The article reflects on the early months of Trump's presidency, where there were calls for his removal under the 25th Amendment due to perceived incapacity. However, as time passed, his administration stabilized, and his policies led to unexpected successes in economic and foreign policy. Observers noted that premature judgments about his political demise were often proven wrong. Now, facing challenges due to the trade war with China, the author emphasizes the need for cautious critique rather than declaring doom, recognizing the complexity of Trump's impact on the nation.
Trump's first-term White House remained abnormally chaotic, but relative to the initial months, his presidency stabilized sufficiently that the claim of incapacity and the call for constitutional intervention didn't fit the facts.
There have been many moments for observers of the Trump phenomenon when it seemed his faults were leading to some irrevocable crash. Time and again, those judgments have proved premature.
I would criticize, but I wouldn't act as though everything was irrecoverable for at least the first year. This week has sorely tested that resolve.
Even with the suspension of the country-by-country tariffs, the scale of the China trade war and the general uncertainty created by the Trump whipsaw portend economic pain without a clear path to a rebound.
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