No Politician Has Ever Been Treated Worse?

Speaking at the Coast Guard Academy’s Commencement today, President Trump complained about his treatment by the press and others:

[N]o politician in history, and I say this with great surety, has been treated worse or more unfairly.

If we assume he is talking about American politicians, that is a true statement. The Democratic Party has never accepted the result of last year’s election. Democrats in the federal bureaucracy are leaking stories (sometimes false ones) to Democrats at the Washington Post, the New York Times and the Associated Press. The television networks are happy to pick up the cudgels for the Democrats, too, and the result is a seeming firestorm of controversy.

But none of this should be surprising. The problem is compounded by the fact that Trump has suffered plenty of self-inflicted wounds. To name just one example, during the campaign he went out of his way to insult John McCain. Now McCain is talking about Watergate. A number of chickens are coming home to roost.

During the campaign, I warned against nominating an amateur for president. The presidency, I wrote, is not an entry-level position. What we are seeing is partly the result of Trump’s unique personality, but I think it is more the consequence of his inexperience in politics.

But all is not lost. The intended audience for the Democrats’ lurid “news” stories is, in large part, weak-kneed Republicans in the House and the Senate. The Democrats are trying to knock them off their agenda, and tie both the administration and Congress up in knots, with constant hysteria and endless investigations. The proper response to that effort is not to be forced off course. Representatives and Senators–and the White House–need to get on with the business of governing.

The Democrats would love to drive Trump from office, but they can’t do it without the collaboration of Republicans. If Republicans focus on legislating rather than wringing their hands over the latest faux White House scandal, they can start making progress again.

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