Analysis: Trump is pleased to have swept the swing states and won the popular vote. But a trap lurks behind the mandate: The decisive voters aren't hard-core Trumpists.
Summary
Chuck Todd argues that Donald Trump is rapidly spending his political capital by prioritizing revenge and culture wars over governance.
His controversial cabinet picks, like Matt Gaetz and Pete Hegseth, signal instability and risk alienating voters who supported him as a rejection of Biden, not an endorsement of Trumpism.
Todd warns that perceived overreach, like aggressive culture war policies or erratic mass deportation plans, could lead to public backlash and erode Trump’s support.
Without delivering stability and results, his presidency could quickly face the same challenges as Biden’s.
Todd warns that perceived overreach, like aggressive culture war policies or erratic mass deportation plans, could lead to public backlash and erode Trump’s support.
Why would Trump care? He is transactional, and the people who voted for him can't give him anything more. They are 100% irrelevant to him.
So why would he give a single fuck about alienating them?
What the fuck are the people going to do? Protest? He's already discussed deploying the military/national guard/police/whatever to use lethal force against protestors/demonstrators, either jailing or executing ones not shot.
It would take a total and complete revolt for trump to face any consequences for what he's going to do, or has already done.
And that's not something I think Americans are willing to do until it's much too late.
Trump's power is not derived from a piece of paper. That was the Democrats mistake.
Trump's power comes directly from the people. In a democracy, ultimately the people get the last say.
The transactions are far from over. There are many more transactions to come. From as little as continuing to support Trump-freindly representatives, all the way up to not actively rebelling against his administration.
Trump's power comes directly from the people. In a democracy, ultimately the people get the last say.
Well it's a representative democracy, a republic. Americans had their say two weeks ago and decided the GOP deserved the Presidency, the Senate, and the House. When combined with conservative majority on the Supreme Court, they can literally run the table for at least the next two years, regardless of any buyer's remorse some American's may have. Buckle up for 4 more years of outrage bait headlines and toothless responses from Democrats.
We've had our democratic say. Anything further response from the people will not be democracy. It'll be the same thing the French people said to their aristocracy. The same thing the Russians said to the Tzars.