OPINION:
For Tuesday’s column, I wrote about the top 10 achievements of the Trump administration thus far. The good news is that as I sit down to write the top 10 missteps, most of them are superficial – having to do more with style than substance.
Still, there have been some significant policy stumbles that could come back to haunt the president next year, and these may require a course correction within the administration.
1. Too much branding. Not everything under the executive office needs to be named after the executive – especially when he’s still the president and very much alive. Last week, the Kennedy Center decided to add President Trump’s name to the performing arts center. Then there’s the rebrand of the U.S. Institute of Peace to the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace. Next year, there will be “Trump accounts” of $1,000 from the Treasury Department to deposit for children born between 2025 and 2028. Add to the list the Trump Gold Card to fast-track immigration processing and TrumpRx, an online exchange for Americans to buy prescription drugs at cheaper prices to round out the list thus far.
2. The Epstein files. There is no doubt Attorney General Pam Bondi “whiffed,” releasing the Epstein files early on in the administration. There was no need to make the Epstein files a central focus, let alone invite a group of “influencers” into the White House to give them documents already previously disclosed. No, Ms. Bondi didn’t have the Epstein files on her desk ready to go and never should’ve admitted as much. The files are still serving as a distraction, one created mainly by the White House itself.
3. Pentagon press restrictions. This fall, all but one media outlet lost access to the Pentagon after refusing to sign an unprecedented pledge required by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth not to obtain or use any unauthorized material, even if unclassified, in their reporting. The suggestion of criminality for merely doing one’s job pushed nearly all news outlets, including The Washington Times, to turn in their press badges. So far, the biggest leaker at the Defense Department is Mr. Hegseth himself, who disclosed military operations in a Signal chat earlier this year.
4. Televised Cabinet meetings: We get it: The Trump administration is one of the most transparent ever. But when is enough enough? Averaging about three hours in length, the televised Cabinet meetings serve as pure propaganda. Going around the table, every secretary praises the president, lists their own achievements, and then thanks Mr. Trump for appointing them to their role. Rarely is any news delivered.
5. Crypto conflicts: Mr. Trump’s involvement with cryptocurrency has sparked conflict-of-interest concerns, given his family’s business ventures. One of Mr. Trump’s most significant sources of income last year was cryptocurrency, reporting $57 million in token sales from World Liberty Financial, a crypto company of which he is a partial owner, and $1.1 million in licensing fees and royalties from his NFT. Reported income doesn’t include the launch of his $TRUMP memecoin or his sons’ bitcoin mining company, American Bitcoin. Moreover, Mr. Trump’s recent pardon of Changpeng Zhao, the billionaire founder of cryptocurrency exchange Binance, has raised some eyebrows.
6. DOGE: Mr. Trump’s efforts to pare down wasteful government spending by placing Elon Musk at the top of the Department of Government Efficiency were met with much conservative fanfare at the beginning of his administration. We were promised trillions in savings and massive cuts to the federal government. Sadly, only $214 billion has been saved thus far. Republicans in Congress never jumped on board to codify the cuts, Mr. Musk flamed out, returning to the private sector, and the only remembrance of the effort now is “Big Balls,” the poor DOGE staffer who was assaulted on the streets of Washington.
7. Unhinged Truth posts. I try not to pay too much attention to the president’s Truth Social account, as most of his ramblings are just noise that distracts from his greater agenda. Still, last week, when Mr. Trump decided to comment on Hollywood director Rob Reiner’s gruesome murder — allegedly at the hands of his own son — was too much. There are some comments below the dignity of the office, and Mr. Trump’s unnecessary rant was one of them.
8. Focus on executive orders: This year, Mr. Trump signed 225 executive orders focusing on everything from declaring only two sexes (male and female) to reclassifying medical marijuana. While I agree with the bulk of these orders, none of them will matter in three years when the next president takes office and can repeal them. Congress must act in the New Year to codify Mr. Trump’s policy items. If they don’t, the courts or the next Democrat in office will.
9. Russia-Ukraine war: Mr. Trump has put an outsized focus on settling Russia’s war of aggression with Ukraine, but has produced few results thus far. Mr. Trump’s much-hyped Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin proved to be a waste of time. Mr. Trump’s Oval Office blow-up with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wasn’t persuasive enough to convince Mr. Zelenskyy of any compromise. Negotiations continue, but very little progress has been made. It may be time for Mr. Trump to walk away — and start focusing on his domestic priorities.
10. Love affair with legacy media: Yes, Mr. Trump has opened up the White House press shop to new media, which is a good thing. However, his administration’s affinity for legacy media, which hates the White House and Mr. Trump himself, continues to be a distraction. Granting 11 on-the-record interviews to Vanity Fair? Continuing to have administration officials sit down with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos? Granting CBS’ “60 Minutes” any exclusive interviews? All mistakes. Perhaps the White House should consider a sit-down with The Washington Times instead.
• Kelly Sadler is the commentary editor at The Washington Times.
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