Recently, President Trump’s fitness for office has been challenged, stemming from his intemperate comments about low-level immigrants coming to America. Media reports followed, assessing his personality and concluding that Trump thinks so highly of himself and his judgment that he eschews academic credentials, book learning and the wisdom of conventional politicians.
Still, It’s likely that Americans will simply have to put up with three more years of Trump’s practice of one step forward and three steps back where policy matters are concerned.
{mosads}President Trump is not likely to change. For 12 months at least, pundits, supporters and detractors have called on Trump to stop tweeting, act presidential and be more conventional in his day-to-day activities. For 12 months or so, he’s resisted, claiming instead that the economy is good, tax policy has been enacted, the stock market continues to soar and inflation remains low. These are all good signs, but they don’t necessarily bolster the Trump presidency and assure his re-election.
Some say his style is disruptive to political order, and that the Trump base supports his disruptive and unconventional actions. As long as the base is with him, the Trump pattern of self-aggrandizement will likely continue.
But, there will come a time when even Trump supporters will tire of such antics, signaling a partial return to political dignity. It may start in connection with military conflict. Hawaiians recently braced themselves for 38 minutes, awaiting a terrifying missile attack — a false alarm — but Americans were exposed to the horror of a pending war, with no place to hide from destructive, stand-off weapons. In such times of serious human jeopardy, Americans will yearn for conventionality and the dignity that should surround a serious president facing serious, life or death consequences to his actions. No longer will President Trump be able to “wing it” or proudly boast of his past (Wharton Business School and the business negotiations that brought Trump great wealth). Americans will expect more of their president.
Perhaps political conventionality will come in 2020 when Trump may seek re-election. Perhaps there will be an outcry against incumbent members of Congress in 2018, many of whom, Republicans, have praised President Trump for his record thus far. Somehow, Nancy Pelosi doesn’t seem as offensive as she once did. American voters will have to decide if they want to put up with four more years of an older, likely less-flexible President Trump after 2020 or if they want to endure two years of impeachment activity if Democrats successfully take over Congress this year. Two years without the success of a Trump agenda may convince voters that a different Republican candidate is preferable in 2020.
Politics has changed for the foreseeable future. Personalities may prevail over experience in electoral politics (just consider the Oprah Winfrey talk). We may be coming to a point in American politics where public accomplishment is secondary to offensiveness in politicians. Talk of “draining the swamp” may prevail over a “swamp,” where experience and knowledge trump talk.
Trump supporters speak regularly about “the establishment,” often criticizing those who disagree with the Trump style or those who have political experience. But the “swamp” that needs to be drained includes those who put themselves and their welfare above what’s good for America, not just those with experience. As far back as one wants to go, American presidents have generally had the best interests of America at heart. Some have been more politically conservative, some more politically liberal, but each generally did what he thought was right at the time. The same goes for most Congressional leaders.
Like life, there are some self-serving personalities, but generally most have employed good motives in their public actions. It’s a mistake for Trump and his supporters to indict all past and current public servants.
Perhaps Americans long for leaders who have a little Trump unconventionality, but possess enough dignity and humility to avoid scorn by a majority of voters. Perhaps the leaders of tomorrow will be sensitive to the needs of low-income citizens, leaders who will possess the business acumen and experience necessary to be un-beholden to any who may try to profit from their public position, who won’t be so unconventional that they’ll turn off the majority of voters, especially younger voters, leaders who won’t need to bluster about in a self-conscious way and who will fulfill presidential duties with dignity and respect for others in the world.
We can only hope.
George Nethercutt is the former Republican Congressman from the 5th District of Washington and a former member of the National Security Appropriations Subcommittee.