President Donald Trump has already created an “atmosphere of intimidation” in Washington, after just a few weeks of aggressive decision making and attacks on critics, writes a Washington Post columnist, and it’s terrifying liberals.
“The first two weeks of the Trump administration have been the most abso-friggin-lutely frightening of the modern presidency,” Michael Gerson wrote in an opinion piece Monday, citing his blistering opening days of executive orders, taunts aimed at allies, questionable statements on things as big as the integrity of the election and as small as his inaugural crowd size, and a demonstrated “appetite” for chaos. “Republicans are on the horns of a bull in a china shop,” he adds.
The result in Washington is an entire city of government insiders walking on tiptoes so as to avoid an unnecessary or unwanted confrontation with the president. “In Trump’s amoral, counterpunching ethic, even the mildest criticisms can result in massive retaliation,” Gerson wrote. “Trump has already succeeded in creating an atmosphere of intimidation in Washington.”
But the fact that D.C. insiders and liberals more broadly are upset is really just another fulfillment of a promise Trump made to his supporters to shake up Washington, who by the way are reportedly happy with his opening weeks.
“I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ I was so happy,” one supporter told The New York Times regarding Trump’s executive order temporarily freezing the refugee program and immigration altogether from seven countries designated as terror threats. The order has been lambasted by the press and other Trump critics, but to this supporter it was one more promise kept. He is gay and was upset by the gay nightclub shooting in Orlando. “That one really got me. That could have been me.”
The approval numbers on Trump’s performance so far are in dispute, but the latest Rasmussen numbers show he has the approval of 54 percent of the country. Such support could be shocking in Washington, where Trump has been harangued and derisively mocked over virtually every move he’s made since assuming office.
Trump is doing “exactly” what he promised on the campaign trail,” Politico reporters Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman acknowledged in a recent newsletter blast, asking their readers: “Why are you surprised?”
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