Donald Trump's Flailing Presidency

[lpetrich]

70 days in, Donald Trump’s presidency is flailing - Vox by Ezra Klein -- "Trump’s campaign rewarded him for breaking the rules. His presidency has punished him for it."

During the 2016 campaign, Donald Trump broke every rule of politics — and he won anyway.

He dominated the Republican primary by running against the Republican Party. He repulsed the GOP’s key leaders and emerged all the stronger for it. He delighted in conspiracy theories and schoolyard insults. He contradicted himself routinely, but managed to sell his flip-flops as evidence of pragmatism rather than proof of dishonesty. He knew nothing about policy, didn’t bother to learn more, and profited from the uncertainty about his true positions. His campaign was clearly assisted by Russian hackers, but the story was overwhelmed by the obsession with Hillary Clinton’s emails.

And then, of course, there was the election itself — Trump trailed in the polls, barely built a field operation, lost the popular vote, and then won the presidency.

Which made him feel vindicated, I'm sure. Something that would only add to his narcissism.

But,

Merely 10 weeks into his term, the processes, skills, and institutions Trump flouted as a candidate are breaking him as a president. Consider his record so far:

Health care, Trump’s top priority, crashed and burned. ...

Trump is historically unpopular. ...

Trump’s most consequential executive orders are stuck in the courts and imperiled by his words. ...

Trump’s administration is historically understaffed. ...

Trump’s White House is leaking and divided. ...

Trump’s administration is under investigation, and there are already casualties. ...

Trump is not able to unite the GOP’s warring factions. ...

EK concludes

Trump has not found a shortcut for American politics. To succeed at a hard job, he has to work hard in ways and at tasks that he has, thus far, shown little aptitude for or interest in.

He could retire from active policymaking and rule like a figurehead monarch, someone like Queen Elizabeth II. Though that would make him a sort of roi fainéant, a do-nothing king.