Trump Brings the Receipts...

AP Photo/Ben Curtis

Donald Trump has never been able to keep his mouth shut, and in the past, that has been a liability. 

So far, in his second term, his ability to speak for hours has been a huge asset. Nature abhors a vacuum, and Donald Trump's willingness to explain in exhaustive detail what he and his team are doing has drowned out all the criticisms and attacks being aimed at him and his. 

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Trump's remarkable success this term compared to his last isn't accidental or simply due to a vibe shift. It's not just that Americans are much more willing to give Trump the benefit of the doubt and less willing to take the word of the media and Democrats. 

Yes, it's true that the burden of proof has shifted from Trump to his critics. The deep skepticism that voters have acquired over the past four years about accusations against Trump helps him quite a bit. 

But the reason why Trump is steamrolling his critics right now is simpler: he keeps bringing the receipts. DOGE is the lightning rod for the Democrats' ire, and DOGE is Trump's superpower. 

As important as the savings that come from streamlining government will turn out to be, DOGE's political import is that it has forced the establishment to defend the indefensible. Democrats and media figures can't applaud DOGE rooting out government waste because the government waste that is being rooted out is the Democrats' lifeline. They HAVE to fight for the worst forms of fraud and waste. 

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It's a horrible dilemma for them and proof that Trump's team is implementing the most diabolically genius political plan in my lifetime. Those of us who assumed that George Soros' billions were funding most of the worst political movements and politicians didn't fully appreciate that his was only the seed money--USAID, the Department of Education, all those DEI grants throughout the government, and all that government "waste" is the major source of funding for the transnational elite. 

The DEI and USAID stuff, in particular, is impossible to defend outside leftist circles, but the Democrats can't let it go. Everything sounds so stupid and corrupt, and all Trump has to do is bring the receipts and watch the Democrats cringe. 

DOGE is an existential threat to the Democrats, and they know it. That is why Elon Musk is their #1 target--even more than Trump. The only other thing on the horizon that comes close is the war in Ukraine, and you have to wonder where all that money is going. 

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As long as Trump can keep his opponents focused on defending bureaucrats and wasteful spending, he will be in the drivers' seat. 

For much of his first term, Trump was playing defense, and he did it well enough. 

This time, though, Trump is on offense, and he does offense even better. 

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Ed Morrissey 6:40 PM | February 20, 2025
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