On Sunday, President Trump quit an interview with Kristen Welker of “Meet the Press” after becoming frustrated as he faced challenging questions. Fighting with the media is nothing new for the president, but the notion of giving up midway through when things get tough may be more indicative of Trump’s current mindset and emblematic of his second presidency.

Usually, it is difficult to tell when a presidency is over. Officially, Jan. 20 every four (or eight) years marks the end of a presidency. But long before that comes the moment when a president loses potency, ceases to be a driving force and is reduced to reaction. It is like the moment when your new car becomes just your car: You don’t know when it happened precisely, but you know it’s in the past.

In the year and half since Trump’s return, it seems everything has changed — except the economy.

In the 2024 election, voters gave Trump what few get in life: a mulligan. Trump received a political do-over. But as the GOP celebrated its 2024 wins, an irrational exuberance took over. It forgot — or never realized — that along with a do-over for Trump, voters gave Republicans a mandate to focus on the stubborn issues of affordability that continue to plague the post-Covid economy. For Americans of all ages, living, eating, breathing and simply going to work is incredibly and increasingly unaffordable, much less doing it all with a family. 

Long after Inauguration Day celebrations ended, the GOP kept partying, while the country saw norms shattered, DOGE shuttered and citizens shot by ICE. Then came a war with Iran that has Americans emptying their wallets to fill their gas tanks. Inflation is creeping back up, while Americans’ savings are going down. 

In the year and half since Trump’s return, it seems everything has changed — except the economy. It is very hard to say that the president’s second act has improved the lives or financial status of many, unless of course your last name is Trump. His second administration has been a historic misread of a political mandate, and a tragic mistake of a presidency. 

While it’s clear that Trump maintains an iron grip on the GOP, what good is that if he does nothing with it to alleviate the hardships of the American people? To date the administration and GOP have offered no economic agenda or ideas for the future. The only thing Republicans on the hill are focused on is giving more money to the Department of Homeland Security — which had already been given so much money it started to buy two private jets, one with a bar and a bedroom. 

The president has lost all credibility on the economy, the No. 1 priority of the American public. He has lost control over ending the war. The administration is rudderless. Trump is enamored with being president, yet wants nothing to do with the job. His Cabinet members turn their attention from serving the people to appeasing their boss. Many top officials now hold their jobs in an acting capacity — not just in title but in their emphasis on performance for an audience of one. 

Things are bleak for the party in control of all three branches of the federal government.

After giving up on governing, with no vision, the president has turned to what’s simply in his line of sight. Event after unrelated event, speech after rambling speech, he is obsessed with what he perceives as the beautification of his D.C. bubble. He talks about fountains, his arch and ballroom, a repainted reflecting pool, a UFC fight at the White House and a partisan rally for himself after the failure of a planned concert on the National Mall. His appointees propose plastering his face on passports and $250 bills. Banners with Trump’s looming image adorn government buildings in Washington while he rants about not being able to put his name on the Kennedy Center.

Things are bleak for the party in control of all three branches of the federal government. The Democrats seem to offer no discernible plan for the economy or other pressing issues, but when voters want to throw the bums out, not being the “bums” in power may be enough.

The 2026 midterms are on the horizon, and the 2028 presidential race will begin the day after.

In a matter of months, attention will soon move from the White House to the campaign trail, and even successful presidents struggle to keep the spotlight off their potential successors. Candidates from both parties will have a chance to define themselves and offer their ideas on everything from artificial intelligence to taxes to war and peace. America’s next act will be written not in the Oval Office or the halls of Congress, but in the town halls and events across America. 

Meanwhile, the second Trump administration is already a lost cause at home and abroad. He has made himself a lame duck president, and is getting lamer every day.

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