During that time, he built a political movement from scratch that defied all expectations and upended the political establishment of both parties. His victory in November was not only a shock to many, it redrew the electoral and demographic maps in this country. His appeal to working-class voters in the Rust Belt delivered Trump a solid 306-electoral-vote win.
Six months later, the dynamics that produced his victory remain in place. Overlooked amid hyperventilating about Trump’s tweets or other offenses, the president has consistently built on his relationship with working-class voters, meeting with union leaders, coal miners, small business owners and signing executive orders that speak directly to his supporters.
Recently, he returned to Wisconsin for the first time since his election, visiting Snap-on Tools in Kenosha. After touring the factory, Trump spoke to hundreds of company employees. He extolled the virtues of manufacturing, celebrated the workers and signed a directive ordering all federal agencies to “buy American” and “hire American.”
The Snap-on employees gave him a standing ovation. There’s no telling whether such infatuation will last. Democrats will never approve of Trump — even if they approve of certain decisions he makes in Syria or getting tough on trade. But Democrats aren’t part of the current equation. It’s all about Republicans and independents. How long will they stick with him? What might cause them to turn away from him? The answers to those questions revolve around whether the economy improves in a tangible way for the voters who put Trump in office.
To know that, we probably have to wait and see what happens in the next 683 days.
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