By KATRINA VANDEN HEUVEL
On the stump and in his tweets, President Trump isn’t simply all bluster and self-pity. He takes time to claim he has fulfilled his promises to the working-class voters who were essential to his 2016 election. But, as the incumbent, Trump has a record. The betrayal of this part of his base is apparent. And the noise of his tweets, serial outrages and stump-posturing no longer can distract from this reality.
By the president’s accounting, his accomplishments are legion. He boasts about his tax cuts — the “biggest in history.” He preens about his judges — “a historic transformation of the judiciary” — chosen to cater to the anti-choice passions of evangelical Christians. He brags about slashing regulations. He says his wall is being built. He promises once more to trash Obamacare and provide a much better alternative. He claims to still be avoiding endless wars. He champions his trade deals and his tariffs. And, of course, he takes — and gets — credit for the growing economy with low top-line unemployment.