Ziegler Says Trump Action on Trade is What He Promised on Campaign Trail

(GARRETT ZIEGLER, WEARING HIS LATE GRANDPA WOHLTMAN'S TIE, SPEAKS TO THE CHAMBER FIRST FRIDAY LUNCHEON CROWD)

Garrett Ziegler now works in the White House as Senior Policy Analyst in the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy.

That position comes less than 10 years after Ziegler was the point guard for the Altamont Indians basketball team. Quite a rise for the 2014 ACHS graduate who later graduated from St. Louis University magna cum laude in Economics.

Ziegler joked that if some of his comments didn't sit well, give him five or 10...or 20...years, and then revisit those remarks.

Ziegler is the son of Mike and Anita Ziegler of Altamont, and he said all four branches of his family have lived in the county for more than 100 years. As such, he has a vested interest in how things are going locally, even though he now lives in suburban Virginia.

Among his many remarks, Ziegler said that Donald Trump is doing as president on trade matters exactly what Candidate Trump said he'd do on the campaign trail. He pointed out action on tax reform, "prudent" deregulation, energy extraction (including nuclear energy, which Ziegler wholeheartedly supports), and fair trade and smart trade (not free trade, but reciprocal trade). He said it didn't make any sense to allow free trade to some other nation's advantage, if hurts the US.

Asked whether the atmosphere in the White House is as "chaotic" as it's sometimes pictured by national media, Ziegler said that's not the case, although there is a free exchange of ideas, something he said Trump encourages. He also said some actions that seem to occur suddenly can be the result of months of negotiations that result in those actions. 

Ziegler also praised the success of Effingham County, saying it's due to the county's central location, its business people, and its faith. He also saluted late entrepreneur Chuck Keller for his work to attract the junction of Interstates 57 and 70 here almost 60 years ago. He termed it a "gamechanger" for the county.

As for his vision for the 2020s in America, Ziegler says he sees the red states getting redder, and the blue states getting bluer. He says he plans to end up in Wyoming, about as red a state as you can find. 

Ziegler took time to salute his CEO instructor, Craig Lindvahl, who died Thursday after a long battle with cancer. He said, "I wouldn't be here without him."