What is the State of the Union Under Trump 2.0?

By Michael Ashley

Lora H. Reinbold is a former Alaska State Senator (2019–2023) and House Representative (2013–2019). Known for her independent stance, she challenged caucus norms and gained attention for opposing COVID-19 mandates. With a background in healthcare management, Reinbold’s career reflects her commitment to questioning authority and advocating for personal freedoms. Her tenure has been marked by controversial—yet steadfast positions on public health and government transparency.

MA: Hi everyone. I’m honored to have former Senator Lora Reinbold with us today. Lora, could you share a bit about your background in politics—what you’ve done and what first got you involved?

LR: It’s a long history, but I’ll keep it short. My parents were deeply involved in politics, and they always said there’s no excuse not to be engaged. I grew up helping with campaigns, like United States Senator Ted Stevens’ election back in the 70s through 2014. Eventually I decided to create my own path. I started locally with the homeowner’s association and volunteering as a mom with team sports in 2000.

Over time, I took on bigger roles—working on projects like building trails, including the advancing the historic Iditarod trail in my area, and joining the Alaska Governor Inaugural committee. By 2010, I was on eight boards and committees and extremely committed to making a difference. That’s when I decided it was time to run for office, and it turned out to be a great decision.

MA: Wonderful. I know you also left politics. What led to that decision?

LR: When I entered politics, I made one promise to myself: I wouldn’t change my core beliefs, and I’d fight the Deep State and resist being transformed by the political machine. I had seen too many candidates change after going to Juneau or Washington, DC. My goal was to stay true to my conservative values, including voting “no” on bloated budgets five times, during my 10 years in the legislature, even though it meant losing my chairmanship, staff, my office and dealing with the media.

I knew the budgets were unsustainable both on a state and national level, thus I’m excited about what Trump and Elon Musk want to do to reduce the national budget. Regulatory reform was also a big focus for me. My major regulatory reform bill passed both the house and the senate almost unanimously. What ended up causing me to not run for re-election was an egregious attack by our Governor because I stood against his unconstitutional COVID mandates.

I resisted the mandates aggressively and the Governor published a malicious letter about me, as Judiciary Chair, where he illegally blocked all executive branch resources to this senate committee I chaired. Eventually the malicious letter spurred on a lawsuit, in an effort to blunt executive branch abuse and the weaponization of the ethics committee.

My rights were denied by the ethics committee and the lower court, and now the case has been appealed and is before the Alaska Supreme Court. Additionally I was sued for blocking a troll on Facebook lawsuit. It has cost me nearly a quarter million dollars and has been ongoing for nearly 4 years. I was targeted by Alaska Airlines and banned from flying on the airline for a year.

Sadly, they enjoy a monopoly to and from Anchorage to our state Capital of Juneau. I wore a mask even against medical recommendation, for I had a medical mask exemption on the flights. Alaska Airlines denied me and all others who had mask exemptions, even though they were required to provide alternate mask accommodations in the mask directive. When you stand up to the Deep State, they try to cancel you. Now I’m focused on holding them accountable through lawsuits, and staying involved in politics, setting important precedent in the judicial branch.

MA: Going back to fighting the deep state, why do you think it’s so difficult for elected leaders to take on the establishment as you have?

LR: In Alaska, three major groups hold a lot of power: the oil industry, the natives, and the unions. I’ve always believed people should have the right to choose whether to join a union, especially public unions, and that put me at odds with them. The unions are aggressive—one of the people who sued me is a teamster. He sued me for simply blocking a troll on Facebook that was violating page rules.

A lot of Republicans don’t want to do the hard work, like door knocking or grassroots efforts. In my first election, I worked hard to earn the trust of my district and was able to place 555 signs in my district, working hard, going door to door. Many find it easier to capitulate to the unions for their endorsements and support. I chose not to do that, and it made my path much rougher.

MA: What are some of the successes you’re most proud of from your political career?

LR: One of the most important things has been protecting the minds of our youth—supporting parental rights and children’s education. For my first four years, I focused on defending parental rights, opposing Common Core, and later fighting against Critical Race Theory. I also worked on strengthening states’ rights, getting a major regulatory reform bill passed. With the support of my colleagues I sponsored legislation to prevent the use of state funding to implement Common Core standards. Unfortunately, common core standards help create loopholes for politically divisive topics like Critical Race Theory to into our schools.

I’m also proud of exposing Alaska’s massive budgets and deficits since 2015, highlighting the overspending. During COVID, I sponsored a significant bill SB 156 that protected Alaskans’ choice regarding vaccines—no one could be discriminated against by any school, municipal, or state or federal agency. Another success was overturning a soft-on-crime bill SB91. I fought the original bill for three and a half years and successfully got the soft on crime bill repealed with support from colleagues.

MA: Let’s go back to Critical Race Theory for a moment. For those who don’t know, why were you so opposed to it?

