I must admit that I was initially skeptical about Donald Trump as a candidate, but he has since removed all doubt. Fueled by an extremely patriotic message and a unique, irreverent brand of conservatism, Trump has allowed for his ever-increasing base of support the opportunity to ‘stick it to the man’, and these tactics have made him wildly successful much to the dismay and bewilderment of the political establishment. Critics of Trump cite his rhetoric toward minorities as inflammatory in nature and plenty have gone as far as to call him a racist, but his polling numbers don’t seem to reflect that attitude. Take for example his performance in the Nevada caucus, where he received 44 percent of the Latino vote, or the Council on American-Islamic Relations poll that showed Trump has more Muslim support than the rest of the GOP field combined.

Trump could certainly be more politically correct in his remarks, but in the day and age of safe spaces and micro-aggressions, I applaud those who aren’t afraid to speak their minds. I would much rather live in a society where everyone is screaming at each other than to live in one where people are afraid to speak up at all. Would you rather have a candidate that has an emotionless and calculated response to each and every question thrown their way or someone who is up front and transparent?

The fact of the matter is that Trump is a Populist candidate that transcends typical bipartisan demographic boundaries. As one of the most successful businessmen in the world, he could bring a rare kind of deal-making ability and a fiscally responsible attitude to a reckless government that is hell-bent on limitless spending and increasing the deficit exponentially.

I’ve heard plenty of arguments against Trump that claim he is a bombastic con-man that disregards policy completely, but his website lays out a number of articulate and immensely detailed plans including: fixing an illegal immigration problem that has taken so many job opportunities away from the American people and costs taxpayers approximately 113 billion dollars annually, repealing the Affordable Care Act that has embodied the idea that government intervention stifles the free market economy and offering our corporate leaders plausible incentives to bring jobs that have been outsourced back into our country.

The biggest problem in American politics today is the subservient relationship between our elected officials and the special interest groups and corporations that fund their campaigns. In our country’s recent history, financing a successful campaign has become ridiculously expensive, and as history has shown so clearly, those in positions of power are usually willing to do whatever it takes to remain there.

When considering these factors, it’s fairly easy to see how the corporate world could and often does manipulate politicians with “donations” in return for legislative efforts that will continue to benefit their own selfish economic interests. This reciprocal arrangement has gone on far too long, and the American people are fed up with the corrupt and depraved Washington elites. The rise of the self-funding Donald Trump as a legitimate contender for president is the end result of a system that has failed us all time and time again.