If you watched the president’s address on Wednesday, you know it was less a speech than it was a harangue — an unbroken stream of angry shouting, as Donald Trump berated the American people for its ingratitude. “One year ago, our country was dead. We were absolutely dead,” Trump said. “Now we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world.”
He might have added, “so why don’t you people like me?”
It is true: the American public does not like Trump, his administration or his agenda. A solid majority of all Americans disapprove of his job performance. They disapprove of his handling of trade and immigration. They especially disapprove of his handling of jobs and the economy. In a recent Reuters/Ipsos survey, 33 percent of Americans said that they approved of the president’s handling of “the economy” and only 27 percent approved of his handling of the “cost of living.” Majorities of Americans say that Trump’s policies have made the economy worse, and most voters hold the president responsible for declining economic conditions.
Eleven months ago, Trump was triumphant — a conquering hero who would reshape the nation in his image. He would trample the opposition, punish his enemies and make America MAGA for good.
In their pursuit of power, Trump and his allies have done a lot of damage to the United States, and the world. But as this year comes to an end, I think it’s clear that they’ve reached the limits of what they can accomplish through brute force alone. More important, Trump’s attempt to consolidate authoritarian power has inspired a large and ferocious backlash, from mass protests and organized efforts to stymie his most draconian plans to election results that show a voting public ready for change.
The 2024 presidential election wasn’t a plebiscite in favor of regime change, it was just a vote over the choice of chief magistrate. And when Americans put Trump back in office, they expected him to turn the page back to the prepandemic status quo, not make the country his personal fief. A more able president would recalibrate, take control of his administration and try to salvage what is left of his standing before he loses the trust of everyone but his most devoted followers.
Trump is not an able president.
He interrupted prime time television to yell at the American people this week because he does not know what to do besides yell. He can’t convince and he can’t persuade and so he demands, in the hope that he can browbeat the public into giving him the praise he thinks he deserves.
I think he’ll find that this isn’t going to work.
What I Wrote
Regular readers will know that I have been interested in a few things this year: the influence of figures like Stephen Miller and Russell Vought in the Trump administration, the president’s relative lack of interest in the business of governance and the Supreme Court’s full embrace of the “unitary executive theory.” My column this week brought these three things together in an analysis of the state of the administration that is also a critique of the court’s recent jurisprudence.
The embrace of the unitary executive theory by both the president and the court has given us the worst of all worlds: an ultrapowerful presidency without an actual president at the helm. A figurehead whose viziers exercise unitary authority on his behalf, running roughshod over both the law and common decency in pursuit of their own narrow agendas.
I joined my colleagues Michelle Cottle and Ross Douthat for a conversation about the life and career of Rob Reiner. And I joined Michelle and David French for our regular episode of “The Opinions.” I also did a video for the Opinion section’s TikTok feed on a few lessons to learn from the saga of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
Now Reading
Jason Kuznicki on the folly of nationalism for Liberal Currents.
The legal scholar Jamal Greene makes a nonpartisan case for expanding the Supreme Court.
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Know someone who would want to read this? Share the column.
An interview with Mina Kimes of ESPN at The Believer magazine.
Paisley Currah on the threat the anti-trans crusade poses to all women for The New York Review of Books.
Anne Irfan on Trump’s Gaza peace plan for Jewish Currents.
Photo of the Week
Taken a few months ago in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Now Eating: Banana Bread
As of writing this is the most recent thing I’ve prepared in my kitchen, so I figured I would share it with you. It is a simple recipe for banana bread from NYT Cooking. I made no changes other than this one: Rather than wait for somewhat green bananas to ripen, I roasted them for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. They were sweet, soft and ready to use, with a strong banana aroma and a concentrated banana flavor. The bread came out great.
Ingredients
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Nonstick spray, for greasing
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2 large eggs
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1 ¾ cups mashed bananas (about 4 medium ripe bananas)
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½ cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and slightly cooled
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¾ cup/165 grams light brown sugar, packed
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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¼ cup/57 grams sour cream
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2 cups/256 grams all-purpose flour
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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½ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Kosher)
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½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8- or 9-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, bananas, butter, brown sugar and vanilla until mostly smooth. Stir in the sour cream.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until the flour is fully incorporated, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing the surface into an even layer with a spatula, and bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Cool for 20 minutes in the pan. Run a paring knife around the sides of the banana bread and remove the loaf, transferring it to a wire rack to finish cooling. Peel off the parchment paper before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature. Banana bread will keep for up to 3 days, covered, at room temperature.
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