Political Wire

  • Front Page
  • Members
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In
  • Trending
  • Resources
    • Politics Extra
    • Political Job Hunt
    • Political Dictionary
    • Electoral Vote Map
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / 2024 Campaign / Don’t Let Trump Exhaust You
Members should sign in for the full experience.

Don’t Let Trump Exhaust You

April 5, 2024 at 9:42 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Tom Nichols: “In a more normal time in American life, people had to leave politics for having a nanogram of Trump’s baggage. Think of the late Senator Thomas Eagleton, the 1972 Democratic vice-presidential pick who had to drop out of the race because he’d been treated for depression. The idea—how old-fashioned it seems now—was that America could not risk any possible mental-health issues not only in the president, but even in the person next in the line of succession.”

“Today, however, we have a former president who exhibits all kinds of signs of a disordered personality—and yet the big worry among many voters (and too much of the media) is whether his opponent is missing a step because he’s roughly 42 months older than Trump.”

“All of this is enervating and exhausting. But that’s the point: Trump is succeeding because he is, to use Steve Bannon’s infamous expression, seeking to ‘flood the zone with shit.’ Trump’s opponents are flummoxed by how he provokes one new outrage on top of another, and each time they believe he’s finally—finally—gone too far. Bombarding the public space with deranged statements and dangerous threats, however, is not a mistake; it’s a strategy.”

FavoriteLoadingSave to Favorites
  • Bluesky
  • X
  • Threads
  • Facebook
  • Email

Filed Under: 2024 Campaign


You're reading the free version of Political Wire

Upgrade to a paid membership to unlock full access. The process is quick and easy. You can even use Apple Pay.

Upgrade Now

  • ✔ Become a member to get many great benefits -- exclusive analysis, a trending news page, no advertising and more!
  • ✔ If you're already a member, log in for the full experience.



Recent Posts

Weekly News Quiz

June 13, 2025 at 11:00 am EDTJune 13, 2025 at 11:20 am EDT

There have been some big and important stories this week. But did you miss the smaller ones?

Take this week’s quiz…

Join now to continue reading.

Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and no advertising. Learn more.

If you’re already a member, sign in to your account.

Israeli Operation Won’t Be Over for Many Days

June 13, 2025 at 10:47 am EDT

“Israel’s operation against Iran’s nuclear program, military leadership and arsenal of missiles is nowhere near over, with Israel having planned out 14 days of operations,” the Wall Street Journal reports….

Appeals Court Won’t Overturn E. Jean Carroll Verdict

June 13, 2025 at 10:43 am EDT

“A federal appeals court in an 8-2 vote Friday declined President Trump’s bid to rehear his appeal of a jury verdict finding him liable for sexually abusing advice columnist E….

Willkie Farr Partners Depart After Firm’s Trump Deal

June 13, 2025 at 10:30 am EDT

“As many as seven partners are departing Willkie Farr & Gallagher, a prominent law firm that cut a deal with President Trump to head off a potentially crippling executive order,…

Schwarzenegger Slams Media Depicting L.A. as ‘War Zone’

June 13, 2025 at 10:30 am EDTJune 13, 2025 at 3:13 am EDT

Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger disputed news media rhetoric that “the whole of Los Angeles is a war zone” as Donald Trump deploys troops around the city, Deadline reports. Said Schwarzenegger:…

Trump ‘Doesn’t Speak With Precision’

June 13, 2025 at 10:00 am EDT

“A lawyer for Donald Trump’s Justice Department recently argued in court that sometimes the president just says stuff — and it doesn’t matter if what Trump says is or isn’t…

Supreme Court Justices Get Snippy as Key Decisions Loom

June 13, 2025 at 9:45 am EDTJune 13, 2025 at 4:32 am EDT

“As the Supreme Court bears down on the most contentious stretch of its annual session, the justices have been taking detours in opinions that reveal policy preferences and simmering grievances,”…

Trump’s ‘Peacemaker’ Pledge Takes Big Hit

June 13, 2025 at 9:30 am EDTJune 13, 2025 at 3:03 am EDT

“On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump promised to end the world’s hottest conflicts and usher in global peace, but nearly five months in, with Israel attacking Iran and bloodshed…

Trump Tells Farmers ‘Changes Are Coming’

June 13, 2025 at 9:00 am EDTJune 13, 2025 at 10:27 am EDT

“President Trump acknowledged on Thursday that his immigration policies are hurting the farming and hotel industries, making a rare concession that his crackdown is having ripple effects on the American…

