Donald Trump went back to where it all started.
After months waging an inconclusive conflict with Iran and pursuing his Washington makeover and revenge tour, Trump returned to the campaign trail Tuesday to reclaim the persona of a political prize fighter who transformed the GOP.
He chose Pennsylvania, a state dear to his heart that twice helped him win the White House and where he escaped an assassination attempt, to try to pivot away from the punishing costs of the war to a midterm election pitch.
“We’re the hottest country in the world,” the president declared.
Yet Trump’s histrionics revealed the downside of his political method. The rhetoric that stirs his base often alienates many other voters and can’t sustain his political capital as he tries to govern. And his inability to view his presidency and economic performance as anything less than stellar jars with a sour national mood and leaves Republican candidates exposed.
