Prior to Trump’s inauguration, I indicated that there were three extremely important known unknowns about the way he would run the government. They were:
- Which economic scenario (“Funhouse Reagan,” “Reverse Robin Hood,” or “Trade Warrior” combined with one of the other two) would we experience?
- How much damage would he do to our constitutional rights?
- Would his foreign policy be completely unconventional, or just a more blustery, unilateral version of the GOP status quo?
As we approach the midterms, the record on each of these is decidedly mixed, as follows:
- The predicted tax cut has blown up the deficit and provided an unnecessary stimulus to the economy, as per “Funhouse Reagan.” Trump has made some efforts to cut spending and has grumbled about deficit deals which accomplished little to shrink government, but the desire is still there. “Trade Warrior” began this year; its impact on the economy has been limited to date, but the next set of Chinese tariffs, if they are actually put in place, could be a different story.
- Trump has attacked the judiciary, undermined the credibility of law enforcement, profited from business deals in office, refused to release his tax returns, complained that the Attorney General is not doing enough to protect his interests and prosecute his opponents, called for changes to libel laws, and repeatedly blasted the media as “enemies of the people.” On the other hand, he hasn’t ignored court orders, fired Mueller, or made any serious attempt to weaponize law enforcement–yet.
- His treatment of our allies as ungrateful competitors, his enthusiasm for Putin, his trade wars, and his treatment of Kim were unconventional. He also went where no GOP president would go previously and recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He has no interest in serving as an honest broker in the Middle East. On the other hand, his desire to confront Iran and China are well within the GOP mainstream.
Where do we go from here? See my next post.