'When presidencies go wrong': Economist says Trump may fall into trap that will 'doom' him
Donald Trump just had a big win, but he might be about to fall into a trap, a conservative economist said Saturday.
Oren Cass, who previously flagged concerns with Trump's political campaign, wrote an opinion piece in the New York Times over the weekend that suggests the former president and president-elect might make a decision that could ultimately doom his presidency.
In a piece titled, "Trump Is About to Face the Choice That Dooms Many Presidencies," Cass, the chief economist at American Compass, a conservative economic think tank, said "Trump is experiencing a sudden role reversal."
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"His campaign to earn support from voters has ended abruptly and a new one has begun among donors and activists to earn his support for their priorities. The election was about tax cuts, or maybe cryptocurrency, the arguments go. What Americans really want, sir, is fewer protections on the job and a weaker safety net," Cass said. "This is the first moment when presidencies go wrong. Rather than prepare to govern on behalf of the electorate that put them in power — especially the independent swing voters who by definition provide the margin of victory in a two-party system — new presidents, themselves typically members of the donor and activist communities, convince themselves that their personal preferences are the people’s as well."
Cass goes on to outline the plan Trump might follow:
"As he looks toward his new term, Mr. Trump could claim a mandate to lead however he wishes, huddle with his supporters at Mar-a-Lago and then see how much of their agenda he can advance before his popularity falls too far to effect further change," the expert wrote. "That is the formula that has left a nation seemingly resigned to the loss of both common purpose and institutional competence. It is not a formula for a successful presidency, let alone for making America great again."
Cass further suggests it's not too late for Trump to do the right thing and focus on the issues that matter to American voters the most.