Women for Trump co-chair champions President's success

At only 27 years of age, Madison Gesiotto's resume is impressive. Attorney, Miss Ohio USA winner, political columnist and Fox News contributor. She can now add National Women for Trump co-chair to her vitae.

Gesiotto was in town Thursday to speak at a fundraiser benefiting state Rep. Holly Rehder, a Republican candidate for Missouri Senate. She spoke with me prior to taking the stage about how she got involved in politics and why President Trump's agenda matters -- especially to women.

The Ohio native's passion for politics started at an early age. Her father suggested to her as a child she would one day go to law school and get involved in the political arena. But it wasn't until college she really engaged. While an undergraduate at The Ohio State University, Gesiotto was an intern for the 2012 Mitt Romney campaign. Following the general election loss, Gesiotto said she realized the Republicans needed a real fighter.

"I don't think he was the fighter that President Trump is," she told me, qualifying that she still believes the now-senator Romney would have made a better chief executive than former President Barack Obama.

As she continued her education and participated in the 2014 Miss USA contest as Ohio's representative, Gesiotto met Donald Trump. A year later their paths crossed again at CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) in Washington, D.C. She said Trump talked to her about law school and gave career advice as she considered starting a small business.

"That always kind of stuck with me, because in politics you meet a lot of people who, honestly, unless they think you're important they don't want to shake your hand, don't want to spend the time to talk to you," she said.

Gesiotto said there's plenty of excitement for the president's re-election among women.

"Women are really excited and coming together because the reality is the news doesn't spread the real facts about how President Trump has benefited the lives of women in this country and families in this country," Gesiotto said. "As part of Women for Trump I've worked with women across the country to help continue to get that message out."

Here are a few statistics she champions for the 45th President:

• More than 600,000 women lifted out of poverty;
• More than 1 million children out of poverty;
• 70-year low unemployment for women;
• All-time low unemployment for minorities;
• Average family saved over $1,000 via Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

But the real legacy, she said, will come through the courts. Not only has the president nominated two conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, but he's nominated conservatives judges for district and court of appeals openings. People who respect the Constitution, she said.

While some in the national media will focus on the latest gossip and political maneuvering against the President, there's an important story not told nearly enough. On Friday, the U.S. Labor Department released its September jobs numbers. U.S. Unemployment is at a 50-year low at 3.5% with employers adding 136,000 jobs in the month. It's a message that affects everyone regardless of age or gender. And it's good to hear people like Gesiotto out there championing the policies.

Lucas Presson is assistant publisher of the Southeast Missourian.