Shortly after I started this blog, I addressed the issue of when, in Trump’s view, America was last great. Today, the question is a bit different: what makes America great?
In Trump’s view, it has nothing to do with freedom, justice, tolerance, openness, our political institutions, or the American dream. It doesn’t even have anything to do with our culture. Instead, it all revolves around visible manifestations of power: large buildings; medals at the Olympics; aircraft carriers; large factories; and the like.
The irony is that his victory on the tax cut will make it harder, not easier, for him to make us look great again, at least in his terms. More on that tomorrow.