LR: I had substitute taught and saw what was happening in classrooms—the books and materials being used. I studied Critical Race Theory and found it was pinning one race against another, reversing decades of work to eliminate prejudice. It brought division front and center in classrooms, causing tremendous conflict.

MA: Looking at the recent election and Trump’s resounding victory, what message do you think it sends to the nation? What are the implications?

LR: First, I see parallels between Trump and my own experience. President Trump was sued for blocking people on Twitter. I faced a similar issue while upholding the Communications Decency Act and my page rules promoting decorum on my page. It’s about knowing when to tone down abusive behavior—like walking away from a heated conversation.

What this election exposes is the hypocrisy around censorship. The federal government, big tech companies like Facebook and Twitter, and even the healthcare industry have been suppressing information and free speech, including concerns about vaccines. Trump’s victory signals a shift. I think we’ll see a dramatic increase in free speech, reduced censorship, and greater transparency—whether in data or healthcare. Watching figures like Zuckerberg now kiss up to Trump shows this change is underway, and that’s very exciting to me.

MA: How do you think the American and global economies will fare under a Trump presidency?

LR: I think we will move in a good direction, starting with reducing the budget—that’s what’s driving inflation, and it’s a huge deal. Resource development is critical; everyone needs energy. My power was out for nine hours yesterday, which reminded me how valuable gas is. Alaska is facing shortages, so offshore drilling and increasing energy production are vital for businesses and the economy.

Border control is also essential. We’ve got to be safe in our neighborhoods and schools. Trump plans to deport illegal aliens while allowing legal ones to stay, which is critical for public safety and defense. Energy fuels the economy, and with the pro resource policies, I think we’ll see significant economic improvement.

MA: What’s your sense of the future of wokeness after this election?

LR: I’m extremely happy that so many people have woken up to its dangers. Podcasts, books, and especially parents have taken bold stances against things like boys in girls’ sports. It’s exciting to see companies like McDonald’s stepping away from the woke agenda. On the flip side, I’m upset with Costco for doubling down on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies. Their board of directors’ decision to continue with these harmful policies is, in my view, a stupid move. But overall, people are waking up, and I believe the foundational principles of this nation—freedom, liberty, constitutional rights, and the Bill of Rights—will come back front and center.

MA: Speaking of the Constitution and Bill of Rights coming back front and center, can you share more about your efforts in this area?

LR: Yes. I tried to pass a simple bill requiring any elected official—whether a judge, legislator, or anyone required by the Constitution to take a constitutional oath—they must first read the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence. These documents are inseparable: one is the charter, and the others show how to fulfill the charter. It should have been straightforward, but Senate President Peter Micciche gave my bill five committee referrals, which practically guaranteed its death. The bill made it got it all the way to rule committee who sends bill to a floor vote, but the RINOSs (republican in name only) killed the bill in that committee. Even the simplest efforts to promote basic common-sense principles face fierce resistance by the deep state.

MA: What you’re talking about is so important. With my children, who are six and nine, I have them learning the Constitution every morning. I think it’s crucial because, as public servants, how can you lead without understanding the Constitution? I applaud what you’re doing.

LR: Well, I applaud what you’re doing, too. When you ask what the most valuable asset in America is, it’s the minds of our youth. Taking time to educate children, especially on foundational constitutional principles, is absolutely critical. Thank you for making that effort—it’s so important.

MA: I’d like to go back to Elon Musk since you mentioned him earlier, particularly his new office of Doge—the Department of Government Efficiency. Do you have any concerns about Elon Musk?

LR: Yes, I do. I’m concerned about transhumanism, which I know sounds far out. I think he has some great ideas, and I appreciate his philanthropy, especially helping people in California and North Carolina with Starlink. My heart goes out to those suffering in California—they’re being devastated in unimaginable ways. I also admire his work in space; having served on an aerospace board, I’m in complete admiration of some of the things he’s doing.

But I do have concerns, particularly with AI. Your book, Own the AI Revolution, helped me feel more empowered and educated. Musk has significant financial incentives that could lead to conflicts of interest. I think these need to be monitored.

MA: Let’s discuss AI, digital currencies, and financial deplatforming. Do you think a Trump presidency will help combat technological tyranny or bring more concerns?

LR: I wish I could say everything will be okay—Trump is a freedom lover and a constitutional rights guy—but I do have concerns. Some of his appointees show no resistance to these trends. I voted against Real ID on the state level because these things start globally, move federally, then trickle down locally. If AI and digital currency expand, they could lead to a new type of social scoring—not transgender-related but maybe tied to AI integration. That kind of system yields enormous power. If they also take over legacy media, social media, and involve the government, it’s a different kind of tyranny.

MA: So you’re saying technological tyranny extends beyond AI and digital currency to the balance of power in governance?

