He has, in short order, created The Low Bar Presidency, an administration in which we have grown to expect that the spokespeople mislead, that cabinet officials are corrupt, and that the commander in chief is learning on the job.

Most of us are shocked in real time. But the existential question is whether the Low Bar Presidency ends when Trump’s tenure does. Or will our expectations forever be lowered because of what he has managed to do less than a year-and-a-half into office? Will we assume, from here on out, that our politicians lie so cavalierly to us? That they misuse our taxpayer funds for the betterment of their private lives? That they are incapable to meeting the challenges of governance? If so, the costs could be horrifying.

A population that believes its elected representatives will fail them will stop demanding success, or truth, or competence, or ethics. We won’t throw the bums out. We’ll grow accustomed to living with them.