Trump’s back against wall

President Donald Trump put up his best reality show of his presidency so far in a negotiation on immigration. However, it shows that his back is thoroughly against the wall.

The book Fire and Fury exposed him and clearly hit home — he realised that he must put all his cards on the table in order to save the day. It was a carefully staged show before the media, where he tried to refute the salient points in the book (his style of leadership and his fitness for office).

He threw campaign promises and subsequent threats overboard to woo Democrats (not connecting the wall to a Daca solution; not mentioning Mexico payingl; agreeing to first solve Daca and then look at comprehensive security) something Republicans immediately objected to.

He walked away from his campaign promise of a physical wall all along the border, and is now talking about only certain stretches.

He practically laid his authority in the hands of politicians saying that he will sign ANY agreement agreed on between Democrats and Republicans concerning Daca and comprehensive security!!

It was vintage Trump: no morals, no principles and willing to do anything to get a deal or win.

This was indeed a good show and perhaps a promising sign, but it was also a calculated risk since his base would be up in arms because they will interpret his soft stance on Daca as an amnesty and his willingness to divorce that deal from the building of a wall on insistence of Democrats as a weakness.

This show came when damning evidence (400 pages) was released about Trump and his campaign colluding with the Russians.

One can only hope that this show may the beginning of a new realism and pragmatism, but it could, of course, change tomorrow. Dawie Jacobs Sterrewag