For about the last 16 months, we have been watching with a mixture of horror, disbelief, and mirth as Trump’s weaknesses–too numerous and glaring to count–have been paraded across our TV screens. In the end, none of it mattered in the least. Pious, conservative, rural Americans came to believe that an amoral, bombastic Manhattan billionaire was their tribune, they came out in force to support him, and that was that.
He will say the right things at first, because it is in his interests to do so. The test will come when he runs into serious resistance, both at home and abroad. Will he accept the limits put on his power by tradition, the Constitution, and good sense, or not? We will see, but given his personality and indifference to the truth, there is no reason for optimism.
For those of you who voted for him on the ostensible basis that he is just a rougher version of a traditional Republican–a Romney in wolf’s clothing, if you like–you own him, so we had all better hope that you were right. If not, the consequences of your decision have been described on numerous occasions in this blog, and I stand by my predictions, starting with the market crash that is already underway.