It is very strange to see yourself addressed in third person in major publications after giving an RNC speech and after opening a campaign rally for vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance, but it has been a blessed few months. 

First and foremost, I am a single mother currently residing in Arizona, working two jobs. However, readers of this magazine might remember me as a speaker at this year’s Republican National Convention. I moved to Arizona three years ago from Los Angeles, where I initially moved to volunteer at a community center. Ironically, when I started my own family, it didn’t take long to realize that we had to escape the ever-changing fortunes of LA, which has transformed from the second-most prosperous city in the U.S. to “Lost Angeles.”

I watched my neighborhood decline in real time. Proposition 47 was passed in 2014, making drug possession punishable only as a misdemeanor with no jail time. Crime, drugs, and prostitution in downtown LA skyrocketed. Dealing with this crime and social tragedy every day was heartbreaking and terrifying. The suicide attempts and drug use on the streets made a hell of the beautiful city of angels. 

I had a more personal connection to the tragedy, which was the direct result of progressive policies. My now ex-husband, one of the many people affected by this growing epidemic, fell into drug addiction. We tried everything to help him defeat this stronghold, but it was a demon that held a tight grip as the city’s lax policies on drugs only made it more difficult to deter his use. It finally reached a point where there was no other option left in front of me than to separate from my husband, to protect myself and my son, leaving our future in the hands of God. We continue to pray for his complete restoration. Transitioning from a two parent household to a single parent home has been challenging, exhausting, and is an increasing issue in America. 

But the greater problem which often goes unnoticed is how the family breakdown is being facilitated by the state—in my case, the liberal uniparty state of California. It is the state that encourages women to value competition over fostering any connections or support systems. It also looks away from the disorder in the streets filled with crime and addiction, where some of the most vulnerable in society have suffered. The breakdown of churches has added to this suffering.

As a single mother, you feel that there are never enough hours in a day to be everything you need to be, to everyone. You want to perform at work, and have to, regardless of whether your child is sick or on break, to pay the bills. On the other hand, you want to be present for your children who are growing up so fast and need your presence, love, and affirmation to become responsible contributors to our society and country. You have to constantly be on guard, to provide and protect, all while knowing that women aren’t equipped to do all of this alone. 

Nevertheless, we do what we need to do to raise our kids the best we know how as our children are nothing short of a beautiful blessing from God. An opportunity presented itself to work in ballot-chasing in Arizona, and I listened to the tug on my heart to make a change and take action for God and country. A few days later, I received a call to speak at the RNC Convention. It was exactly the divine intervention I needed. I had one week to prepare to speak and felt so blessed to have the opportunity.  

Let me reiterate one of the points I made in my RNC speech, as well as in subsequent speeches, which I think is the key to why middle class Americans like me are longing for a Trump return.

It is only President Trump who can remedy the open border which is flooding our nation with poison. The border crisis has played a huge role in the drug epidemic. It has not only led to increased rent, soaring house prices, and fewer jobs, but it has also enabled human trafficking and drug smuggling. Major cities are greatly affected as they house most illegal immigrants, especially in border states. But make no mistake, they are coming to the streets near you.

The former president has promised to crack down on the border and send those who entered illegally back home. Only he is willing to do that is necessary to stop human traffickers and our misguided NGOcracy. Only he wants to declare war on drug cartels along our southern border and within our cities. Only he genuinely wants to ease the financial burdens of working class people. Most importantly to me, he encourages the practice of faith which will ensure that we remain one nation under God.

I empathize with the pain some immigrants are facing in their countries; however if we do not have law and order, America may become like those countries which they have fled. We are a beacon of hope to others for a reason, and we must lead by example.

Americans like myself have been forgotten by both the Democratic and Republican elite. That has to change. I believe a Trump-Vance ticket can affect that change.  

Vance rightly said that America is not just an idea, but it is also a nation bound by common history, common geography, and common laws, along with a single-tiered justice system. In life, there are tradeoffs, as are there in politics. He said, “America’s ruling class wrote the checks. Communities like mine paid the price.”

Arizona is a major swing state and the 2024 election will be decided in swing states. Some are already working towards that end, as there is nothing more important this year than to usher in a second Trump presidency and make America great once again.