1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

In public, Trump stands by every decision that he has made. The Iran War, the mass deportation campaign, the tariffs. All of it is a smashing success. And any outlets or polls that report otherwise are fake news. Recently, he even posted a list of 25 accomplishments ("term three" haha). There’s a lot to unpack in there, from lies about ending “eight raging wars” to gaslighting about “the historic tariffs to bring back American manufacturing.” But I’m left wondering: Why would the self-proclaimed greatest president ever have to convince the public of his success? Why would he have to prove anything? Trump’s denial of obvious failures and fraudulent claims of success aren’t surprising. His long-time mentor and fixer, Roy Cohn, taught him a combative, win-at-all-costs playbook. The core rule? “Attack, attack, attack; admit nothing, deny everything; and claim victory no matter what happens.” Now that playbook seems to be falling apart, at least in private. According to the Washington Post, four people from his inner circle describe a president who has gone quiet and serious when presented with his abysmal polling. He listens. He doesn’t argue. And he’s cautiously admitted to advisers that some of his decisions have created a tough midterm environment for Republican candidates. From any other president, that admission isn’t that shocking. Political calculations happen, whether we like it or not. But this is a man who has never admitted a mistake in his life. If Donald Trump is telling people in private that this is partly his fault, that tells you how bad things really are. He’s losing. And the Republicans are sinking with him.