Trump’s Impact on Los Angeles: Strategies for Democrats to Reclaim Victory

From the Right: Trump Delivered for Los Angeles

Democrats had cautioned that “President Trump would retaliate against California instead of aiding its recovery” from the catastrophic Los Angeles fires. However, as Scott Jennings notes in the Los Angeles Times, Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency led a “record-breaking cleanup.” This LA effort took just 28 days, unlike the 112 days required for the Maui cleanup following the 2023 fire. Contrary to the Democrats’ dire predictions, “the Trump administration is demonstrating remarkable governing competence and shows no intent to punish a heavily Democratic state.” This cleanup was “a major challenge for Trump, and he excelled at it.”

Conservative: How Dems Can Win Again

The “future of the Democrats is uncertain,” caught between progressives and moderates. However, “it’s crucial for Democrats to get their act together, as the MAGA movement may prove more temporary than many think,” argues Joel Kotkin of Spiked. The main challenge lies in the fact that “Many Democrats still mistakenly believe their often exaggerated opposition to Trump — and the populist policies that drove his election — paves the way for a political revival.” He warns that “extreme progressive policies and disruptive protest tactics will not create an appealing alternative to Trumpism.” On a positive note, “some segments of the Democratic coalition seem to be steering away from progressive rhetoric” on topics such as crime and identity. “As the GOP faces increasing vulnerability, Democratic messaging must shift from race and climate issues to focus on inflation, crime, subpar education, and rolling back ‘draconian green policies.’”

Libertarian: Hey, DOGE — Cut Corporate Welfare

While “DOGE is beginning to make a solid impression,” JD Tuccille remarks in Reason, “there’s still a lot of wasteful and harmful spending that could benefit from significant cuts.” This includes corporate welfare, characterized by numerous grants, subsidies, and tax incentives amounting to “$181 billion annually.” “A healthy, functioning economy thrives when businesses compete to offer customers what they want at competitive prices.” Currently, however, “the government redirects funds to favored companies, rewarding allies and shaping the economy to benefit those in power.” While Biden awarded billions to Intel and renewable energy firms, we will see which corporations receive similar benefits under Trump-Musk leadership. Ultimately, “legitimate businesses don’t rely on taxpayer funds to succeed — such subsidies only distort markets, foster corruption, and politicize the economy.”

From the Left: Carl & Dolly’s Private Love

“In this era of the Power Couple, there’s something profoundly touching” about Carl Dean, the husband of Dolly Parton, “choosing a life of obscurity” until his passing this week, reflects Batya Ungar-Sargon from The Free Press. “In our society, we’re led to believe we should seek partners who align with our values and share our ambitions for fame, fortune, and influence.” Yet Dean “continued to manage his asphalt-paving business while his wife became a global icon in country music . . . so private that many speculated Parton had invented him.” Ultimately, “Parton and Dean had a deeply shared yet private relationship that flourished over 60 years.” “We should all aspire to find someone whose interests and accomplishments don’t commodify our own, as Carl Dean did.”

Legal Beat: KO’ing the Administrative State

Ilya Shapiro from City Journal predicts that the Supreme Court will ultimately endorse “the president’s authority to dismiss key officers from so-called independent agencies, a structure that contradicts constitutional principles.” For the past 15 years, the court has “consistently rejected attempts by Congress to limit the president’s personnel authority,” leaning increasingly towards Justice Antonin Scalia’s perspective from a 1988 dissent “that the president’s removal power is crucial for curbing government abuses and ensuring political accountability.” Simply put, since “the Constitution grants the president sole executive authority, it follows that the president alone governs all executive agencies” — including the ability to terminate employees.

— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board