The Man on the Porch
The Man on the Porch
This morning, I was listening to the PBD Podcast. They were talking about the new tariffs and the growing tension between China and the United States. On the show, guest Benny Johnson shared a powerful analogy about what’s happening right now under Trump’s leadership—it really stuck with me.
Some people see America as just a country. Others view it as a business. But for this analogy, imagine America as a house.
Once a proud and beautiful home, this house has fallen into disrepair. It’s crumbling—windows broken, doors missing, lights out. Why? Because the neighbors have been stealing from us. Every time we leave, they sneak in and take something—light bulbs, doors, even shatter the windows. And every time we come back, we look the other way. We pretend it’s not happening. And so, the neighbors keep stealing. Why wouldn’t they? No one’s stopping them.
Inside the house are the kids—us, the American people. We’re watching this happen. We’re growing up in this deteriorating house, and we’re tired of it. We don’t want our own kids to grow up in the same wreck we did. We want change. But Grandpa? He’s too soft. He doesn’t have the guts to confront the neighbors. So the kids turn to the only one left who might—crazy Uncle Trump.
Uncle Trump sees the fear in the kids' eyes. He tells them, “Trust me. I’m going to fix this house. It might get worse before it gets better, but I promise—we’ll come out stronger.”
Then he walks out to the porch, 12-gauge shotgun freshly polished, and sits down. He waits. And when the neighbors come creeping back, they see him sitting there, unbothered and armed. They stop. They back off. One by one, they come up and apologize.
Before long, the neighborhood starts to change. The theft stops. The neighbors start cooperating. And the American house? It gets rebuilt—stronger, bigger, and better than ever. The best house on the block.
And that’s the thing about leadership—especially on the global stage. Strength matters. Respect matters. If the man on the porch looks weak, the whole house becomes a target. But if he’s tough, smart, and unpredictable—the kind of man who knows how to negotiate from a position of power—the world takes notice. Trump is that man. He doesn't flinch. He doesn't bow. He walks into the room, shakes hands like a man, and leaves with a deal that puts America first. That's the kind of leadership that keeps our house safe, respected, and feared when necessary. And in a world like this, that kind of strength isn't just important—it's essential.