One of Trump’s favorite lines of argument during Sunday’s debate was to attack Clinton for being in power for 30 years, but not doing anything to end crime, revitalize our inner cities, etc. The implicit contrast was with himself, the man of action, who can build tall buildings at a single bound.
Of course, our system is replete with checks and balances, so a single senator, to say nothing of the First Lady, can’t accomplish much by herself. In order to meet the standard Trump set for her, she would have to wear a cape instead of a pantsuit.
Trump clearly believes that he can run the federal government with the same sense of dynamism that he employs in his businesses. He can’t, so the question is, what then? How does a would-be strong man behave when he is ensnared by law and the separation of powers? Does he acknowledge defeat and the need for compromise, or does he simply ignore the law and dare anyone to stop him?
Anyone who has watched the man for the last 15 months knows the answer to those questions. Trump simply can’t abide the thought of being a loser. He would rather blow up the world than deal with failure.