New York Times columnist David Brooks, a frequent critic of President Trump, said he and others like him in the media have failed to undermine the White House and its supporters.
In a column published Monday night, Brooks said despite relentless attacks on Trump’s conduct and behavior in their columns and commentary, he and the rest have been ineffective in moving the needle in their direction.
“Over the past year, those of us in the anti-Trump camp have churned out billions of words critiquing the president,” he wrote. “The point of this work is to expose the harm President Trump is doing, weaken his support and prevent him from doing worse. And by that standard, the anti-Trump movement is a failure. We have persuaded no one. Trump’s approval rating is around 40 percent, which is basically unchanged from where it’s been all along. We have not hindered him. Trump has more power than he did a year ago, not less.”
The White House is currently facing mounting controversies with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia collusion and the ex-adult film actress Stormy Daniels continuing legal pursuit over an affair she claims she had with Trump more than a decade ago.
But Trump’s approval numbers remain steady around 40 percent overall and in the 80s with Republican voters.
Brooks admitted in his column that there doesn’t appear to be a counter to Trump’s appeal.
“The main reason Trump won the presidency is that tens of millions of Americans rightly feel that their local economies are under attack, their communities are dissolving and their religious liberties are under threat,” he wrote.
“Trump understood the problems of large parts of America better than anyone else. He has been able to strengthen his grip on power over the past year because he has governed as he campaigned. Until somebody comes up with a better defense strategy, Trump and Trumpism will dominate. Voters are willing to put up with a lot of nonsense for a president they think is basically on their side.”
