Trump Needs to Stop Celebrating and Start Healing
The next day, New York Times columnist James Reston noted the “paradox that those who were most determined to elect Mr. Reagan now seem more worried about what he will do as president than those who opposed him.”
That those conservative jitters proved unfounded does not undermine my point about the chasm between Washington’s wary embrace of the 40th president and its cringing at the prospect of the 45th.
Now, sober-minded people speak in all seriousness about fears for the future of the republic and the prospect of impeachment. These are not wild leftists but experienced hands, with long historical memories and understanding of how power ebbs and flows here. Whether or not these dire prognostications prove correct, the fact they are being voiced is alarming.
Dismiss this as the griping of obsolescent elites, but regular Americans are similarly apprehensive. Majorities in a Pew Research Center poll say Trump is reckless (65 percent) and has poor judgment (62 percent). More Americans (38 percent) believe he will be a poor or terrible president than are confident (35 percent) he will be a good or great one. Crowds at Trump rallies cheer, but the country worries.
In his finest post-election moment, Trump, echoing Lincoln, vowed on election night to “bind the wounds of division.” To acknowledge citizens’ concerns and adjust accordingly is an essential, if unlikely, first step -- so far missing from the president-elect’s repertoire.
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Ruth Marcus’ email address is ruthmarcus@washpost.com.
(c) 2016, Washington Post Writers Group
