Donald Trump is as destructive as ever, simultaneously wrecking the world trading system and American economy, abusing his power as commander in chief, and doing generational damage to American institutions. But his frequent court defeats and notable political blunders suggest he remains vulnerable, especially when he and his radical appointees appear to be convinced of their invincibility. Two recent incidents illustrate what happens when Trump and his minions lose even the veneer of sanity.
First, Republicans managed to find the opportunity to inch away from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s insane, dangerous anti-vaccine policies and general incompetence. At RFK, Jr.'s disastrous hearing last week, Republican Senators John Barrasso (R-Wy.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) criticized (shocking, I know!) Kennedy's contradictory, false, and obnoxious testimony. The pushback might even have alarmed Trump. "You have to be very careful when you say that some people don't have to be vaccinated," he acknowledged when asked about Florida's nutty repeal of school vaccine mandates. "Look, you have vaccines that work. They, just pure and simple, work. They're not controversial at all. And I think those vaccines should be used."
Why the spasm of candor from Trump and a handful of senators? Well, a rightwing polling firm reported, "Our recent national survey of voters shows that there is broad unity across party lines supporting vaccines such as measles (MMR), shingles, tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis(TDAP), and Hepatitis B." What's more, the polling outfit warned that "support for vaccines is sky-high among Swing voters—the people who don't vote along straight party lines and tend to decide close elections." In other words, blindly following RFK, Jr. because Trump put him there is politically dumb for Republicans.
Another incident illustrates how Trump's bluster and insanity occasionally can trip him up. Trump has been breathing fire, threatening to invade Chicago to banish crime (which he exaggerates). In a bizarre (even for him) social media post, Trump depicted combat helicopters flying over the burning city, labeling it "Chipocalypse Now." The post even photoshopped an image of him dressed up as the crazed colonel in Apocalypse Now played by Robert Duval. In case that was too subtle for the dunderheads in his base, Trump declared, "Chicago is about to find out why it's called the Department of WAR."
Gov. JB Pritzker, who has played Trump like a fiddle, was ready to strike back. "The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city," he posted on X. "This is not a joke. This is not normal. Donald Trump isn't a strongman, he's a scared man. Illinois won't be intimidated by a wannabe dictator." Trump seemed to retreat, disclaiming intent to go to war with Chicago. He seems more interested in sending national guard to New Orleans next. (As for ICE, he has always had the authority to deploy and has deployed federal agents previously to do federal immigration work. This is a far cry from sending in guardsmen to fight crime.)
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Even before this smack down, Pritzker, along with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson had, as NBC News put it, "preemptively" attacked Trump for his planned invasion of Chicago. Becoming a constant presence on social and traditional media, repeating crime facts, sharply mocking and debunking Trump, and attacking Trump for cutting funding that could help with actual crime-fighting, Pritzker plainly got the better of the president.
We can extract a few lessons from the RFK, Jr. and Chicago episodes. Pointing out insanity and abnormality rather than pretending the emperor has clothes, breaks through the news clutter. The press may be incapable of directly conceding that MAGA pols are bonkers, but at least they will cover politicians who say so. That has certainly been the case for Republicans who have challenged Trump on the Jeffrey Epstein files.
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Democrats now need to take the next step: Point the finger at Republicans who talk a good game (generally after the fact) but are every bit as responsible for the serial calamities as Trump is. Senate Republicans (looking at you, Sen. Cassidy) confirmed RFK, Jr., knowing exactly what he stood for; they (including Sen. Josh Hawley, who feigns buyer's remorse) voted for the big, ugly bill, knowing precisely how many Americans would lose health insurance; and they (including Sen. Susan "Concerned" Collins, who voted to confirm rescission maestro OMB Director Russ Vought) continue to cede their spending power to Trump, knowing the chaos and pain he is causing. Between now and the midterms, Democrats need some "J'accuse!" moments to remind Americans that each of the Republican incumbents running for re-election is just as culpable as Trump.
Sinking poll numbers take a toll on Trump. It's one thing for Republicans to go along with a president polling in the mid-40's; it is another when a president is languishing in the 30's in several polls and losing on every issue, even immigration.
The midterms are not that far off, and nervous Republicans know they will have a lot of explaining to do about rubber-stamping a failed agenda. They might be looking for other opportunities to distance themselves from Trump as they vainly try to hang onto their seats. Meanwhile, Democrats facing primaries or looking ahead to the general election know that the people they represent want to see fire in their belly. Expect, therefore, to see more Democrats launch personal attacks against Trump, while a few more Republicans step out of line.
Once a handful of Republican politicians start straying from the sycophantic script and Democrats start scoring points for taking action, others get into the act. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, for example, blasted Vice President JD Vance's jaw-dropping praise for murder on the high seas: "Did he ever wonder what might happen if the accused were immediately executed without trial or representation? What a despicable and thoughtless sentiment it is to glorify killing someone without a trial."
On the other side, Democrats have learned that anything but a robust response to Trump's illegality triggers an avalanche of criticism from the base (as the hapless D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser can attest). Conversely, when sharp, biting, and mocking political combat can elevate a Democrat with 2028 hopes (check out California Gov. Gavin Newsom's polling), who wants to be left behind?
Trump, of all people, knows that once politicians sense weakness, bluster and threats will not suffice to protect him.
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