Political Wire

SubscribeSign in
  • Front Page
  • Trending
  • Polling
  • Trial Balloon
  • Books
  • Membership
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In
  • Sign In
  • Contact Us
Theme
Text size

A Hamstrung President

November 2, 2018 · 6:53 am ET · Leave a Comment

Playbook: “One constant during Trump’s presidency is that he’s seemed surprised by the constraints of the office. He came in as the CEO of a family real estate empire, who had to learn to deal with Congress, congressional leaders and the guardrails around the executive branch.”

“If Democrats take the House, Trump will be further shackled. The policy preferences he’s enumerating at the moment — new asylum policies, a militarized southern border and a new tax bill — would likely go up in smoke in divided government. There are serious concerns at the top of the GOP food chain that the White House is not fully attuned to this reality.”

White House

← PreviousDon Young Trails In AlaskaNext →Pelosi Quietly Lines Up the Votes for Speaker

Keep reading

Front page →

Political Wire is reader-supported. Join for ad-free reading, member posts and new features →

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

More about Taegan Goddard →

?Political Trivia

  • The Way It Was
    Eight moments in political history. Put them on a timeline.
    Play →
  • Yea or Nay?
    Five senators. Three bills. Can you guess how they all voted?
    Play →
  • Split Decision
    Nine Justices. One case. How did they rule?
    Play →
  • Pollster
    Do you have your finger on the pulse of America?
    Play →
  • Daily Trivia
    Four questions a day.
    Play →

A new game every day.

Your Account

Members

For the full experience, sign in.

Become a Member

  • Join Political Wire
  • Gift a Membership

Members Only

  • Weekly News Quiz
  • 2026 Election Overview
  • Republicans Aren’t Buying Their Own Spin
  • Jon Ossoff Makes a Promise Clinton and Obama Also Made
  • The GOP’s Closing Argument Is About Democrats

?Political Trivia

  • The Way It Was →
  • Yea or Nay? →
  • Split Decision →
  • Pollster →
  • Daily Trivia →

Copyright © 2026 · Goddard Media LLC

Political Wire® is a registered trademark of Goddard Media LLC

Also from Goddard Media: Political Dictionary · Political Job Hunt · Electoral Vote Map

Privacy PolicyCorrections PolicyContact