My heart is very full today.
I’m not a political person. This is not a political blog. But I care about the future of my country, and it would be disingenuous not to say a few words.
I’ve always felt the role of president is less about policy and more about leadership.
A president is just one person. They don’t rule the world. But the impact they have – in values, rhetoric, and tone – can permeate a society and induce meaningful change.
So what makes a good leader? Ask a thousand people and you’ll get a thousand thoughts. For me, it comes down to two foundational qualities: wisdom and accountability.
Wisdom doesn’t necessarily mean book smarts or having a genius IQ. It means listening. Empathizing. Thinking long-term. It’s about seeing the big picture and providing the vision to get there. A wise leader is pragmatic. They are humble. They never have all the answers, but they empower others to fill in the gaps.
Accountability is the difference between leading and simply being in charge. Anyone can give orders. Anyone can take credit. A good leader sets an example for others to follow. They don’t make excuses or blame scapegoats. They own it. Everything. And they never ask for a sacrifice they wouldn’t make themselves.
That’s good leadership to me, but I never felt Donald Trump lived up to those standards. I could argue he was the very antithesis of them. For that reason, I never respected his style and I’m excited to see the country change.
Watching Joe and Kamala speak was a breath of fresh air. For the first time in four years, I felt like I wasn’t being denigrated or mocked. I felt like I could be proud again, and have hope for the future my kids will grow into.
Living abroad in the time of Trump has been a strange experience. I’ve been removed from the daily chaos, and enjoyed the relative peace of life outside the culture war.
At the same time, I’ve felt increasingly helpless to see my country so traumatized. I’ve had awkward conversations with family, friends, shopkeepers, Uber drivers… “What is your president doing?” they ask. “Why is America’s Covid so bad?”
I usually just shrug sheepishly and deflect. “It’s hard to explain,” I say. “The U.S. is a complicated place.”
But it’s a beautiful place. The land. The people. The history. The culture. I love it all. We have our warts, and we need to own them, but we can still do so much for ourselves and the world. I’ll never give up on that. I hold the U.S. to a higher standard because I believe we can meet it.
My wife and I plan to move back next year. Things have changed since my father died, and we’re about to have our second child. We’ve decided we want to settle down in the U.S., and we’re excited for the life we can build there.
I’m coming home. With a family. And I’m proud as hell my kids won’t set foot in a country run by Donald Trump.
For anyone reading this that supports him: I’m sorry. I won’t pretend to understand your motives, but I won’t just write you off either. He got a lot of votes. Tens of millions. He spoke to something that resonated with people, and that says something about the country I love. I won’t placate you with calls for unity, but I hope we get there someday. I hope you feel respected in Joe Biden’s America. I hope you still feel heard.
I think deep down, most people want the same thing: to live healthy, happy, prosperous lives. To be free. To be safe. To be ourselves. We might have different visions of what that looks like, but life is not a zero-sum game. Not anymore.
We’re better than that, and it’s time to start acting like it.
My heart is very full today.
I wish you all the best.
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