Trump is obsessing about his Wall. His redneck base loves it. But the majority of Americans are repelled by it because walls are a very un-American idea. That fact and the desire for an affordable national healthcare system providing universal cover no matter what infirmities you have, is the reason that the Republicans lost the House and lost it big(ly). It is also the reason there are now more women and more ethnic minorities represented in the House than ever before. Not only will that make a huge difference to the quality of the debate on Capitol Hill, it will also make it more relevant, because these new congress people are there because they speak for the issues which matter to the mass of ordinary Americans. There is, however, a telling statistic which should terrify all modern day Republicans. Over 90% of their members in the House are white male. In the case of the Democrats white males account for less than 40%.
Apart from his Wall, Trump has a full in-tray. He has to fix a credible deal with North Korea, he must sort out his confused policy in the Middle East, he has to negotiate a workable trade deal with China, he should stop antagonising Europe and what is his administration’s policy on Russia?
Domestically, apart from restarting the government, he has to fix infrastructure renewal without further delay. It is easy to get a short term economic boost from tax cuts and de-regulation, but those things pass through the economic system fast like a dose of prunes. What comes after will determine Trump’s presidential future. If he keeps the economy rolling with rising living standards and record jobs, it could be quite rosy. But if that all falters, he does not have one.