Does President Trump have your unwavering support?

[Anonymous]

Yes

No

[nightdrot]

Not a fan - and I am from his party. Three metrics are useful in measuring where Mr. Trump stands.

The President has three constitutional roles: Commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Executive Head of Government, and Head of State.

As regards the first, Mr. Trump was not really been tested in this realm, other than perhaps in Syria where there was no real strategic threat. About the most that can be said is that, in intervening, the President has left hostages to fortune.

As Head of Government, Mr. Trump was weak and chaotic. In terms of the Congress he was not effective in getting legislation through - with only one major bill to his credit. (Note: The two most effective Presidents in the post-FDR era in this category were Johnson as the most effective, followed by Reagan. Trump is down toward the lower end - Obama, Carter and Ford in last place.)

In terms of his management of the government, Mr. Trump failed to propose a raft of nominees for various offices, and his policy and communications process were chaotic. In foreign policy he proved, it must be said, to be somewhat more effective.

As Head of State, that is in his symbolic and ceremonial functions and bringing the country together, Mr. Trump was a disaster. Reagan was, by far, the best at this since FDR if not before, and Trump has proven to be the anti-Reagan.

Like Trump, Reagan's policies were controversial in his time, but his personality and his gift for speeches and other factors made him popular and calmed the nation. That has not been the Trump experience and he has been his own worst enemy.

The irony is that - unsavory figures, petty corruption, sex scandals - Mr. Trump resembles no one so much as the husband of the woman he defeated. We had a referendum in the 1990s on such things - in the form of an impeachment of President Bill Clinton - and unsavory figures, petty corruption and sex scandals won. Former President Clinton has every characteristic of Mr. Trump - save perhaps being more charming - and yet the public smiled benignly on "Slick Willie" and thought him a lovable rogue.

To this can be added Trump's aforementioned knack for pouring salt in the social wounds. As no less than MSNBC liberal commentator and former Tip O'Neil staffer Chris Matthews noted, President Obama, for all his alleged gifts, lacked the ability to bring people together. It is why he was so ineffective in Congress.

So straight out, two of the nation's most recent Presidents share breathtakingly similar personal and political qualities to the previous occupant of the WH. For those offended by Mr. Trump, we've been here before.

For that matter, in terms of policy, if you put aside his instincts for protectionism, which has made him rather popular with "rank and file" labor union members, and his stand on immigration - which historically contradicts Reagan's stand - but which actually divides the GOP, Mr. Trump's policies are pretty much in the mainstream. He did not touch entitlement spending, government generally was where it was under Mr. Obama, save for an increase in defense spending, and tax cuts are standard GOP fare.

The truth is the nation reaped what it sewed. So in the next election it went to a bland and formless figure who is perhaps too old for the job. As someone once said, the nation "forgets nothing and learns nothing."

[OlderAndWiser]

If the election is between him and Biden, Trump has my vote, but that doesn't mean I support everything he says or does.

[FreyaRed]

Ahmm. He is an ex-president. It's not a doctor title that you gain life long.

[goaded]

Trump passed a tax cut, which benefitted billionaires to the tune of trillions of dollars, Obama passed the ACA (Obamacare) that got millions of Americans health insurance. Just in case someone "forgot" and says Obama was less effective than Trump.

Trump doesn't even warrant wavering support.

[Dargil]

No, but pretty close. Every new indictment or hit piece tends to strengthen it. I will vote for him if he is nominated. I will vote Republican if he isn't, although I would consider RFK JR if Asa H were nominated.

[exitseven]

No, but I will vote for him unless he has a massive stroke and becomes a vegetable. If that happens i do not know what to do. Imagine having to choose between a baked potato and a cauliflower.

[BCA6010]

Nobody on Earth has earned or deserves that kind of blind loyalty, nor will anyone ever.

[Asker]

Jesus

[jb2622]

Nobody gets unwavering support there are politicians after all but the establishment hate him so he must be doing something right.

[Briscole]

Either him or DeSantis, but we can't withstand another America-hating Democrat.

[DryGermanGuy]

No such thing as „President Trump“.

[AmeerX]

Yes and I am not even American

[Asker]

what are you

[AmeerX]

Pakistani

[zagor]

FORMER President Trump.

[FunkyMonkee]

Of course!

[BarryLiverstone]

Nope

[SmokinAces2000]

Fuck no