3 Key Truths About Trump

Playbook sees Trump’s decision to withdraw protections for transgender students as a window into his presidency.

“First, the power resides at the White House. Trump isn’t showing deference to his Cabinet picks, as some in Washington had hoped he would. Two, Trump is continuing to deliver for his base. The order, which puts him squarely in the middle of the culture wars, will be extremely popular on the right, particularly among evangelicals who came out in big numbers for Trump. It’s also another example of Trump not caring about expanding his coalition.”

“Three, Trump is using precious political capital to take on issues Congressional Republicans would prefer he ignore. They’d rather him use his juice to pass tax reform, or rewrite health care laws. As Republicans across the country continue to face screaming constituents at town halls, Trump’s focus on transgender bathrooms doesn’t give them anything to say to people worried about losing their health care.”