Set your mind back to November 4, 2024, one day before the presidential election. That’s a tough ask, but let’s delve deeper. Imagine being on the verge of voting for Donald Trump. Now, consider if you had a crystal ball that day – would your choice have stayed the same?

For starters, immediately after taking office, Trump pardoned 1,600 January 6 rioters. Furthermore, he supported setting up a "compensation fund" to reimburse those rioters for lost income or fines paid. How does that sit with you now?

Within just five days of his second term, 17 inspectors general were fired, signaling a worrying disregard for legal oversight. Then there’s the matter of Trump’s immigration policies: thousands of masked federal agents were deployed across American cities, with operations leading to civilian casualties.

The international stage was no less chaotic. Trump’s promise to end the war in Ukraine evaporated as Russian drone and missile attacks increased. Domestically, the inflation rate stubbornly hovered around the same high levels despite his campaign promises for rapid reduction.

Trump’s foreign policy maneuvers included airstrikes in seven countries and an unprecedented tariff hike from 2.5% to 18%, straining global trade relations. Even more bizarre was his threat to invade Greenland, which led NATO allies to rush to its defense.

The economic impacts were stark. The U.S. lost 68,000 manufacturing jobs, and critical health and international aid institutions like the NIH and USAID were gutted under his command. The fiscal landscape saw the dollar plummet by 10% against the euro, and two Federal Reserve Board members came under criminal investigation.

In a startling move, Trump sued his own government – the IRS – for $10 billion over leaked tax records. He even renamed the Kennedy Center to the “Trump – Kennedy Center” after replacing its board.

On a more aggressive note, Trump's administration attacked vessels near Venezuela and abducted President Nicolas Maduro without congressional approval, escalating international tensions further.

As you tally up these actions on your mental bingo card, it’s worth pondering – was your wildest imagination wild enough to foresee this? And in hindsight, does the alternative – say, a Kamala Harris presidency – really seem so unfavorable?

Reflect on these developments. Any regrets? Or perhaps, a reconsideration of what presidential leadership should entail? Your vote always matters, but its implications can stretch far beyond what one might predict.