President Ronald Reagan, the face of American conservatism and Cold War crusader, once proclaimed: “I didn’t leave the Democratic party, the Democratic party left me.” For countless students and myself, the same can be said for the present-day Republican party.

The 2024 Republican platform was a glimmering jewel of America First policies. The most popular included mass deportations for illegal immigrants, making America affordable again, and restoring world peace. A popular campaign promise made by President Trump included “no new wars” and that, if he were in office, he could bring an end to the world’s conflicts.

Now, in April of 2026, with the shadow of the Mid-term elections creeping in, it appears that there is a fundamental disconnect between the policies laid out in the platform and their execution. 

From Platform to Policy

Despite Trump’s fiery rhetoric and strong stance against illegal immigration, former President Barack Obama still holds the title as the “Deporter-in-chief” with 3.1 million deportations across his two terms in office.

So far, Trump and the Department of Homeland Security (DOHS) claim that over 600,000 deportations have been made since taking back the White House in January, 2025. The DOHS also claims that there have been 1.9 million “self-deportations” by illegal migrants. Added together, this is still less than the 3.5 million that entered the country from 2021-2023. This figure is made less significant in comparison to the 18.6 million illegal immigrant population.

As for restoring world peace, the Russia-Ukraine war rages into its fourth year. In South America and the Middle East, the United States has returned to its interventionist ways with military operations and strikes across the southern hemisphere, destabilizing countries and economies in the name of peace. To criticize these actions by the Executive has earned many the scorn of their peers.

Once again, United States troops have been dragged into the Middle East to place their lives on the line in search of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and oil reserves. This comes as a shock with Trump’s previous position on the 2003 Iraq War, the last time the U.S. military went searching for WMDs that never existed. Trump stated before that he believed the war was a “big, fat  mistake.” Now, it appears that he has become a neoconservative in the same vein as George W. Bush.

The administration has also fought back against the issue of affordability on partisan lines. I remember that on the 2024 campaign trail, the price of groceries and gasoline were in the sights of the Trump campaign and Republican commentators. Now, 16 months after being returned to the White House by voters, the administration refuses to address this issue other than being a “Democratic hoax.” They insist that, if prices are high, we are still suffering in “Biden’s economy” and, if prices are low, we must be in Trump’s economy. If this same logic were to be applied, then the favorable economy many remember from Trump’s first term must be attributed to Barack Obama.

The Epstein Catastrophe

All of this being said, the irritation generated is not even a hundredth of the odium I feel for the Department of Justice when it comes to the federal government’s handling of documents relating to the infamous child sex predator Jeffrey Epstein.

For all of 2025, the Administration attempted to push this subject away from the spotlight, insisting everything from the files being another “Democrat hoax” to President Trump being a secret informant for the FBI that helped take down Epstein’s sex-trafficking business. The President had gone as far to say that “nobody cares” about Epstein and his activities.

It was only due to the efforts of Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky and a few select others that the House of Representatives was forced to vote to release the files. Even then, it feels that the DOJ worked diligently to ensure an overwhelming amount of information, including the names of  Epstein’s associates, were hidden from the public. Furthermore, the files that have been released are only half of the 6 million documents.

Since Pam Bondi has been removed from her position in the administration as Attorney General, her successor, acting AG Todd Blanche, has stated that inquiries into Epstein and his associates would soon be closed. We may never know the extent of this international sex-trafficking organization. The victims, many of which were innocent children, may never find closure.

Intraparty Chaos

All in all, the handling of these issues have left many young Americans, myself included, feeling disgusted, betrayed, and without a party. This does not come as a tacit endorsement of the Democratic party. In fact, I believe that an equal level of disconnect is apparent between the Democratic base and its party bosses.

One faction wishes to move towards socialistic policies, as seen in New York City, while others wish for a centrist realignment. It does not help that there appears to be no spokesperson for the party to bring unity.

As for Republicans, inter-party conflicts are just as apparent. It became very clear from this year’s CPAC gathering that there are two factions vying for control.

The MAGA base, which is loyal to the President and has become the new establishment; and the America First movement, which wishes to prioritize domestic problems at home and pursue a more isolationist foreign policy. This divide hinges especially over support for the nation of Israel, which is slipping among younger voters across the board.

Embrace Independence

It should come as no surprise that a majority of Generation Z and Millennials regard themselves as politically independent.

As these divides widen, these “big tent” parties, which seek to unify a number of smaller coalitions through broad consensus on issues, are straining. With these divides appearing to be generational, we may no longer recognize either party by 2030 as Generation Z becomes a dominant voter bloc.

It’s for these reasons that I strongly urge readers to evaluate their political beliefs. For too long now, Americans have been voting along partisan lines for too little in return. Ask yourself: “What do I really stand for? How do I think the issues today should be addressed? Do my representatives reflect my own values?”

Once you believe you have answers to these questions, write them down on a piece of paper and keep it somewhere visible. Don’t let media companies and politicians cajole you into supporting policies that don’t align with what you believe in.

A life-long loyalty to one political party over another is no better than shutting your eyes and saying: “Don’t tell me the facts, my mind’s already made up.”

Despite what the massive political machines wish for you to believe, we the people select our leaders and officials. The American government was designed to work from the bottom-up, not the top-down. It’s evident that a single man in Washington D.C. can’t drain the swamp. It’s up to the citizens to flush out their corrupt and ineffective incumbents across the nation.