Egads, Trump hasn't fallen on his face. His presidency might even be a … success

Sydney Morning Herald

4 days ago

Egads! After a disastrous first 100 days, Donald Trump is starting to have a much more successful presidency. This is not what we, his foam-at-the-mouth critics, had planned or perhaps secretly hoped for.
Some of this is a function of good policy, like getting NATO's European members and Canada to spend much more on their defence, something previous American presidents asked for, but much too politely. Far from destroying the Atlantic alliance, as his critics feared, Trump may wind up being remembered for reviving and rebalancing it, to the advantage of both sides.
Some of this is courageous policy: Joining Israel in its strikes on Iran, which Trump carried out in the teeth of political resistance from parts of his own base, did not lead us into a calamitous Middle East war, though Iran may yet seek retaliation. Instead, it helped bring the war between Israel and Iran to a swift end and, as The Washington Post 's David Ignatius has reported, did 'such severe damage' that Iran's nuclear program 'will be neutered for at least a year, and probably far longer.'
Some of this is belated good policy: Speeding the delivery of arms to Ukraine, after Trump's disastrous initial pressure campaign on Ukraine backfired by emboldening Russian President Vladimir Putin, is the only way to end the war. The next step for Trump is to make good on his sanctions threat, ideally by seizing Russia's frozen foreign assets so that they can finance Ukrainian arms purchases.
Some of this is good policy that's gone too far: We no longer have a migration crisis, an achievement that should not have eluded the Biden administration for most of its term and that cost the Democrats dearly. But Americans want an immigration policy that secures the border and deports criminals, not one that goes after law-abiding, hardworking immigrants lacking permanent legal status on whom many areas of the economy depend and who should be given a viable path to citizenship.
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Some of this is bad policy that could have been much worse: The trade deals that Trump has recently struck with Japan and the European Union will raise costs for American consumers and hurt American businesses, especially smaller ones. But they also expand markets for American exports, including cars and agricultural products. After months of the White House's erratic and capricious trade sanctions and bellicose rhetoric, the trade deals bring predictability and clarity.
Some of this comes down to a series of partisan victories. The big, 'beautiful' domestic policy bill had many unbeautiful parts. But, as a political matter, the administration needed it to pass and it did. The directives abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the federal government will not sit well with much of the country. But it does not seem to be costing Trump his significant support among black and Hispanic voters. The way to get universities to crack down on antisemitism should not be to threaten their research funding. But the $US200 million ($307 million) settlement that the administration reached with Columbia probably ensures that the university won't again make the mistake of letting campus fanatics run wild.
Finally, there's luck. Widespread fears of a recession haven't materialised; instead, the economy appears to be growing at a healthy clip, and the S&P 500 is up by about 10 per cent since the election. The Democratic Party's approval rating is at a 35-year low, according to a Wall Street Journal survey.