The 'honeymoon might be over': Here’s why Trump 2.0 is flailing

04 April

In U.S. politics, the term "honeymoon period" is often used to describe the period of good will that presidents enjoy after taking office. Former President Joe Biden enjoyed strong approval ratings during his "honeymoon period" in 2021 — only to watch them plummet when voters grew increasingly frustrated over inflation.

How long a president's "honeymoon period" lasts can vary. According to Politico reporters Eli Stokols and Jake Traylor, President Donald Trump's "second-term honeymoon appears to be coming to an end" thanks to "a worldwide rebuke to his tariffs" and "a sequence of blunders and setbacks for his administration."

In an article published on Thursday, April 3, Stokols and Traylor explain, "Thursday's tariff-inspired stock market drop comes shortly after a high-profile electoral loss in Wisconsin by a candidate firmly embraced by top Trump aide Elon Musk, the bubbling of opposition to Trump's economic policy by Senate Republicans and a Signal controversy that upended the notion that his second term was more professional and less prone to leaks. Trump’s emboldened approach to his second term has made clear he may not yank the reins on his maximalist policies at the first signs of stress."

One of Trump's vocal critics in the GOP is former Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pennsylvania), known for being a moderate in a tough swing state.

Dent told Politico, "He ran to lower prices and be a good steward of the economy. After less than three months, people are talking about a recession. People are anxious and many are angry. Raising the price of a car by $2000 or $10,000 — that's a lot of money to most people and they’re being awfully cavalier about that."

GOP strategist Kevin Madden is openly critical of Trump's tariffs as well.

Madden told Politico, "Trump won because voters expected more progress from Trump and Republicans on (inflation) than from Biden and (Kamala) Harris. So, to start a trade war and have 'short term pain' as a fallback message, well, that's not much better than the 'transitory' inflation message that hurt Biden and the Democrats…. As Buddha once said: 'Your problem is you think you have time.'"

Madden added, "Congress has to return home to states and districts in just a few months. They may get an earful. Virginia and New Jersey have big statewide elections in the fall, and before you know it we are in a midterm election year."

Read the full Politico article at this link.

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