MSNBC’s Steve Benen Warns of Chaos and Buyer’s Remorse in Trump’s First Month

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Amanda Austin
February 22, 2025
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(MSNBC)

MSNBC analyst Steve Benen compared tracking the first month of President Donald Trump’s administration to running a marathon at a sprinter’s pace, describing the experience as both exhausting and overwhelming. Benen argued that Americans must brace themselves for the long haul while simultaneously navigating “the immediate effects of a White House pursuing radical, fast, and potentially dangerous changes.”

In just one month, he noted, Americans have been subjected to “the scandalous pardons, the hostility toward the rule of law, the corruption, the power grabs, the incompetence, the damaging policies and personnel, the international incidents, the revenge tour, the callousness, the billionaires, the rapid dismantling of the federal government, the pettiness, the trivialities, the finger-pointing, and the overt references to an authoritarian vision for the nation’s future.”

However, Benen pointed out that the long-term consequences of Trump’s agenda remain uncertain. “The public does not yet know how much of the White House’s agenda, if any, will pass legal muster in the courts, or what the practical effects of the administration’s goals will be,” he wrote.

This uncertainty, he suggested, might mean that the tumultuous events of the past month could ultimately lead nowhere, as legal setbacks force the administration to move on to its next initiative. Benen proposed that finding solace in a little schadenfreude might ease public distress.

“Americans wondering whether they’re the only ones recoiling in fear and disgust from the events of the last month, desperate to know whether there are voters feeling buyer’s remorse, can take some solace in the latest evidence,” he said.

He cited The Wall Street Journal, which reported that some Trump voters deeply regretted their decision, calling it the “biggest mistake” of their lives. He also referenced multiple polls indicating Trump’s abysmally low approval ratings just one month into his term.

“But there’s also something to be said for the public consciousness,” Benen wrote. “Many have likely watched the last month and felt a combination of dread and horror. For them, I have news one month into the new Trump era: This president, more than any of his modern predecessors, has more national opponents than supporters, and given the recent trajectories, his support isn’t likely to recover any time soon.”

As Trump’s term unfolds, the administration’s controversial policies and legal battles continue to fuel uncertainty, with public opposition seemingly growing stronger.