9. His offensive tweets continued to undermine his presidency. Calling former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman “a dog” and Stormy Daniels “Horseface” — among countless offensive tweets — is not just unpresidential, it drives away potential supporters who like his policies but then are reminded how much they don’t like Trump.
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John McCain and Trump: A history
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and President Trump have been at odds with each other for a while. Here's a look at their war of words. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)
8. His misuse of power turned critics into martyrs. Revoking former CIA director John Brennan’s security clearance and CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta’s White House press pass turned partisan critics who were embarrassing themselves into victims — and gave them an even greater platform from which to attack him.
7. He drove away suburban voters and caused the GOP to lose control of the House. That’s because the president has sought to energize his base in ways that drive those voters away. If he wants to win reelection, Trump needs to bring suburban Republican voters back into the GOP fold.
6. His graceless handling of Sen. John McCain’s funeral was a new low. Trump didn’t like McCain, but when you’re the president, sometimes you must honor people you didn’t like. McCain was an American hero. Trump’s inability to muster a kind or generous word reflected poorly on the president.
