The Pinball President
In 1946, the year that Donald Trump was born, the pinball machine offered everything but control.
The bumpers were propulsive, the lights flashed, but the player’s only honest move was to pull a spring-loaded plunger.
After that, the ball belonged to the machine, zinging and zooming wherever the bumpers sent it.
This is how many Americans experience the Trump presidency today: antic caroming that they can do little more than watch.
The ballroom.
The Iran war.
The threats against Canada.
Greenland.
Portraits of himself as Christ, a decorated general, or the pope.
The arch.
The Kennedy Center.
Prosecution of enemies.
Pardons.
Imaginary Reflecting Pool vandals.
5News aggregated this summary from the outlet’s public feed. The full article, with all the context, is on www.theatlantic.com — the content belongs to The Atlantic.
