What Would Change Your Mind About President Trump?

If recent measures of public opinion hold, President Trump will enter office viewed unfavorably by 49 percent of Americans. 43 percent of Americans view him favorably. The deepest fears of his critics include the possibility of nuclear catastrophe. His most enthusiastic backers believe he’ll “make America great again.” Will either group prove able to judge the Trump Administration based on its performance in office rather than their prejudgments about the president’s fitness?

To discipline my own thinking, I’ve formulated markers that I will use to evaluate President Trump and the executive branch agencies that his appointees will soon lead.

If Trump governs without my fears coming to pass, his supporters can rightly cite this article as evidence that the president they championed wasn’t as bad as I imagined he might be. To discipline their