Trump is back: Grit your teeth, Michigan, and hang on 

A northern Michigan cherry farmer and loyal President Donald Trump supporter told NBC News last week that she couldn’t wait in 2024 to see her guy back in the Oval Office. 

After all, the last time he was in power, he rolled out the tariffs on Turkish imports. That proved a boost to Rebecca Carlson’s Overlook Orchard. But this time around, she’s on edge. 

With bad weather wiping out much of last year’s cherry crop, Carlson told NBC she needs the federal grant money the government awarded her to hire the workers she needs for this season’s harvest. The widespread government funding freeze has her $400,000 on ice, at least for now. 

Without this money, she can’t hire and house the 10 temporary workers from Guatemala she was looking to fly into Leelanau County. 

She’s a little stressed about Trump Part 2, and she’s far from the only one. 

Republicans are putting up a strong front. Their guy has a plan. He’s going to make this country great again.  

But it’s hard not to be a little nervous. The funding freezes, on-again/off-again tariffs, massive layoffs and sweeping immigration crackdowns are having an impact. 

For example: 

 — The proposed $880 billion in Medicaid cuts is the No. 1 item that keeps state Budget Director Jen Flood up at night. She’s seeing federal budgets with 10% cuts to the government medical program for the poor. This one isn’t Michigan- or Trump-specific, but it will greatly impact Michigan’s and other states’ budgets. 

 — The auto industry may be exempt from the proposed 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian products allegedly coming April 2. If not, buying a new American-made automobile will get more expensive, probably costing some jobs here. 

— Disappearing federal employees are making it harder for state officials like Attorney General Dana Nessel to do their job. Her assistant’s U.S. Federal Trade Commission contact on an anti-robocalling case quit responding one day. No bounce-back email. No goodbye phone message. No nothing. Gone. 

— Eliminating the U.S. Department of Education means a $30 million local food purchasing contract is going away, state Superintendent Mike Rice told a state Senate committee last week. The administration cut regional assistance labs, and $20 million in grants to Western Michigan for teacher preparation programs are no more. 

— The Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services is being eliminated. Observers presume that the money coming to the states for library services is going with it. 

—The deportation threats against undocumented residents have Michigan farmers sweating. The American Immigration Council estimates that mass deportation could displace around 224,700 farmworkers. What types of farm hands are they able to hire this summer? 

Meanwhile, Michigan’s polling numbers on Trump are surprisingly not that bad. In their latest poll, even the uber-libs at Progress Michigan have Trump’s statewide favorability/unfavorability rating at 47/51%. 

In concept, what Trump is doing has appeal. We do have a $36.22 trillion national debt, which, according to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, is $106,117 for every man, woman and child in the United States. 

Congress hasn’t passed a balanced budget since the Bill Clinton administration.  

Of course, there’s bloat in the federal budget. Cutting the hell out of it makes a lot of sense on the surface, especially when you’re not the one feeling the effects. 

Nobody wants someone not legally in this country to get a free ride on our dime.  

All the while, it’s mainsteam news organizations that are making a fuss about it all. The Trump apologists and attack dogs will say what they want to say to the people who want to hear it. 

Maybe it all works out. I don’t know. I don’t have a crystal ball. 

I do know the true impact of Trump’s policies will take a while to become known. Most of us will not feel them until it’s much too late to do anything about it. 

(Kyle Melinn is the editor of the Capitol news service MIRS. You can email him at melinnky@gmail.com.)