LR: Yes. I believe in distinct separation of powers. Legislatures should write all policy—not our courts or executive mandates—they are to enforce laws. Being in court for the last four years, I’ve seen how judicial opinions are framed as “case law”, but they are really just judicial opinions. The same goes for Biden’s excessive executive orders, which we need to be repealed. Thankfully, Trump plans to address them. America has survived 250 years by maintaining checks, balances, and separation of powers in the three branches of government. Keeping the constitutional separation of powers structure is essential to fighting technological tyranny.

MA: Looking back at 2020 and COVID, do you think people have sufficiently woken up to what occurred? Are you hopeful for the future?

LR: I think more than half of people have woken up—probably everyone is aware of the dangers of tyranny. But when it comes to those willing to engage, resist, and not just roll over and become “sheeple,” I’d say it’s still about 50/50. More people need the courage to stand up. That is the reason why I started Constitutional Freedom Fighters in Alaska in April 2020. I want everyday people to understand how powerful we are. Empowering the people is key to success.

MA: What is it about your own makeup that allows you to think this way? Not everyone is as brave or willing to fight for these things. What makes you different?

LR: Faith, for sure. I read The Founders’ Bible and learn so much from it. It’s not just biblical—it brings the Bible and our Founding Fathers to life. It enhances your knowledge like no other book I’ve read. Understanding what they went through helps me appreciate the freedoms we have today.

I also believe we’re all going to be accountable in the end. Did we stand up for our rights and liberty, or did we roll over? Even our children judge us—what legacy are we leaving for them and our grandchildren? It’s so important to make the world better than we found it. We’ve had a good life enjoying freedom, and I want future generations to enjoy that too.

MA: Of course, no one has a crystal ball. But if you had to predict what the Trump presidency will look like—wins and losses, short term and long term—what are your thoughts?

LR: I think there’s going to be a lot of resistance and chaos, especially with deporting illegal aliens. They’re not going to leave willingly so there will likely be conflicts, and people need to be prepared for that. Reducing the size of the federal government will also face resistance and there’s going to be pushback.

In the end, though, I believe resource development and energy security will improve. Groceries are ridiculously expensive right now, and I think America First initiatives will help address that. I hope we see manufacturing brought back to America. With what Trump is doing, there are some amazing opportunities for our economy in the long term.

MA: Changing gears, how can we get more young people, especially boys, to care about what’s happening politically and culturally?

LR: I’ll go back to something you asked earlier. COVID really woke people up. Many were forced to take the shot to go to college, live in dorms, or keep their health care jobs. A lot of harm was done, and that’s why I’ve continued exposing COVID tyranny.

Now, through Alaskans for Personal Freedom, we’re still fighting for those freedoms.

I see more young people, especially libertarians, engaging politically because they value their freedom. Many youth turned to Trump after seeing what Biden did with censorship and mandates. Writing books, hosting podcasts, and holding symposiums all help. Standing up, even to your own party, is critical. I was often in trouble for challenging Republicans, but I care about integrity, not party labels. That’s why Democrats supported my COVID vaccination anti-discrimination bill right to opt out without question—almost every legislator voted for it.

MA: If you were going to give advice to a young person who wants to get into politics and run for office, what would you suggest?

LR: I would say, study the Founding Fathers and why America has been so great—because they fought tyranny and made sacrifices. Think about the legacy you want to leave. Study the Constitution and the State Constitution—it’s critical to understand and embrace them.

When I went door to door, I learned people want to know what you’re going to do for them. Understand how much people love their freedom and be ready to defend it. Parental rights are also critical. Know your rights, embrace them, and defend them so no one can take them from you.

MA: Final question—what makes you hopeful for the future?

LR: Many things. I’m seeing a lot of people paying attention to what’s happening in the world, wanting to make a difference, and aiming to be on the right side of things. There’s an incredible awakening, from youth to adults, with people understanding the conflict and showing courage.

People like Dr. Ryan Cole, Dr. Peter McCullough, Dr. Scott Jensen in Minnesota, and Robert Kennedy give me hope. Kennedy, for example, has stood up in the face of resistance. He’s done his homework, has courage, and truly wants the best for children, adults, and the world in areas like food safety and Big Pharma. With more transparency and informed decisions, I believe we’ll be in a much better place in four years.

MA: I agree. Finally, how can people follow your work or connect with you?

LR: Right now, I’m a little bit limited on social media, learning new options. I do still have a Facebook account under my name, Lora Reinbold. I also have a newer X account called Lora4Alaska. Bottom line, I’m focused on exposing what’s going on at a high level in particular with healthcare concerns by engaging with people, hosting symposiums with Alaskans for Personal Freedom and setting precedent in legal battles.

I hope to be on major podcasts in the future and plan to get back into setting sound policy based on our Constitution. I’ll let people know about opportunities to engage in the future as they come up.

MA: Wonderful. Thank you for your courage and your brave heart, Lora. It’s been an honor to talk to you.

The article has been lightly edited for clarity.

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