Because they are evil, we must stand up to them. But because that are also stupid, we needn’t be afraid to.
Dan Pfeiffer has some ideas about that. This is one of them:
Here’s a useful heuristic for Democrats — if something makes Trump more popular, don’t do it. Confirming Trump’s nominees with substantial bipartisan majorities could make Trump more popular. Allowing him to sign a border security bill that Democrats only supported because they didn’t want to seem soft on the border (in an election that takes place in November of 2026?)seems like a bad idea.
It’s not hard. Trump should be at the apex of his popularity and he is substantially less popular than any newly elected President in history.
Here’s one way to think about making Trump and the Republicans less popular:
Donald Trump and the Republicans control all three branches of government. They are the only ones with the power to solve pressing problems or address people’s needs. Trump declared that he can fix everything and that America is in a “Golden Age.” He is responsible for all outcomes. Trump will take credit for anything good. Our job is to make sure he gets the blame for everything else. That’s certainly how the GOP and the media treated President Biden. During several news cycles of Biden’s presidency, he was hammered on the difficulty of buying a turkey on Thanksgiving or people’s gifts not arriving in time for Christmas.
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
Egg prices going up because of the avian flu? That’s on Trump. People not getting needed aid because of the federal funding freeze? Trump’s fault. Crime and disorder happening around the country? Trump. Chaos abroad? Trump. A collapse in the Gaza ceasefire? Also Trump.
The world has felt particularly chaotic in recent years. Part of that is real, and part of it is the refracted lens of social media. Trump won the presidency despite his flaws because he promised to make everything better. We need to hold him accountable when he fails.
God yes. All of it.
For instance, last night we had a catastrophic plane crash. Trump let Elon Musk fire the head of the FAA two weeks ago. It’s his fault.
Federal Aviation Administration Chief Michael Whitaker resigned from his position just 10 days before the deadly plane and Black Hawk helicopter crash over Washington, DC, Wednesday.
Whitaker — who held the post for only a year and had four years left in his term — announced he would step down after President Trump was sworn in, leaving the FAA without a leader in a time of virtually unprecedented disaster for the agency.
Elon Musk, a close Trump advisor who also heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had called for Whitaker’s ouster after the erstwhile FAA chief proposed more than $600,000 in fines for SpaceX — Musk’s aerospace firm.