Trump may stumble at times, but his shrewdness is not to be minimized: his anti-immigration rhetoric could well be an effective way to get his base—considered to be about 35 percent of the voters—to the polls. Not enough to win but a sizable chunk to keep on his side as he prepares to run for re-election in 2020. As for their effect on 2018, they could also motivate Democrats to get themselves to the polls. Elections are supposed to be our way of peacefully resolving our differences, but one seemingly inescapable outcome this time around is that, thanks to the president’s heavy participation in them, this midterm election will leave an already riven country even more divided than before.
