How long will Trump's honeymoon last?
The first days of a presidency are often the best


It's called the "honeymoon": the first days and weeks of a new administration when a freshly elected president is most popular and, perhaps, most powerful. This is President Donald Trump's second honeymoon. The question now is if he can make it last.
Trump "finally is getting" a political honeymoon, Marc Thiessen said at The Washington Post. When he first took office in 2017, his election was treated as a "fluke, or even the product of a conspiracy with Russia." That's no longer the case. Now? More Democrats are "publicly declaring their willingness" to work with the new administration. If that's really the case, Trump "might finally get the presidency he should have had in 2017."
The new president "continues to see some of the most positive ratings of his political career," said CNN. Most Americans — 56% — expect him to do a good job in his second term, compared to just 48% who had such feelings when he took office in 2017. Just 46% of the public has a "favorable" view of Trump, two points behind those with an unfavorable view. Those are his "best numbers" since right after the 2016 election. But history suggests that "this honeymoon period will wear off," said CNN.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
New presidents get 'benefit of the doubt'
The honeymoon "won't last," said Noah Berlatsky at Public Notice. Trump has "never had high approval ratings," and it's unlikely that his policies and accomplishments will help push them higher. The beginning of a term is "when voters and other politicians give the president the benefit of the doubt." But Trump has "no discipline, no knowledge of or interest in good government, and supports wildly unpopular policies" and those elements will combine to end his honeymoon sooner than later.
Trump's early support "could easily evaporate" if he doesn't quickly meet the expectations of supporters, said the University of Sydney's Samuel Garrett at The Conversation. Polls show that voters are still worried about inflation, and just 20% believe the country is headed in the right direction. Half of Americans expect prices to come down. Trump "runs the risk of losing public support" if his early actions "do not produce substantive change."
'More momentum than ever'
"It might be all downhill from here" as Trump and Republicans shift from opposition to the "hard realities" of running government, said Nick Catoggio at The Dispatch. Even if Trump fulfills his promises, some Americans might decide "they liked his plans more in theory than in practice."
But Trump is "not a normal politician," said Newsweek. His first term proved tempestuous and he has promised to "go hard" in his second term. Trump's latest favorability ratings are an improvement for him but "his approval rating is still low" compared to other new presidents, said American University's Allan Lichtman. That might be no obstacle, said University College London's Thomas Gift: Trump has "more momentum than ever."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.
-
How will Trump's spending bill impact student loans?
the explainer Here's what the Republicans' domestic policy bill means for current and former students
-
Can the US economy survive Trump's copper tariffs?
Today's Big Question The price hike 'could upend' the costs of cars, houses and appliances
-
Film reviews: Superman and Sorry, Baby
Feature A hero returns, in surprising earnest, and a woman navigates life after a tragedy
-
US inflation jumps as Trump tariffs 'bite'
Speed Read Consumer prices are climbing and the inflation rate rose to its highest level in four months
-
Melania Trump's intervention on Ukraine
In The Spotlight The first lady has been linked to the president's U-turn on sending arms to Kyiv
-
Big, beautiful bill: Supercharging ICE
Feature With billions in new funding, ICE is set to expand its force of agents and build detention camps capable of holding more than 100,000 people
-
Deportations: Citizens could be next
Feature the Trump is expanding denaturalization efforts, targeting naturalized citizens and birthright citizenship
-
Ukraine: Trump's mixed messages
Feature Trump reverses a Pentagon freeze on Patriot missiles to Ukraine as Russia ramps up air attacks
-
Supreme Court: Ceding more power to Trump?
Feature SCOTUS has given Trump a victory by ending nationwide injunctions, limiting judges' power to block presidential orders
-
The Pam Bondi and Dan Bongino schism threatens Trump's DOJ
In the Spotlight Two MAGA partisans find themselves on either end of a growing scandal over Jeffrey Epstein and his ties to White House officials
-
Secret Service 'failures' on Trump shooting
Speed Read Two new reports detail security breakdowns that led to attempts on the president's life