Let Trump show us what he’s got
The president is only doing what he promised, and we need to give him a chance – at least for now.
We’re four weeks into the Trump presidency. Many, myself included, never expected to place ‘‘President’’ and ‘‘Trump’’ adjacent to one another in a sentence. Well, President Trump is here, and it’s time to get real about it.
It hasn’t exactly been a smooth month in the top job. He fired the top government lawyer because she wouldn’t support his Muslim ban. He asked his national security adviser to resign because he lied about talking to the Russians about Obama-era sanctions.
And to the chagrin of some in the media and most of his detractors, the ‘‘World According to Trump’’ remains vibrant with hyperbole and falsehood: fake terrorist massacres, alleged voter fraud, his ‘‘historic’’ election victory.
But Trump is also doing exactly what he said he would do. He promised to shake up Washington: his cabinet is full of private-sector titans.
He campaigned against free trade: he unsigned the TransPacific Partnership. He promised he’d align the US with Russia to fight Islamic State: unquestionably, he’s seeking a reset with Vladimir Putin (Obama tried that, too).
He promised to nominate a conservative Supreme Court justice: Judge Neil Gorsuch is a slam dunk. He promised he’d build a wall on the border with Mexico: he’s directed Congress to find the funding.
To be sure, plenty of these positions seem untenable, even offensive, to many Americans, and to others around the world. And many of his promises will be hard, if not impossible, to see to fruition. Moreover, his ‘‘America First’’ attitude presents a significant danger of becoming ‘‘America Alone’’ if the US retreats from important trade and security alliances.
But we’re also just four weeks in. Trump will have to be pliant to the needs of allies, and the negative consequences of his campaign promises. All presidents are.
He said this week that his administration is running like a ‘‘finely tuned machine’’. That’s a bit of that Trump hyperbole. But America is not in ruins, her people are engaged, her press is free, and her institutions are intact. The sun still rises over New York and sets over California. Shouldn’t we give him at least four more weeks before we write him off completely?