As the partial government shutdown enters its 33rd day, Democrats accuse Mr. Trump of hostage-taking tactics, but among the hostages has been his own presidency. Other than his single-minded pursuit of a border wall, Mr. Trump has all but put on hold advancing the rest of his agenda. It has become, as one administration official put it, a one-issue White House.

“There are important things that aren’t being addressed,” said William A. Galston, who served as a domestic policy aide to President Bill Clinton. But the wall has become the singular issue for Mr. Trump because he has become convinced that his presidency is on the line. “It’s easy to come up with a list of things on the domestic front that he should be worrying about,” Mr. Galston said, “but it’s just as easy to understand why he’s not.”…

Still in his inbox are a slew of important vacancies to fill, including defense secretary, interior secretary and chief of staff. His attorney general, United Nations ambassador and Environmental Protection Agency chief are all serving in an acting capacity while waiting for Senate confirmation votes of his nominees. The White House on Tuesday sent 51 judicial nominations to the Senate, returning names that had gone unacted on last year.