Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs The biggest impediment to a successful second term for President Trump may be Trump himself.For all the early energy of his presidency — the flurry of executive orders, confirmations and firings — Trump has looked less disciplined this week than he did in the initial days after returning to office. The last few days have instead conjured the chaos of his first term, when his grand pronouncements often failed to change government policy.The first part of this week was dominated by Trump’s threatened tariffs on Canada and Mexico, but he postponed them in exchange for the countries’ promise to do things they were largely already doing. On Tuesday, Trump announced a plan for the U.S. to take over Gaza that even American allies like Saudi Arabia dismissed as unworkable. The reaction was so bad that White House aides walked back parts of the plan yesterday.Neither of these policy announcements seems likely to lead to tangible accomplishments. And both have the potential to make him look weak.It’s true that over-the-top pronouncements can have ancillary benefits for Trump. Steve Bannon, his former adviser, talks frequently about the value of “flooding the zone” so that Trump’s political opponents can’t focus energy on stopping any one of his changes. Trump’s promise of turning Gaza into “the Riviera of the Middle East” could keep Democrats from mobilizing opposition to, say, Elon Musk’s campaign against foreign aid.But there are also costs for Trump. He and his allies have ambitious goals for remaking federal policy. They want to cut taxes, shrink the government, expand manufacturing, deport undocumented immigrants, restrict immigration, end “wokeism,” contain China, weaken Iran, strengthen Israel and Saudi Arabia and pull back from Europe. High-profile policies that fall flat don’t get Trump’s team closer to these goals.A finite assetThe attention and resources of the Trump administration are limited, too. Each long-shot policy that the administration pursues has an opportunity cost. Trump’s first term included relatively few policy accomplishments (his tax cut being a notable exception) because he spent so much time on ideas that went nowhere. Remember “infrastructure week,” which never led to an actual law? Or the nonexistent peace deal with North Korea? Or the Covid treatment ideas with no medical benefits?The recent tariff reversal is a useful case study of opportunity cost. Trump’s quick reversal means that other countries now have less reason to make substantial concessions to him to avoid a future tariff; performative promises may be enough. A more successful tariff showdown this week would also have helped flood the zone, without making Trump look ineffectual. Imagine, for example, if he had instead threatened tariffs on European countries — and they responded with big increases in military spending, as he wants.I’m not trying to suggest that Trump’s new term has been free of meaningful change. He has done a lot in the past two and a half weeks. His immigration crackdown is real and continues to be broadly popular. His changes to gender and diversity policy are substantial. He has fired federal employees who won’t do what he wants. And even though he has brazenly defied the law to grab power, Senate Republicans have responded meekly.Trump is still a strong president enjoying the heady weeks after inauguration. Yet the most ambitious version of his second term will require more than early strength. It will require a discipline that was lacking eight years ago — and that his aides promised would be present from the start this time. It will require using his singular ability to dominate attention in a way that leads to the changes he wants.That hasn’t happened over the past few days. If you’re a Trump supporter, it should be worrisome. If you’re a Trump opponent, it should offer a small measure of relief.For moreTHE LATEST NEWSPoliticsVocal coach: Meet the man who helps Angelina Jolie and Timothée Chalamet sing onscreen.Gut health: This is what alcohol may be doing to you.Lives Lived: Gene Barge, known as Daddy G, was one of the last surviving saxophonists of the golden age of R&B. His career ran the gamut of 20th-century Black popular music. He died at 98.SPORTSN.B.A.: The Heat traded Jimmy Butler to the Warriors for Andrew Wiggins and a first-round pick.Toronto Raptors: The Canadian team acquired the Pelicans star Brandon Ingram for multiple players and picks.N.F.L.: The Browns defensive end Myles Garrett said he spoke to LeBron James before requesting a trade out of Cleveland.People are reimagining vintage furniture. Restoring or reupholstering a chair or chest of drawers makes it look almost new again. Other times, with a few changes, an interior designer said, “It looks like a completely different piece of furniture.” Read how designers do it.More on culture
