Trump’s Race Against the Clock 

Donald Trump unequivocally won a mandate to enact his policies in the November election. Based on exit polls, it’s fair to say that in 2024, it was the “economy and immigration, stupid” — to paraphrase James Carville — that made voters choose Trump.

But even a strong mandate won’t last. After his 1964 landslide win, President Lyndon Johnson told his advisors that he would lose strength in the polls at the rate of one million votes per month, and that he had a diminishing window to get things done.

So when the Oval Office clock starts ticking for Trump, the key question will be: Will he get to execute his mandate, or will he be dragged down by the competing interests and rival power bases that jockey for influence in every administration?

The Pre-Game

As I discussed in my last column, Trump’s power is in limbo while he awaits his inauguration. During this transition period, he has two critical objectives. The first is to build his cabinet, to execute his policies; and the second is to keep his base energized as long as possible, to stretch out the honeymoon period.