Trump's Agenda Has Shrunk To Two Items - Getting Richer And Getting Revenge

Trump had big plans for his second term. On the campaign trail, he promised voters that he would do two things on Day One - lower prices and stop the Russia/Ukraine war. He said it would be easy. He has failed at both.

Inflation was falling when he took office, but his ridiculous placing of tariffs on nearly every nation took care of that. Now prices are going up, and with his on again-off again tariffs, nobody can predict how far or fast prices will rise - but they will continue to rise.

And the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues and actually intensifies. Trump thought he had a buddy in Putin and all he had to do was ask and Russia would stop the war. He is starting to realize, as most Americans already knew, that Putin was just playing him for a fool.

Trump also promised to deport a million immigrants a year. He has engaged in a cruel campaign to deport people without due process. But the courts have stopped him, and most of his cruelest efforts remain tied up in court. As a result, he is actually deporting fewer immigrants than in either of the past two Democratic administrations.

Trump seemed to believe in the right-wing's Project 2025 - that he could seize much more power for himself as president and override the wishes of Congress and the courts. That hasn't worked out so well either.  His efforts to seize power the Constitution doesn't give him is also being stymied by a myriad of court cases.

In short, while his actions have created a lot of chaos and concern, they have not succeeded as he had hoped. But they have turned public opinion against him. Every poll now shows voters don't approve of how he's doing the job of being president.

Trump is learning that being president is a hard job. It requires diplomacy, access and understanding of intelligence, the ability to listen, the ability to compromise, and the ability to do the right thing even when supporters don't like it. None of those are qualities that Trump has. His only tool is bullying, and it's not working.

Hard is not something Trump can deal with. That's why he is growing tired of the job. Instead of being president for the people, he is curtailing his efforts to only two things - making himself much richer and getting revenge of those he perceives as enemies. 

His corruption is massive - accepting gifts, selling meme coins, selling access to the Oval Office, selling pardons, and making deals for his own personal profit (and his family's). And he seems unconcerned about the law, the Constitution, or ethics and morality. And that corruption includes using government agencies to punish those he doesn't like.

So, who is actually doing the job of the presidency while he focuses of getting richer and getting revenge? That is what's really scary. That falls to the people he chose to fill his cabinet with - mostly incompetent and inexperienced sycophants. That's not good.

I don't know which was worse - Trump trying to be president or Trump leaving that to his flunkies while he pursues a personal agenda. Neither is good for the nation.