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William Kristol: Maybe the American Experiment Isn\u2019t Dead Yet<\/a><\/h2>\nDeath by a thousand cuts still requires a thousand cuts.
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\nOn the one hand, the first couple hundred days of this presidency have featured truly striking and dramatic advances by the forces of authoritarianism. The dangers to our free political institutions are clear, present, and increasing in strength. The situation is grim. One fears that \u201cAmerican exceptionalism\u201d will culminate in an exceptional demonstration of a nation frittering away the privileges of freedom in as feckless a way as possible.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, while authoritarianism is winning right now, and night is more visible on the horizon than dawn\u2014there are countervailing forces.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the most hopeful is that it\u2019s clear the Trump presidency is unpopular, and is becoming more so. Several recent polls show Donald Trump with a job approval rating among the American people down around 40 percent. A new poll released yesterday by UMass Amherst has Trump at 38 percent approval, 58 percent disapproval\u2014down from 44 percent approval, 53 percent disapproval three months ago.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, Trump\u2019s weakest issues seem likely to be among the topics that remain front and center for voters, at least for the foreseeable future. He is at 18 percent approval, 70 percent disapproval on his handling of the Epstein matter. He\u2019s also at 31 percent approval, 63 percent disapproval, on the issue of tariffs and on that of inflation\u2014our old friend from the Biden presidency which may well bedevil Trump, too.
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\n(William Kristol more…)<\/a><\/p>\n
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Heather Cox Richardson: Letters from an American – August 5, 2025<\/a><\/h2>\n
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\nOn the one hand, the first couple hundred days of this presidency have featured truly striking and dramatic advances by the forces of authoritarianism. The dangers to our free political institutions are clear, present, and increasing in strength. The situation is grim. One fears that \u201cAmerican exceptionalism\u201d will culminate in an exceptional demonstration of a nation frittering away the privileges of freedom in as feckless a way as possible.<\/p>\n
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\n(William Kristol more…)<\/a><\/p>\n
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Heather Cox Richardson: Letters from an American – August 5, 2025<\/a><\/h2>\n
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