What Americans want is competence. They’re not getting that under Trump. – San Bernardino Sun

Politics is one thing. Governing is very different.  President Donald S. Trump has shown to be adept at the first, but inept at the second. 

Since he arrived on the political scene a decade ago, pundits have found it difficult to ascribe a clear political tag to him. He is not a fiscal conservative, a libertarian or a populist. Instead, he seems to be a little of each when it suits him.

Trump is governing by whim and fiat where the facts don’t matter.  We are experiencing government by chaos, by design.  This second term is clearly different from his first because he has surrounded himself exclusively with loyalists who are unable or unwilling to say anything other than “Yes, sir.” 

The president says he wants a smaller and more efficient government, but his actions, with the aid of Elon Musk, are just anti-government.  By slashing government staffing and programs willy-nilly, some agencies may well be unable to function.  That’s what Trump wants. 

What the public wants, regardless of party, is competence. That is not what we’ve seen: 

• He has sent undocumented immigrants to holding cells in the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba, previously used only for the worst captured terrorists in the world. Then, 48 hours later, after a lawsuit was filed challenging the action, they were returned to the U.S. 
• Tariffs on Canada and Mexico, our two largest trading partners, were imposed, delayed, retracted and imposed again. Then tariffs were to be imposed on the European Union, including a 200% tax on wine, champagne and other alcohol products, setting off a world-wide trade war. 
• Trump’s actions and unpredictability at one point sent the Dow Jones Stock Index down nearly 2,000 points.
• Tens of thousands of employees were laid off or fired from most major federal agencies.  Some, like the U.S. Forest Service, had to be called back to work because of the crippling effects of layoffs or federal court orders that the administration acted without proper legal authority. 

To err is indeed human, but this is ridiculous. Few actions seem thought out or planned, suggesting a shoot first/ask questions later approach. 

Prior to being elected, Trump was asked whether he wanted to be a dictator. He responded, “Just the first day.” Whether he was sincere, joking or just seeking a headline, as he often does, was unclear. However, a month ago a YouGov poll of more than 4,000 Americans found that 41% now view the president as a dictator.  

Since taking office, he has shown disdain for Congress and the legislative process. He seems to feel that he can accomplish any change he wants through signing an executive order. He signed 89 such orders in his first 54 days in office, compared to 220 in his first four-year term. Biden signed 162 during his four years in office, many of them reversing prior Trump orders. 

Trump also has continued to attack and undermine mainstream news media and anyone who disagrees with him or his policies. There are now major First Amendment cases regarding free speech and press destined to be resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Most political observers believed Trump was elected largely to fix our broken immigration system, improve the economy for the average American and lower supermarket prices. So far, he has done none of these and his tendency toward one-man rule is hurting him with the electorate.