Ross Douthat thinks the state of the economy is Trump’s greatest political problem; even if the tariffs ultimately reinvigorate American manufacturing, the benefits will likely be felt long after Trump leaves office. I agree. But Douthat has nothing to say about the impacts of the deportations, which is of particular interest in light of the position taken by the Pope and the American bishops. Douthat can’t argue that only a rogue heretic Pope had any interest in protecting immigrants at this point. So what is going on here?
There are a number of possibilities. Perhaps Ross is just too embarrassed by the issue to discuss it in public. Maybe he thinks it is just a sideshow. Maybe he thinks the problems are temporary and that the system will improve over time. My best guess is that he believes Trump has a mandate for his regime, so criticizing it after the fact is inappropriate.