dollars in national debt that will burden our children and grandchildren for years to come, a softened military that needs to be built up, illegal immigrants that take our jobs and bring drugs across our borders, a terrible educational program, corruption all over Washington.

Remember that wall I talked about? Well, it’s going up. First executive order.

We need to beat Russia, even though Putin really likes me (he knows I’m a great businessman), but China is the real problem. They’re laughing at us, at our trading, right now. Don’t worry about the Middle East, either, I’ve got plans. I’m going to be the best militarist, trust me.

Remember that wall I talked about? Well, it’s going up. First executive order. Mexico said they won’t pay for it, but they will. The second executive order will be about the whole climate change discussion. The scientists are wasting our time and trying to scare us, so I’m going to be speaking with a great team. Ivanka and I met with Al Gore a few weeks ago, and we’re going to figure out how much of it is a hoax.

I’m not a politician, which means I won’t be taking money from lobbyists and donors, and I won’t let the bureaucrats of Washington manipulate how the American people live their lives. I will restore our education and health care systems, protect our Second Amendment, fix NATO, and create more jobs than any other president from our past.

The media has manipulated my image, but I’m not a bad guy. I self-funded my campaign to ensure that the only people I owe are the citizens of the United States. We can finally start accomplishing our goals to “make America great again!”