Trump losing in playing long game

The partial shutdown of federal government is not going Donald Trump’s way. His approval rating, already lower than that of most recent presidents halfway through their first term, is moving against him. A Politico/ Morning Consult survey has found 57 per cent of Americans disapprove of him – just half a percentage point away from his worst rating so far, in December 2017. This poll and others like it are not just the scoreboard for a game of politics in Washington. The shutdown is starting to have serious real-world consequences, and its long-term effects are increasingly likely to damage the Trump administration.

The longer the shutdown goes on, the harder it will be to repair the damage to the fabric of federal government. The FBI Agents Association warns that investigations into terrorism, street gangs and sex traffickers are being curtailed by the lack of funds. This is embarrassing for a president who poses as tough on security and crime.

Once the president gets the blame for failing to provide adequate resources for fighting crime and terrorism, people who don’t normally pay attention to politics will start to notice and the damage to the core functions of the security and law and order state will continue to hurt his reputation until at least 2020. It is now in the interest not just of the United States but of Trump himself that he should cut his losses and agree to a compromise.