Op-ed: Don’t fall for it
Trending
After living in West Virginia for nearly 30 years, a few things stick out to me. West Virginians are the hardest workers you'll ever come across. We're resilient, and above all else, we look out for one another. West Virginia doesn't need politicians to tell us how much they care about us while letting our wild and wonderful state keep ranking last in all meaningful metrics. If you pay attention to the news media, you will hear that the current state of the country is in turmoil, that all is lost for Republicans, and that Donald J. Trump is a failed president. This is not the case.
In his second term as president of the greatest country on the planet, he has many major accomplishments that may have saved our wonderful country. One of the most important is securing our national border. Under the previous administration, border security was nonexistent. For the 16th month in a row, Border Patrol paroled zero illegal aliens into our communities.¹ This is a promise that Trump delivered on and did so in a big way. Border security was one of Americans' main interests at the polls in 2024, and if they want to stay safe and see the same results, it should stay at the top of their minds in 2026.
Another success of the president would be the Big Beautiful Bill. Delivering on more promises, President Trump put more money in American citizens' pockets. The main points of the Big Beautiful Bill included no tax on qualified overtime and tips, significant tax relief for seniors ² the creation of Trump Accounts. ³ These major changes benefit American citizens but, more importantly, West Virginians. With 22.5% of our citizens being 65 or older, these tax deductions are a huge benefit to those living in our great state. The advantages this creates can help those who have been struggling get ahead for the first time in years. Young families can plan for their child's future, seniors can receive tax breaks, and businesses can be incentivized to thrive.
While our state enjoys cryptid folklore, West Virginians are too smart to fall for the tale of Boogeyman Donald Trump. Politicians are people. People are fallible. Don't allow Democrats to sell you a lie that West Virginia already paid for. Gone are the days of the "Manchin Democrats." The growing influence of the socialist wing of the American left should concern the hard-working people of West Virginia. Democratic Socialists of America openly calls for replacing capitalism with democratic socialism and advocates "defunding the police/refunding communities." Don't believe it? Read it in their own words.
I say all of this because the Democrats are scrapping at false narratives to instill a perspective that the "sky is falling" and that the workings of the current administration doom us. The truth is that the Democratic Party is lost, and they don't even know what they believe. Unfortunately, I believe this is just the beginning of the change to a party that was already struggling. Look at the DNC's own financials. As of Aug. 31, 2026, Federal Election Commission records showed approximately $17.6 million in debt and $16.9 million in cash on hand.
If history has taught us anything, it is that socialism does not work. These radical democratic socialists want to unravel everything that makes our country great. Just one of these radical changes would hurt our country, and these people want all of them to take place. These are reasons that it is important that we continue to vote and, for that matter, vote Red, as the community, state, and country could very well depend on it.
***
Tyler Koreski, of Parkersburg, is the attorney for the Wood County Republican Executive Committee.
***
Sources
U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, August 2026 Border Brief:
https://homeland.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/August-2026-Border-Brief.pdf
Internal Revenue Service, information concerning the new deductions for qualified tips, qualified overtime compensation, and seniors:
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/taxpayers-could-see-a-change-in-their-2025-tax-bill-or-refund
The White House, "President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Is Now the Law":
https://www.whitehouse.gov/releases/2025/07/president-trumps-one-big-beautiful-bill-is-now-the-law/
U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts -- West Virginia:
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/WV/PST045225
Democratic Socialists of America, "What Is Democratic Socialism?":
https://www.dsausa.org/about-us/what-is-democratic-socialism/
Federal Election Commission, Democratic National Committee -- 2026 Cycle Financial Summary: