Drucker: How Trump squandered his most potent political asset

"Even though some White House policies are popular, policy is but one leg of the three-legged stool of political leadership. Rhetoric also matters. So, too, does implementation, especially at the executive level. Without its full complement of limbs, this three-legged stool is prone to tip over and shatter. Communication about public policy is as important as the public policy itself, Jeffrey Brauer, a political scientist at Keystone College, near Scranton, Pennsylvania, told me."

"This is something many political leaders in the U.S. on both sides of the aisle often forget or often don't realize in the first place. How a policy is carried out, Brauer added, impacts voters' perception of policy success. This explains the wide gap between the initial, extensive support of the administration's immigration policy and the current major downturn in the polls, he said. Most Americans don't agree with the implementation, particularly with the tactics being used."

Many Republican defenses of Donald Trump's falling approval focus on his popular policies. Policy alone is one leg of a three-legged stool of political leadership. Rhetoric and executive implementation form the other two legs. Communication matters as much as substance for shaping voter perceptions. Poor tactics and implementation can erode support despite policy popularity. Trump's immigration agenda reduced border crossings and increased deportations, but implementation tactics and rhetoric have generated public disagreement. Voter trust depends on how policies are carried out and communicated, and failures in rhetoric or execution can produce major downturns in approval.

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