Stringr

Donald Trump's lack of self-discipline and disjointed public statements have set the stage for a difficult second half of his final term, during which he will face aggressive scrutiny from Democrats and disappointment from Republican lawmakers who feel he has abandoned them.

In a Wall Street Journal column, former Republican White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove argues that Trump's recent weeks of confrontational exchanges with reporters and erratic social media posts demonstrate his failure to recognize the political danger ahead.

With the president's approval ratings declining across multiple voter concerns, Rove contends that Trump's exclusive focus on energizing his MAGA base blinds him to the approaching political reckoning that threatens Republican congressional majorities.

Rove cited Trump's recent rally at a Pennsylvania casino, noting that had the president maintained focus on substantive issues, "he would have eventually offered something genuinely reassuring to voters." Instead, the rally underperformed, requiring Vice President JD Vance to conduct damage control. Trump subsequently compounded the problem with inflammatory comments about Rob Reiner and his wife Michele's deaths.

"Mr. Trump's comments were met with universal horror and revulsion. What the president said about the Reiners didn't diminish them. It diminished him," Rove wrote. He urged Trump to cease such behavior, emphasizing that every remaining day matters in shaping the political landscape.

"The presidents' grotesqueries have to stop. His team has 10½ months before voters decide the shape of his final two years as president. Every day matters. Presidential postings like that chew up valuable time that should be spent winning over tepid supporters or persuading anyone open to voting Republican."

Rove warned that without immediate strategic changes, Trump faces confrontation from both parties in Congress, combined with Democratic investigations and opposition.

"It doesn't look good for the GOP next year. The White House is on the wrong track. It had better get its messaging right—both its formal attempts at directing the conversation and Mr. Trump's spontaneous social-media rants. Or else the president won't like the outcome. A furious party in revolt against its executive, who is plagued by Democratic investigations and opposition. Time's a-wasting," he concluded.

You can read more here.