I don’t think there is anything new to write criticising Trump (at least until his next set of tweets). That is all being covered pretty well from many angles, so I‘ll just make a couple of comments here about what might happen in the future. While I always leave open the possibility for him to surprise me- rarely a week goes by that he doesn’t surprise me to some extent- I believe there is a very real likelihood that Donald Trump will not see out the full term of his presidency. Whether he is impeached for his connections to Russia or resigns amidst staggering public disapproval, increasing bipartisan hostility from Congress and an inability to enact legislation, the likelihood of a Pence administration taking over before the next election seems to strengthen with each passing week- especially ones where Trump refuses to condemn Neo-Nazis. While obviously Democrats (along with a majority of Americans) will likely cheer it, would Trump’s political demise be the panacea they are hoping for?
In reality, perhaps not. While nowhere near as erratic as the current president, Pence is a highly conservative Republican who may turn out to be a lot more effective at actually realising the GOP agenda. Certainly the threat of twitter induced nuclear war would likely be diminished (Pence is probably so afraid of being tempted by female twitter users, that I imagine he only even looks at it in the company of his wife), but don’t be surprised to see similarly regressive and divisive policies around areas such as immigration, healthcare and women’s reproductive rights. To many Americans, Trump’s inability to pass legislation has been something of a boon, considering the harsh laws he was trying to enact. Pence is a much more experienced political operator and without the distractions of endless gaffes and scandals, may prove much more successful in getting legislation through Congress and the Senate. And for many Americans that is an ominous thought too.
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