I may disagree with Ruth Marcus, but she’s not an idiot. It’s why this piece is so baffling. There are some Democrats who haven’t lost their marbles, but this article misses the target by several hundred miles. The headline already tees us up for what’s in store: “Trump 2.0: The most damaging first two weeks in presidential history.”
The teaser is the killer: “Trump’s second term is all about curtailing government’s power and reach.”
Yes, Ruth—that’s what we voted for. How is this a surprise to anyone? President Trump's taking a hatchet to the DC political class gravy train was articulated endlessly during the 2024 election. The Department of Government Efficiency, helmed by Elon Musk in the direction of the Trump White House, would also not be shocking if the media had been paying attention. We, his supporters, knew this was on the action item list. And yes, we want to curb and curtail the power of DC that has run amok for years against this man.
The Department of Justice interfered in federal investigations into Hunter Biden and was part of the Left’s extralegal attempt to jail Trump. People need to be fired and jailed, and powers need to be reined in if not clipped in DC (via WaPo):
No president in history has caused more damage to the nation more quickly. As we enter Week 3 of President Donald Trump’s second term, the chaos and disruption of his first look quaint by comparison. The country survived Trump 1.0. Now, it faces a real threat that the harm he inflicts during his second term will be irreparable. The United States’ standing in the world, its ability to keep the country safe, the federal government’s fundamental capacity to operate effectively — all of these will take years to repair, if that can be achieved at all.
This column will concentrate on the third piece of that trifecta: efforts to undermine the basic functioning of government. A unifying theme of much of Trump’s activity since Jan. 20 has been his unrelenting and broadscale assault on the federal workforce. In his first term, Trump railed about what he termed the “deep state” and its seeming ability to frustrate his plans. In his second, he has unleashed a no-holds-barred attack on career employees — one designed to punish those who dared to counter him or his allies, to oust or neuter those with years of expertise, and to set the stage for a new spoils system, replacing seasoned, nonpartisan career workers with compliant loyalists.
Trump “is destroying whatever gets in the way of what he wants to do,” Max Stier, the normally mild-mannered president of the Partnership for Public Service, told me. “That includes having loyalty be the primary screen for choosing his direct lieutenants and crushing the civil service and converting it into a tool for his private agenda, as opposed to a force for the public good and the rule of law.”
Wait until voters find out about this bombshell pic.twitter.com/WyYT93bXQQ
— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) February 7, 2025
They don't get it. They will never get it. (Via @derekahunter) pic.twitter.com/knXdoGgJIw
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) February 7, 2025
‘We don’t really care, Margaret.’
Whatever the Left says is illegal, unconstitutional, or damaging is a lie. It’s liberal-speak for ‘we don’t like this,’ and with the legacy media’s power and influence also curtailed, denigrated, and mocked—they have no effective vehicle to sell these silly narratives.
“No president in history has caused more damage to the nation more quickly.”
That’s not true, and no one believes it or cares. Joe Biden was mentally incompetent, aloof, and had staffers push policies without his knowledge. So, spare us on norms and damages, Ruth. We’ve seen enough done by Joe and the Democrats, and we’re not taking prisoners this time. Move out of the way and, frankly, shut up.
You lost. Your party lost. The loser table gets no say.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member