Trump’s Legacy

Why Things will get worse before they get better

I am on record admitting that I was one of those who got it very wrong in 2016. But given the stakes, I’m also on record stating that Donald Trump will lose for sure in 2020. The conviction stems from the belief that he has done enormous damage to American political systems, our standing around the world, and the very foundations of our nation’s culture. But the closer we get to a new president, the more I become convinced that things will get worse in America before they get better. Donald Trump has broken the mold of the presidency in ways that were unimaginable four years ago. We now must prepare for the reality that as an ex-president he is going to continue to disrupt American politics and society in ways that his predecessors never could have considered.

It is not a stretch to suggest that Donald Trump’s behaviors and personality alone will lead him to significant departures from the traditional role played by ex-presidents. But the reality is that once out of office he will continue to influence American politics and society in ways that no other former president has ever done. That influence will fall into four general areas: disruption of his successor’s administration, influence on his party, personal life, and international presence. Trump has already given indications that he will double down on the claims of corruption and…