Interests vs. values is the crux upon which the Trump’s Administration case lies and how in the end this real life political science experiment will be judged.

At its most basic, the question will be whether this approach can tangibly advance the interests of his electorate in ways that improve their lives.

Politically the stakes are much more profound.

We will find out whether America is a land of 300+ million individuals looking merely for a President to advance their narrow interests. One where winning in foreign policy is defined by oil taken, short-term economic successes, the mother of all bombs dropped.

Or whether a period of valueless leadership creates a backlash, a yearning to return to a country that claimed to stand for more than its own interests, a place that was a beacon of hope to all who yearned for it. One that while flawed aims to be pure of intention.