EDITORIAL

A person can get used to almost anything.

And, really, it could be worse. Consider life in Kyiv right now, or London during the Blitz. Trump isn’t anywhere near that bad… right?

What he is, though, is that exhausting.

There are a few of you out there who are pleased with his actions thus far: shutting down the government, his egregious abuses of Executive power, and perhaps even the palpable waves of viperous, malignant ignorance that exudes from the man himself as well as most of those who work for him. That number is dropping; Trump’s approval rating presently hovers a hair above 40%, not far above where it plummeted to just after the January 6th debacle.

In general, you must know by now I’m not a fan. Every now and then he does something I not only don’t condemn but would actively support were it not for his methods, which are sufficiently coarse and egregiously thoughtless as to do vast amounts of unnecessary damage. I love the idea of cutting government spending. One example, and an unpopular one: I cannot but approve the elimination of the ACA insurance company subsidy that masquerades as a price mitigation for consumers. But the way he’s done it positively begs contempt and at times even derision.

But the demolition of the East Wing… I really don’t care.

This cannot be understated.

The amount I don’t care could fill an Olympic swimming pool, or, let’s say, a grand ballroom.

Why don’t I care? Let’s start with millions of people who aren’t getting their SNAP assistance, the essential information systems that have gone offline (including crime reporting and routine background checks), mass detentions without due process, masked federal police presence without proper oversight, budget cuts that cost more than they save… The list is practically endless.

Frankly, if the man distracts himself by going out to play golf, that’s a delightful thing. If he wants to put up a vast bronze statue to his own ambition, why not? A gilded function room only makes good sense, especially when one considers the substandard facilities in the superannuated structure to which it’s attached. Heck, every time the president steps foot in the motorcade, the whole District gets gridlock and the public purse oozes tens of millions. Thus, the number of external events that can soon be held onsite rather than off can only be a benefit. Even if this costs four times the estimate, it’ll pay for itself repeatedly.

Some will quibble about his methods. Again, I don’t care. If it turns out this was done in as venal and corrupt a manner as his worst detractors suggest, it’ll all come out eventually, and people will face charges. If not, why complain?

Perspective! It’s almost November of the first year of this term. There are three more coming, presuming there isn’t a vast anti-Trump swing in the Midterms. (Even if there is, I don’t foresee the Senate shifting enough to successfully impeach the man.) This is a marathon, not a sprint.

There’s plenty of fuel for outrage, but each of you has only just so much capacity to feel it before you burn out. Pace yourselves, and direct it appropriately.

And, for those of you who are enjoying all of this: Revel while you can. It won’t last forever.

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