We are halfway through the first 100 days of the second Trump administration and there is a noticeable chill in the air, an uneasiness, a vague sense of something bad that is about to come.
First, the good news. No one is attempting to illegally enter this country anymore. Fentanyl and human trafficking are trending downward.
And…that is it. Everything else is bad news.
The Trump administration would like to believe that it is ushering in the Golden Age of America, but it is looking more and more that what they are doing will create a Dark Age of Chaos instead.
I watched the televised first Cabinet meeting and was struck by how unqualified and unimpressive most of the cabinet members appeared to be. Clearly President Trump chose them for their loyalty and fealty to him first and foremost, not because they were among the best qualified people for the positions that they hold. In addition, the esteem and deference that everyone gave to Elon Musk was disappointing, as was the egotistical way in which Mr. Musk comported himself.
I watched the televised meeting between President Trump and President Valisnsky during which President Trump and Vice-President Vance harshly criticized President Valinsky for advocating for his own country. President Trump grossly overstated the value of the military aid that the U.S. has provided Ukraine, and grossly understated the value of the military aid that the EU nations have provided Ukraine. The attempt to humiliate President Valinsky and make him grovel for more aid was an embarrassment to this country.
I watched the televised first speech by President Trump to the joint session of Congress and was very disappointed that President Trump was so dismissive of the Democratic Senators and Representatives, who represent nearly half of the citizens of this country. Of course, I felt that the behavior of many Democrats in attendance, together with the rebuttell speech gave by Representative XYZ, was a perfect reflection of the unfocused, undisciplined, and ineffective nature of the Democratic Party.
We would do well to remember that Donald Trump was an egocentric TV celebrity who captured the attention of the American public until he lost interest in his own show when his ratings began to decline. We would do well to remember as well that he was a terrible businessman who declared bankruptcy five times, leaving financial disasters in his wake that other people were forced to clean up. We would do well to remember that his business empire is based primarily on golf clubs and renting out his name for use on properties owned by other people.
Donald Trump’s entire career is based upon his brash charm, his aggressive deal-making, and his undeniable flare for self-promotion. He has created nothing beyond himself. That is who he is.
Being President is Donald Trump’s greatest performance. Unfortunately, the presidency of the United States is not intended to be theater. It is a serious responsibility that requires forethought, strategic thinking, a sense of obligation to do right by the people of this country, and a historical awareness of the position of this country vis-s-vis the rest of the world.
Donald Trump possesses none of these critical attributes. But he has all the power of the Presidency to do as he wishes. The fact that he is creating a disaster for this country should come as no surprise to anyone who has an understanding of history and what happens when leaders have no limitations on their worst impulses.
It is still the case that President Trump has millions of followers who believe in everything that he says and support anything that he does. However, the more government employees that his administration fires, the more difficult it becomes to conduct the business of government. It becomes more likely that the actions of the Trump administration will begin to have a negative effect on the lives of the people who entrusted him with our democracy.
Severe cuts to Medicaid, for example, will mean that millions of Americans will no longer have affordable access to health care. The punitive tariffs against our three largest trading partners, followed by reciprocal tariffs against the remaining countries of the world, will result in higher prices for food and clothing, which will affect everyone except the wealthiest among us.
There is concern that the actions of the Trump administration will lead to a significant economic downturn due to fewer exports of agricultural products, a slowdown in the housing industry due to higher imported lumber prices, and a reduced demand for cars and trucks due to tariff-driven higher prices.
The Trump administration has begun warning Americans to expect some pain before they see the benefits of this Golden Age of America. Congressional Republicans have begun stating that the true patriots of this country are willing to accept this pain. Is this not the opposite of what Donald Trump promised that his second term would bring?
It is entirely possible that by the end of the first 100 days of the Trump administration President Trump’s disapproval rating will reach an all-time low, but great damage will already have been done by then.
Perhaps it will finally become clear that Donald Trump was never the answer, that his greatness was only an illusion, that he really does not understand this democracy and the American people after all, that the demands of the office of President are beyond his capabilities.
When this happens, we had better be prepared, because who knows what a desperate Donald Trump would be willing to do?