If you ask anyone in the Washington, D.C. Beltway about Donald Trump’s performance as president so far, the likely answer is an unhesitant rejection of the way he operates his administration.
After the resignation of National Security Advisor Michael Flynn (after less than a month on the job), the withdrawal of the nomination of Andrew Puzder for secretary of labor and new leaks or controversies coming up almost every day, those in close proximity to our country’s political capital have no clue about how to operate in the midst of such commotion.
Even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said the president’s approval ratings would be “10 to 15 points higher if he allowed himself to stay on message,” in an interview with The Weekly Standard.
There is little doubt that the Trump administration is truly unlike any other. An organization’s culture starts at the top, and President Trump has set a tone in which his administration prides itself on disorganization and quick shifts in messaging (similar to the way his campaign operated).
Washington, D.C., is horrified. It is the complete opposite of the Obama administration, which often worked itself into a frenzy trying to manage the media and diffuse negative situations before they arose.
This is just my thinking, but I presume if 500 people who work on Capitol Hill were polled, President Trump would not have an approval rating above 25 percent.
However, the cable talk show hosts and White House correspondents who share in this mutual dislike of the new administration are making the same mistake they did during the election: They can not remove themselves from the echo chamber in which they are trapped.
There is no doubt that the disruption President Trump has caused has negative effects. However, there are millions of Americans who are probably welcoming the somewhat-organized chaos.
The “forgotten men and women” that the president so often speaks of might be in excitement about the attitude of President Trump.
It is not suave or calm (like previous presidents). Instead, it is loud, large and messy.
These citizens, these “forgotten men and women,” live very different lives from those in Washington, D.C., and coastal enclaves across the country.
They are difficult and often chaotic. What they saw in President Trump as a candidate was change and an attitude that is refreshing to them.
With Mr. Trump, there were no frills, and that attracted voters, as they rewarded him by voting him into the presidency.
Regardless of what people think about his performance or the way he handles a crisis, they should not underestimate the power of the way President Trump handles himself. It might be unwise politically, but there are millions of Americans who are viewing it with a sense of relief.
Patrick Waters is a sophomore accounting major from St. Louis
