Opinion: What explains Trump’s mental strain? His facade is showing fresh cracks.
By Greg Sargent Greg Sargent Opinion writer covering national politics Email Bio Follow Opinion writer March 20 at 10:33 AM In the past few days, as President Trump’s rage-tweeting has grown more erratic and littered with capital letters, news organizations have come up with multiple delicate ways to hint that he’s showing unusual levels of mental strain. Trump has been acting “rattled and encircled.” He’s been “nursing past grievances” while “seeing enemies everywhere.
It’s an interesting paradox of this moment that these signs of strain are emerging right when Trump and his allies are redoubling efforts to create the impression that he’s winning everywhere and has everything totally under control. One answer is that Trump made it matter. He has repeatedly touted his efforts to reverse individual plant closings, which has now left Trump convinced that he can’t allow this one to close. A local union leader has claimed that many Trump-backing autoworkers are waking up and understanding that he isn’t delivering as promised -- indeed, that’s one thing that set Trump off this time. Worse, experts say Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs are already hurting the industry and local manufacturing.
As one expert puts it: “The reality is auto tariffs would put Ohio in a recession.” Trump may refrain. But at best, his administration is in turmoil about what to do, and at worst, he may actively make the situation much worse. All this may not cost Trump Ohio. But remember, in part due to his trade policies, Republicans lost all six statewide races in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin -- which are also crucial to his reelection hopes.Second, the border.
Trump, for instance, is still implicated in the criminal hush money scheme carried out by Michael Cohen. Trump’s former lawyer testified that Trump had gamed his assets for fraudulent purposes, leading the New York attorney general to launch a separate investigation into Trump projects. “He is looking at the destruction of his organization, his foundation, certainly his presidency and its legacy, and possibly even criminal exposure for family members. He should be worried every day. And there’s certainly evidence from his behavior that he is.”
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