'Masterclass in political faceplanting': How Trump’s 'incompetence' undermines his 'authoritarian' agenda

In many of his columns for the Daily Beast and The Hill, Never Trump conservative Matt K. Lewis has attacked President Donald Trump as being disdainful of democracy and the rule of law. And Lewis still holds that view.

But in a biting April 30 column for The Hill, Lewis argues that Trump's "incompetence" is undermining his "authoritarian" agenda.

"Almost every modern president misreads his mandate," Lewis explains. "It's practically an American tradition. But Trump? He took that tradition to a new low. Tariffs, deportations and the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) cuts were his opening salvos, each a masterclass in political faceplanting."

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"Governing," Lewis stresses, is a "different beast" from running a campaign.

"Once you have to deliver on your promises," the conservative columnist notes, "reality shows up with an invoice. Take the tariffs. Trump promised lower prices and higher trade barriers — goals that cannot exist in the same economy. He picked the option that makes groceries cost more. Stupid. Then there's immigration."

Lewis continues, "Americans want a secure border, sure. But instead of basic competence, we got an ideological fever dream courtesy of the likes of Stephen Miller. The (Trump) Administration's deportation strategy was equal parts overreach and chaos. It was so cruel and slapdash, it left the public wondering: Is this malicious or just incompetent? When people are asking whether your governance model is sadistic or slapstick, you've probably lost the plot."

Lewis points to the mass layoffs being carried out by the Trump Administration and DOGE as a prime example of "incompetence."

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"If Trump really wanted to pare back the federal government and win hearts while doing it," Lewis writes, "he could have done it surgically, with a scalpel. Instead, he opted to wield a chainsaw. And the weird thing is that many of Trump's own voters are catching the shrapnel."

Lewis adds, "Let’s talk DOGE. Elon Musk might be heading for the exits, but the damage he has done keeps multiplying. Among the many stories to come out in recent days, one involved the decision to cut approximately 40 percent of grant funding for AmeriCorps…. So if you're worried about Trump amassing unstoppable power, here’s your consolation: He is probably too incompetent to pull it off."

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Matt K. Lewis' full column for The Hill is available at this link.