2024 was a year full of miracles.
Every year has its ups and downs, and this year was no different, but the highs were miraculous enough to easily outweigh some of the lows.
All we need now is another miracle in 2025.
Let's start with the obvious. President-elect Donald Trump's survival after the July 13 assassination attempt defied rational explanation.
We may never know why a gunman was allowed to get so close to the podium and fire a clear shot at the candidate. But for some reason, Trump turned his head just as the bullet was heading straight for him, only to be grazed.
Several other people were tragically affected, including firefighter Corey Comperatore, who died. Therefore, the event itself was never something to celebrate. But imagine how much darkness our country, and our world, would have fallen into if Trump had not survived. None of us will ever forget the way he stood up and pumped his fist.
The November election was also a miracle.
I've long said that Republicans can never win except by surprise. As Election Day approached, it became clear that Trump had a strong chance of winning. That he did so was no surprise, at least outside of the mainstream media bubble, but the fact that he won the popular vote meant there was goodwill that even among his former political opponents seemed to have welcomed the victory. It was just as surprising. .
Israel's victory in the ongoing war remains miraculous.
A year ago, Hamas was still firing rockets into southern Israel, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) even accidentally killed three hostages who had successfully escaped. Last year, the IDF crushed Hamas, rescued several hostages, decimated Hezbollah in Lebanon, destroyed Iranian air defenses, and witnessed the collapse of the Syrian regime.
As I write this column, Israel is fighting back against Yemen's Houthi rebels and is considering airstrikes to destroy Iran's nuclear weapons program, the region's greatest threat. There are still 100 hostages in Gaza and their return is a major challenge, but Israel is stronger than ever.
I have experienced some personal miracles. In September, my wife and I were blessed with the birth of our fourth child, conceived in the weeks following October 7, 2023. The birth was relatively easy and my little boy is healthy and good-natured.
I published my book in August, Agenda: What should President Trump do in his first 100 days?. I also published much of my remaining work to date. audible. I don't know what creative project will come up next, but let's see.
But there is still a lot to do in the new year, and more miracles may be needed.
It will not be easy for President Trump to control inflation, a problem that has historically been solved only through economic pain. Securing borders will also be extremely difficult, not to mention what to do with the millions of people who have entered the country illegally over the past few years.
There may be opportunities for peace negotiations in the Middle East, but there will also be new challenges. For example, the Syrian rebels who overthrew Assad's regime include hard-core Islamic terrorists who are already terrorizing Christians and other minority groups in the region. Russia and Ukraine remain at war, and the threat from China remains growing in the Western Pacific as well as elsewhere.
More broadly, we have long-term problems such as debt, declining birthrates and widespread loneliness that require a sensitive approach. We elected a president who prides himself on being a disruptive force. The challenge of rebuilding becomes our own.
As we begin 2025, let's pray for more miracles. Looks like someone is listening.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday Sunday nights from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM ET (4:00 PM to 7:00 PM PT) on Sirius XM Patriot. he is the author of Agenda: What should President Trump do in his first 100 days?available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of Trumpian Virtues: Lessons and Legacy of the Donald Trump Presidencynow available on Audible. He is the recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpolak.
