Mr. Right:

The Parable Of Trump's Comeback

Although it was a rocky journey to say the least, Donald Trump is back in the White House. Objectively, it’s perhaps the greatest political comeback in modern history, and it reveals something not just about Trump and politics but about life in general. 

There are times in life when you are cruising. Maybe you have impeccable health and your cholesterol levels are at an all-time low. Your kids are getting straight A’s in school. Your oldest just passed her MCATs. Your wife is happy. You bought a new house for below asking price; you sold your house above. Your favorite NFL team made it to the playoffs for the first time in a decade. Everything seems to be going right.

Then, it’s not. In the words of Mike Tyson, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.” Indeed. Life is precarious – and that’s both a blessing and a curse. Terrible things can happen to you in an instant, while a stroke of luck can reverse it all just as quickly. 

If there’s anyone who understands the ups and downs of life, it’s Donald Trump.

Think about Trump back in late 2019, early 2020. Right before COVID-19 crippled the country, Trump was cruising to reelection. But the pandemic arguably derailed him, giving Democrats a once-in-a-generation crisis to stick on the president. 

Trump also probably thought he’d spend his time during the Biden administration recouping and preparing for his next campaign. However, he spent much of those years battling partisan lawfare. His mug shot was taken, and he was nearly thrown in jail. 

And even during the 2024 campaign, when Trump thought he was coasting to an easy victory over a senile incumbent, two would-be assassins nearly killed him, with a bullet missing his brain by literal millimeters.

The lesson in all of this is simple: life is all about the comeback. 

As a man, you can not lead a rich, fulfilling life without staging a couple of comebacks throughout it. You cannot be great without falling hard, dusting yourself off, and getting back in the saddle. With the lessons you learn amid a comeback, you not only grow wiser but also more interesting. 

Think about it this way. You would much rather hear the life story of someone who’s survived crucible after crucible and came out better for it than someone who had an easy life straight down the line. You want to hear the story of a perilous journey, an adventure, not a walk in the park.

There is also something thrilling about a comeback. The moment you stop dwelling on your mistakes or your bad luck, the moment when you look forward to the future and begin to rebuild, is a moment you won’t easily forget. You have a belief in yourself that you didn’t have before. You might feel like you have nothing left, but the feeling is liberating. You just lost. You have nothing to lose. You hit rock bottom. You can only go up. 

Comebacks make the man, and men make the comebacks. They don’t even have to be grand and historical, like Trump’s. Just a small comeback, maybe something that happens in the course of a few days, will change you for the better.