I was an early supporter of Donald J. Trump’s 2016 campaign for president, writing in the local newspaper where I was editor that Trump, “whatever his faults, is most definitely a leader” and later in the Washington Post arguing that Trump was “a game-changer, a disrupter, a practitioner of what I see as ‘crafted chaos.’”
Sadly, thanks to a united opposition comprised of Democrats, Never-Trump Republicans, the entrenched bureaucracy and much of the media — compounded by his own lack of discipline — Trump fell short of fulfilling the promise that many of us held for him, eventually costing him the 2020 election.
But his most ardent supporters refused to let him go, and as the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris administration dragged on, a certain Trump nostalgia set in among enough additional Americans to grant him a rare non-consecutive second term.
But will anything be different this time?
Early signs offer reason for guarded optimism. Trump’s comparative lack of post-election media visibility and relatively restrained social media posts lend credence to the suggestion that Trump may be taking a different approach.
His first major post-election interview with Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press” over the weekend was encouraging. Trump promised that he is “not looking to go back into the past” to seek retribution, indicated support for allowing “Dreamer” immigrants to remain in the U.S., and even said, “I love you,” in response to what message he would send to non-Trump voters.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said recently that Trump has likely “grown,” an opinion that might bring scoffs, but which reflects a widely held philosophy that personal growth can happen at any age. It would be heartening to witness such maturation from Trump.
So far, Trump seems to face less vociferous opposition, even from the left, than he encountered following his first win. One reason is that he won the popular vote and increased his support from non-whites. But another is that one of the biggest fears of Trump’s enemies has come true: Trump has been fully “normalized.” Roughly half of all voters simply did not buy the attacks leveled against Trump that he is a fascist, a dictator or a threat to democracy.
Not that Trump’s growth — if it is that — nor his toned-down rhetoric is deterring him from his long-held objectives. While the economy was the top election issue for most voters, anyone casting a ballot for Trump was well aware of his other goals: mass deportations of illegal immigrants; a “drill, baby, drill” energy philosophy; overhauling the Justice Department and the FBI; and an overall disruption of the “deep state” in general.
Trump voters outside his base may not enthusiastically embrace each Trumpian ambition, but they were also not necessarily opposed to them, either. They generally like Trump’s penchant to upset the apple cart and believe that his strong leadership style is effective when properly focused. But they don’t want chaos for chaos’ sake alone.
Unlike his first election, Trump has tackled the transition with a concentrated sense of purpose. Some of his early picks for Cabinet posts and other leadership positions have been startling to some. To be generous to Trump, one wants to believe that the choice of Matt Gaetz for attorney general was a ploy that played out just as intended. But those who share Trump’s belief that a thorough governmental housecleaning is in order also agree that selecting insiders who will merely trim around the edges is not the path to follow. Real change can only be delivered by interlopers.
To have a successful presidency, Trump must maintain the support of the millions of voters outside his base who cast their ballots for him last month. While they’ll grant Trump his MAGA-style initiatives as side dishes, they will revolt if the main course appears to be anything but lowering the cost of living and fixing illegal immigration. To his credit, Trump seemed to understand as much in his interview with Welker.
In his first term, hopes for Trump being a generational leader capable of transcending petty politics to chart a much-needed new course were consistently dashed, often due to Trump’s own hubris, narcissism and petulance. Trump has a devoted base comprised of millions of Americans who have proven they will stick with him no matter what. But others whose support has been more conditional still see in him a promise he too often seems unable — or unwilling — to see in himself.
Trump has been given a second chance to fulfill the destiny that millions of Americans have stubbornly maintained is within his grasp. The question is, will he finally be the president his defenders have always insisted he could be?
Gary Abernathy was an editor and columnist at three Ohio newspapers, and also worked in Republican Party politics in Ohio and West Virginia. He was a contributing columnist for the Washington Post from 2017-2023.