Bonus Quote of the Day

June 13, 2025 at 8:52 am EDT

“I think it’s been excellent. We gave them a chance and they didn’t take it. They got hit hard, very hard. They got hit about as hard as you’re going…

Trump Loses Ground on Immigration

June 13, 2025 at 8:33 am EDT

G. Elliot Morris looks at the latest polling and finds Americans are split about the protesters against immigration raids but oppose President Trump’s response more. And Trump’s approval ratings on…

Trump to Attend National Security Meeting

June 13, 2025 at 8:30 am EDT

“President Donald Trump will attend a National Security Council meeting on Friday morning, the White House said late on Thursday after Israeli strikes on Iran that have put the Middle…

Quote of the Day

June 13, 2025 at 8:15 am EDT

“It’s horrible. It is shocking at every level. It’s not the America I know.” — Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), speaking out against the handcuffing of Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA). Save…

Rand Paul in Bitter Dispute with Stephen Miller

June 13, 2025 at 8:00 am EDT

“A bitter feud is escalating between Republican Sen. Rand Paul and Donald Trump’s top border official, injecting uncertainty into Congress’s attempt to pass the administration’s signature policy bill this month,”…

Trump Claims 15,000 ‘Gold Card’ Visas Have Been Sold

June 13, 2025 at 7:30 am EDT

President Trump claimed “more than 15,000 foreigners have signed up for the Trump ‘gold card’ that offers applicants residency and a path to U.S. citizenship,” USA Today reports. Save to…

GOP Lawmaker Says Padilla Is Part of the ‘Cartel Caucus’

June 13, 2025 at 7:15 am EDT

Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) suggested Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) was supporting Mexican drug cartels at a press conference with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Said Davidson: “I didn’t know the…

Trump Urges Iran to Make a Deal

June 13, 2025 at 7:14 am EDT

“President Trump said he encouraged Iran to make a nuclear deal and had warned the country’s leadership there could be lethal consequences for failing to negotiate,” the Wall Street Journal…

Israel’s Bold, Risky Attack

June 13, 2025 at 7:00 am EDT

Tom Nichols: “At the end of the classic 1972 film The Godfather, the new don of the family, Michael Corleone, attends a baptism while his men wipe out the heads…

Raptors at the Door

June 13, 2025 at 6:00 am EDTJune 13, 2025 at 1:11 am EDT

The latest episode of Trial Balloon is live for members. What is Trump trying to do — and can he be stopped? Join now to continue reading. Members get exclusive…

Hundreds of ‘No Kings’ Rallies Planned

June 13, 2025 at 5:45 am EDTJune 13, 2025 at 2:53 am EDT

“Boasting tanks, cannons, soldiers and fireworks, President Trump’s military parade Saturday is designed to be a spectacle. Opponents to Trump want their nationwide protests that day to be an even…

« RFK Jr. Repeated Russian Propaganda on Ukraine
Giuliani Explains the Earthquakes »

Get Smarter About Politics

Members get exclusive analysis, a trending news page, the Trial Balloon podcast, bonus newsletters and no advertising. Learn more.

Subscribe

Your Account

Sign in

Latest for Members

  • Weekly News Quiz
  • Raptors at the Door
  • Trump Projects Strength as Poll Reveals Weakness
  • Trump’s Authoritarian Push Is Not Inevitable
  • Trump’s Chaos Isn’t a Cover

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

Praise for Political Wire

“There are a lot of blogs and news sites claiming to understand politics, but only a few actually do. Political Wire is one of them.”

— Chuck Todd, host of “Meet the Press”

“Concise. Relevant. To the point. Political Wire is the first site I check when I’m looking for the latest political nugget. That pretty much says it all.”

— Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Political Report

“Political Wire is one of only four or five sites that I check every day and sometimes several times a day, for the latest political news and developments.”

— Charlie Cook, editor of the Cook Political Report

“The big news, delicious tidbits, pearls of wisdom — nicely packaged, constantly updated… What political junkie could ask for more?”

— Larry Sabato, Center for Politics, University of Virginia

“Political Wire is a great, great site.”

— Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”

“Taegan Goddard has a knack for digging out political gems that too often get passed over by the mainstream press, and for delivering the latest electoral developments in a sharp, no frills style that makes his Political Wire an addictive blog habit you don’t want to kick.”

— Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post

“Political Wire is one of the absolute must-read sites in the blogosphere.”

— Glenn Reynolds, founder of Instapundit

“I rely on Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire for straight, fair political news, he gets right to the point. It’s an eagerly anticipated part of my news reading.”

— Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist.

Copyright © 2025 · Goddard Media LLC | Privacy Policy | Corrections Policy

Political Wire ® is a registered trademark of Goddard Media LLC