You’ve heard it many times: A voter says they don’t like Donald Trump; they cite his nasty personality, divisiveness or penchant for saying stupid stuff. But then they say they’ll vote for him anyway: “Because I liked his policies.”
What policies? The voters rarely say, nor do reporters follow up. Curious minds, not least mine, want to know: What are they talking about?
Trump was by far the most ignorant on policy of seven presidents I’ve covered, and four years in office didn’t educate him: As former advisers attest, he refused to do homework, trusting to his instincts. Trump had positions on many issues, often ill-informed and wrong-headed. As president he executed policies, of course, though the best known — cutting taxes, for example, and seating right-wing federal judges — were largely the work of Republicans in Congress.
Filling in Trump’s policy vacuum was the impetus behind MAGA Republicans’ massive — and massively unpopular — Project 2025 blueprint for a second Trump term. But forget prospective policies. Does it really make sense to remember the Trump 1.0 initiatives fondly?
Are policies on the economy and immigration what these voters have in mind? Polls consistently show more voters prefer Trump over Kamala Harris in these areas.