Early lessons of the Trump whirlwind

Trumpism might save the GOP — unless President Trump gets in the way

Opportunities await if Trumpism works.
(Image credit: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)

We're just a week into Donald Trump's presidency. But already, you can see how this brand of politics could wind up being a viable model for future Republican majorities — or a Pyrrhic victory for the GOP.

Trumpism is potentially very popular. A Morning Consult poll taken after the president's inaugural address found voters responding favorably to his "America First" message (taken both literally and seriously, without the phrase's historical baggage). When Trump said, "From this moment on, it's going to be America first. Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families," 65 percent agreed, including 64 percent of independents and half of Democrats. Roughly six in ten, including 48 percent of Democrats, agreed with Trump that the federal government should "buy American and hire American."

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W. James Antle III

W. James Antle III is the politics editor of the Washington Examiner, the former editor of The American Conservative, and author of Devouring Freedom: Can Big Government Ever Be Stopped?.