Benjamin Wittes

So I don't want to sit here and say that the Democrats didn't help create the mess at the border and certainly didn't do enough that could be done. Donald Trump left them a legal quagmire when he left office during the COVID era at the border. But it's not as if the Biden administration managed it very well in the first two years. They did get their arms around it eventually.

So I don't want to sit here and say that the Democrats didn't help create the mess at the border and certainly didn't do enough that could be done. Donald Trump left them a legal quagmire when he left office during the COVID era at the border. But it's not as if the Biden administration managed it very well in the first two years. They did get their arms around it eventually.

But it was after there was a new chief of staff and after, frankly, it had already become a political problem. So the Trump folks just believe that if they can just make this an immigration issue, first of all, notice what we're not talking about tariffs. We're not talking about the economic disaster that is coming. Now, this is a bit of a lagging indicator, right?

But it was after there was a new chief of staff and after, frankly, it had already become a political problem. So the Trump folks just believe that if they can just make this an immigration issue, first of all, notice what we're not talking about tariffs. We're not talking about the economic disaster that is coming. Now, this is a bit of a lagging indicator, right?

But it was after there was a new chief of staff and after, frankly, it had already become a political problem. So the Trump folks just believe that if they can just make this an immigration issue, first of all, notice what we're not talking about tariffs. We're not talking about the economic disaster that is coming. Now, this is a bit of a lagging indicator, right?

All of the current economic figures that have been coming out are what's happened in the previous 30 days or the previous 60 days or the previous 90 days. The fact is we're going to start to see a rise in prices probably in the next 60 to 90 days. You're not seeing them right in the moment, right? Because plenty of American companies have inventory that they got in before the tariffs hit.

All of the current economic figures that have been coming out are what's happened in the previous 30 days or the previous 60 days or the previous 90 days. The fact is we're going to start to see a rise in prices probably in the next 60 to 90 days. You're not seeing them right in the moment, right? Because plenty of American companies have inventory that they got in before the tariffs hit.

All of the current economic figures that have been coming out are what's happened in the previous 30 days or the previous 60 days or the previous 90 days. The fact is we're going to start to see a rise in prices probably in the next 60 to 90 days. You're not seeing them right in the moment, right? Because plenty of American companies have inventory that they got in before the tariffs hit.

So prices are only just now starting to creep up. And that, of course, will then start this spiral that could get really ugly for a while. Rising prices, inflation, stagnant wages, layoffs. You can see where this is headed. But in the short term, as all the focus has been on. On the one issue, because apparently only one issue can be done at a time.

So prices are only just now starting to creep up. And that, of course, will then start this spiral that could get really ugly for a while. Rising prices, inflation, stagnant wages, layoffs. You can see where this is headed. But in the short term, as all the focus has been on. On the one issue, because apparently only one issue can be done at a time.

So prices are only just now starting to creep up. And that, of course, will then start this spiral that could get really ugly for a while. Rising prices, inflation, stagnant wages, layoffs. You can see where this is headed. But in the short term, as all the focus has been on. On the one issue, because apparently only one issue can be done at a time.

There's been this debate in the Democratic Party about whether how hard they should go. You have had Gavin Newsom, who sees the Kilmar Garcia story as a distraction. You have others that say if you don't draw a line in the stands somewhere, then what's the point of being a political party? You're in the opposition.

There's been this debate in the Democratic Party about whether how hard they should go. You have had Gavin Newsom, who sees the Kilmar Garcia story as a distraction. You have others that say if you don't draw a line in the stands somewhere, then what's the point of being a political party? You're in the opposition.

There's been this debate in the Democratic Party about whether how hard they should go. You have had Gavin Newsom, who sees the Kilmar Garcia story as a distraction. You have others that say if you don't draw a line in the stands somewhere, then what's the point of being a political party? You're in the opposition.

The fact of the matter is I do think the party needs to figure out how to have one message. And I think the chaos message. which worked in the first administration, right? The fact is the public doesn't like the chaos. Individual goals that Donald Trump has outlined are things the public would like to see, right? A safe and secure border, more manufacturing jobs in America.

The fact of the matter is I do think the party needs to figure out how to have one message. And I think the chaos message. which worked in the first administration, right? The fact is the public doesn't like the chaos. Individual goals that Donald Trump has outlined are things the public would like to see, right? A safe and secure border, more manufacturing jobs in America.

The fact of the matter is I do think the party needs to figure out how to have one message. And I think the chaos message. which worked in the first administration, right? The fact is the public doesn't like the chaos. Individual goals that Donald Trump has outlined are things the public would like to see, right? A safe and secure border, more manufacturing jobs in America.

But how he's gone about doing it, upending the world economy, upending due process and the rule of law, that isn't what the public wants. They don't like how this is being done. And the political opposition, I don't think, has done a good enough job sort of framing this as that as incompetency, because ultimately that's what this has been complete and utter incompetence on the tariffs.

But how he's gone about doing it, upending the world economy, upending due process and the rule of law, that isn't what the public wants. They don't like how this is being done. And the political opposition, I don't think, has done a good enough job sort of framing this as that as incompetency, because ultimately that's what this has been complete and utter incompetence on the tariffs.

But how he's gone about doing it, upending the world economy, upending due process and the rule of law, that isn't what the public wants. They don't like how this is being done. And the political opposition, I don't think, has done a good enough job sort of framing this as that as incompetency, because ultimately that's what this has been complete and utter incompetence on the tariffs.