This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com[1]. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here[2].
They swore he'd never build, just tear down. He was, after all, the ultimate loner president with a grim history of bankruptcies[3]. It was obvious that, among other things, he'd destroy the country's alliances. And admittedly, these last two years his strength hasn't always been in building. Take that "big, fat, beautiful wall[4]" of his. You know, the one the Mexicans were going to pay for[5] until it turned out that Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi were the Mexicans he had in mind. Not only hasn't he gotten it built, but he's now threatening to shut down part of the government if the Democrats won't agree to fund it. In something like a hissy fit, in fact, he recently swore that he'd be "proud[6]" to do so, wouldn't for a second blame it on the Democrats, and might even order[7] the Pentagon to spend a few billion of the bucks he's been shoveling[8] its way to build that wall for him -- all of which may represent a first when it comes to presidential public relations.
Still, in other areas, how wrong they were! It couldn't be clearer now that Donald Trump is capable of building bigly[9]. Just look at the recent climate-change meeting in Poland if you want some striking evidence[10] of his success! It took a year or so, but now he's no longer alone in trying to deep-six the Paris climate accord and turn this planet into a fossil-fueled hothouse from hell[11]
