Is the Trump presidency as good/bad as you expected?

[frunk]

Trump himself is pretty much what I expected.  The extent of Republicans in office carrying water for him is a surprise (although not that much of one).  I thought there would be more of a fight between establishment and Trumpists within the party, but mostly it's been co-opted wholesale.

[Razgovory]

I didn't expect fucking Nazis to come out the woodwork.

[Sheilbh]

Nothing has particularly surprised me since he won.

[11B4V]

As bad as expected. Nothing but a conman

[Sophie Scholl]

He's got a reverse Midas Touch.  Everything he touches turns to shit.  He's subverted democratic and governmental norms here in the United States while working damn hard to mess up as much as possible with the economy and tax brackets.  The one area he ran on that I had hope for was an infrastructure plan and effort.  An effort he has made almost zero effort to see through while he works on his idiotic border wall and other useless distractions.  He's destroyed our standing internationally as an ally, as a legitimate diplomatic partner, in trade, and in treaty upholding.  He's seemingly pushed down on the United States positions and standing to the massive benefit of China and Russia in particular.  No one in his party is willing to legitimately stand up to him outside of the occasional tweet or comment which they then go back on if things ever come to a vote.  For those who voted "slightly worse", what more can he possibly do other than trigger World War II or a nuclear assault on a country to reach whatever you thought beforehand?  What level did you have him pegged at for his efforts going in?

[DGuller]

One reason I think removal from office would be preferable to election loss is that we won't have a lame duck period of 2+ months where Trump has nothing to fear.  This man is capable of anything that is destructive.

[Legbiter]

His twitter beefs are as funny as when he campaigned. Pleasantly surprised by how robust the American economy has been. Democrats and the left in general have been an unmitigated disaster, combine impotent rage & cringe with the lunatic spookshow politics of the last three years and I'm left scratching my head. Likely that Trump wins a second term, may add Minnesota and New Jersey to his portfolio.

[Eddie Teach]

Only if Cory Booker is his opponent.

[Legbiter]

Only if Cory Booker is his opponent.

What I've seen of him I like. For instance he's apparently very pro-nuclear power to reduce carbon emissions. Alas, you're apparently either getting Biden or Warren vs. Trump since Bernie had his heart attack. 

[Eddie Teach]

He's a vegan and he's from New Jersey so that's two strikes against him.

[Legbiter]

He's a vegan...

[Valmy]

This is actually kind of a hard question to answer. I have had a low opinion of the guy for decades and he is who I thought he was. But, you know, I figured that he would do his thing and if it did not work out he would be held accountable and if it worked out then I would have to eat crow. Instead it seems like he just fucks shit up and his position is only slightly hurt, which is concerning. I mean the Republicans did lose the House in 2018 but it was hardly some kind of resounding denunciation. So I guess in that sense it has gone slightly worse than I thought.

I hope that the economy holds together and we manage to hold him accountable for his failures either because of his illegal actions through the impeachment process or through the election. But who knows. I am really concerned we do get a recession that drives him from office and then the Democrats are fucked because hey a recession is going on just like what happened in 2008. I mean it is not like you can just flip a switch on something like that.

The other problem is that the population remains eager for radical change and so even after Trump leaves office at some point on or before 2025 who knows what the next chapter will be. I mean Donald is ancient and will be dead or incapable soon, but the factors that empowered him will still be there.

[The Larch]

I'd say much worse. That he'd be a buffoon and a pitiful president was more or less taken for granted. That he'd be followed along so gladly by the Republicans and the government apparatus they've shaped is much more worrying and damaging, and how he's poisoning public debate will have dire consequences in the future. If things continue going badly it'll be a pretty difficult ride until the elections.

[Josephus]

much worse. I had low expectations, but I thought the office itself would contain him. That all the career politicians and diplomats would keep him in check I also thought that after a couple years, he would get bored of the whole thing. I guess i didn't realize he was an egomaniac psychopath.

[mongers]

much worse. I had low expectations, but I thought the office itself would contain him. That all the career politicians and diplomats would keep him in check I also thought that after a couple years, he would get bored of the whole thing. I guess i didn't realize he was an egomaniac psychopath.

Indeed.

I didn't have such a high expectations of his administration as you did and it's still turned out worse, like a wrecking ball taken to the foreign policy infrastructure.