Day after day, President Donald Trump crowed about his success, saying he had achieved something his predecessors could not. Then, the illusion snapped. The project fell apart. Things were not better; if anything, they’re worse off than before. The cut corners and headlong rush yielded a temporary thrill for the president and a waste of taxpayer money.
I’m referring to Trump’s very expensive and rapidly unraveling attempts to overhaul the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall, though the description could apply to many issues from the Trump presidency. My colleague Ja’han Jones described the once-again-algae-coated site as “a physical swamp that serves as a potent metaphor for [the Trump] administration’s corruption and incompetence.” The hastily done renovation and its swift demise are simply the most recent example of a pattern in which Trump and his allies’ bold declarations collapse under the pressures of time, scrutiny and common sense.
This is a preview of a column by Hayes Brown. Read the full column here.
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