Here we are, not even 100 days into Donald Trump’s second term as president, and despite his emphatic election win, lightning-fast start, and astonishing early successes, the Trump presidency may already be at a precarious point. One or more serious missteps in concert with Trump’s often mercurial behavior could quickly eradicate his initially enthusiastic public support.
To be clear, this is the guy who just engineered the greatest comeback in American political history. There is no doubt that he is politically savvy. Yet perhaps the thunderous rally ovations are drowning out some important signals.
Today’s political landscape in summary:
1.) The gap between Left and Right is wider, deeper, and uglier than ever. There is effectively no common ground. The center is a DMZ, a no-man’s land.
2.) On the GOP side, the faithful are reveling in the new good times, and they are further buoyed by polls indicating that the Democrat brand has tanked, stuck in the mud with lower popularity than any major political party in history. They believe it will stay like that forever. Dream on.
Keep in mind that the coalition that reelected the previously discarded president includes two distinct components: the diehards who idolize Trump and would follow him anywhere and a sizable number of disaffected Democrats and independents who saw the need for change, did not trust the Harris/Walz team to deliver it, and thus reluctantly (and maybe temporarily) set aside their uneasiness with Trump. Going forward, Trump and the GOP must satisfy both constituencies.
3.) Following their 2024 electoral collapse, the Democrats vowed to “fight!”— but initially had a hard time articulating the who, what, and why. They now have settled on a comeback strategy: all-out resistance (yes, again). It seems that the only way moderates in the party can coexist with their far-left mates is to unite on a single foundational principle: hating Trump.
It follows that the Democrats’ central message for the foreseeable future will be “we told you so,” that a Trump presidency will destroy our nation. That, in turn, will translate into fierce criticism of every Trump action, good or bad. Their political revival hinges on the failure of the current administration, and they seem unconcerned with the consequences of that failure.
We’re seeing that dynamic now. One obvious example is last week’s hysteria over the new Trump tariffs. There was no real surprise there — Trump has made clear his intention to use tariffs as a mechanism to shift the balance of international trade in ways more favorable to our nation (America first!) and to incentivize the rebirth of our country’s manufacturing capacity. Both are important to our nation’s long-term health, and both are long overdue. It was a classic Trump gambit — a bold move, for a good reason, but without certainty of outcome.
Not surprisingly, Trump’s abrupt announcement of huge tariffs caused initial economic shock waves, including days of dizzying stock market decline and the attendant sky-is-falling hysterics. The blowback from all sides targeted not the economic aspects of his action but the president himself, with allegations of recklessness, supposedly callous concern about his actions’ impact on our citizens’ savings, and even his motives (was it to make his wealthy cronies even wealthier?).
Trump’s subsequent decision to invoke a 90-day pause quieted the market but not the criticism. We still don’t know how this will all turn out, but the episode clearly undermined public trust in Trump’s business acumen.
As another example, there is the always-contentious matter of illegal immigration. The American public’s views are clear: they recognize that the Biden administration’s open border policy was a disaster for our nation. They’re irked by revelations of better treatment to illegal aliens (housing in first-class hotels, free transportation, food, and healthcare, etc.) than we give our own needy citizens. They applaud Trump’s remarkably effective action in slamming the door shut and his Border Czar Tom Homan’s success in finding and deporting criminally violent aliens.
But at the same time, our fair-minded public has no tolerance for treating people — any people — badly. The plight of Kilmar Abrego Carcia, a long-term U.S. resident who was mistakenly apprehended and deported with criminal gang members to a Salvadorean prison compound, has aroused both national sympathy and Democrat invective.
Worse, the Trump administration did not attempt to rectify the situation until prompted by a Supreme Court ruling. There is plenty of gray area affecting Garcia’s situation. He is not a U.S. citizen, and he has been accused (without corroboration) of gang activity. But he had been shielded from deportation by a valid order of a U.S. court. The error should have been rectified, if possible, as soon as it was detected.
As of this writing, the matter is still unresolved, but it stands as an example of how a single publicized misstep can poison an otherwise well-executed and publicly supported administration action.
The above are just two examples among many controversial issues staring us in the face, each presenting an opportunity for political division rather than collaboration. Would that we could somehow find our way to healthy political opposition that leaves room for constructive agreement on matters of common interest.
But even in today’s contentious political climate, I believe the bumpy, ambitious, and high-energy Trump train can sustain the continued support of the American electorate. To do so, it must find a way to rise above the constant resistance, to settle the nerves of the unsure, and to avoid the serious missteps that invite disaster.
For President Trump himself, I believe the recipe for success is simple — and well within range of his current path. Specifically:
- Keep your foot on the gas. Your resilience, energy, and intensity are opening eyes everywhere. Remember what you promised — and keep those promises.
- Your personal comments matter. Don’t waste your words on boasting, blame, or exaggeration; personal attacks earn you nothing but scorn. Don’t go there, please. (Yes, I know, this one may be wishful thinking, but it must be included.)
- Build on your current A+ marks on transparency; you’ve fielded thousands of questions from all sides, offering candid responses to all without a teleprompter, pre-screening, or 3×5 cue cards. Keep it up!
- Follow Elon Musk’s example in dealing with the inevitable mistakes — a reminder that we’re moving fast to address important matters, that we won’t bat .1000, but when we make a mistake, we’ll correct it.
- Look forward, not back. MAGA Is, in fact, about the future.
Our president is an impulsive, abrasive, and often combative man. But we knew that when we elected him to be our president, and so far, he is doing some very good things for our nation and the world. Let’s cut him some slack. Hey, we might even learn to like him.
