With the midterm elections looming, a prominent conservative voice is asking a pointed question: Why aren’t Republicans campaigning on what they describe as President Trump’s record of achievements?
In a new opinion piece for American Thinker, columnist Jack Hellner argues that the GOP’s best strategy is to stop deferring to mainstream media narratives and instead proudly highlight the administration’s policy wins. “Instead of Republicans listening to the media (which has worked very hard to destroy President Trump for the last ten years) or easily manipulated polls, they should be proud to tout Trump’s excellent record of accomplishments,” Hellner writes.
The piece, published September 2, 2026, reads as a checklist of achievements Hellner believes are being ignored or undersold — from foreign policy and border security to health care and economic reforms.
A foreign policy contrast
Hellner credits Trump with brokering the Abraham Peace Accords, noting they were “not done by career diplomats,” and for settling old wars around the world. He also praises the decision to move the U.S. embassy in Israel — a promise Hellner says previous presidents failed to keep.
On NATO, Hellner argues Trump forced member nations to pay more for their own defense and lectured Germany and others about the dangers of relying on Russia for energy — a warning that looks prescient given Moscow’s later aggression. He also highlights the creation of the Space Force as a visionary move.
The piece draws sharp contrasts with the Obama and Biden administrations. Hellner says Trump “prioritized making the world safer from Iran,” after earlier administrations allegedly “built up the regime’s finances” and allowed Tehran to expand its weapons programs. He also credits Trump with ensuring China no longer controls Panama Canal ports and with reducing Russian and Chinese influence in Venezuela and Cuba.
Domestic and border wins
On immigration, Hellner asserts Trump “took his job seriously and followed immigration laws to secure the border,” claiming this weakened Mexican cartels after Biden-era open border policies made them “much more powerful and richer.” He also calls Trump “the first president to seek to reign in lawless sanctuary cities” and says the administration worked to reduce violent crime in Washington, D.C., and other Democrat-run cities against local opposition.
Hellner also credits Trump with undoing parts of the Affordable Care Act, including eliminating the individual mandate — which he calls a victory after “John McCain treasonously voted to save the law” — and removing subsidies for higher-income enrollees. He adds that Trump negotiated with drug companies to lower prescription prices.
Economic and education shifts
The column praises Trump for recovering American manufacturing, reducing dependence on China for rare earth minerals, and pulling out of the Paris climate accord, which Hellner describes as “a slush fund to destroy oil, gas, and coal companies.” He also credits Trump with efforts to lower college costs by limiting federal loans, rather than simply increasing them like predecessors.
On school choice, Hellner notes the recent tax bill offered poor children more options, but says several Democrat-controlled states blocked the measure. He also highlights “Trump accounts” aimed at building wealth for poor children, calling that better than “keeping them poor and dependent on the government.”
Hellner also praises government workforce reductions over the objections of “media, activist judges, and other Democrats,” and defends voter eligibility efforts by pointing to a 2012 New York Times article that showed how easy it was to manipulate absentee and mail-in voting. He further claims Trump is the first president to take major steps against welfare fraud across SNAP, Medicaid, Medicare, daycare, student loans, and other programs, noting that many states block federal data access — with California passing a law to shield data from investigative reporters.
The takeaway for Republicans
Hellner’s overarching argument is that Trump is working on “hundreds of things at the same time,” while Obama and Biden focused on growing government power rather than helping the private sector. He closes by suggesting Trump could achieve even more if not for relentless attacks from the media, judges, Democrats, and even some Republicans over the past decade.
“Now more than ever, the ability to speak our minds is crucial to the republic we cherish,” the column adds, appealing for reader support for American Thinker.
Whether or not one agrees with Hellner’s framing, the piece reflects a real strategic debate within conservative circles as the midterms approach: Should Republicans lean into their own narrative about Trump’s record, or adjust to a political environment shaped by opposition messaging and independent polling? Hellner’s answer is unambiguous — run on the record, loudly and proudly.
Source: www.americanthinker.com — https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/09/when-will-republicans-finally-learn-they-should-campaign-on-trump-s-excellent-record-of-accomplishments/