Trump’s Budget Bluff

President Trump’s executive order on immigration overshadowed almost everything else in the first week of his tenure. But tactically the order has a lot in common with more day-to-day policies, especially his plan to slash federal spending. Both rely on scapegoats (immigrants, on the one hand; on the other, things like foreign aid and legal assistance for the poor). Both cater to the misconceptions of Trump’s base: no fatal terrorist attack here has involved anyone from the seven countries covered by the executive order, nor does the alleged waste that Trump has vowed to cut amount to more than a tiny fraction of the total budget. And both are acts of political theatre, enhancing Trump’s image as a tough-talking outsider while doing little to solve the underlying problems.