2018: The Enemies List & Our Own Putin

Trump has an extraordinarily long list of enemies. We know this for a FACT. He is neither shy nor subtle in regularly telling us about it and them. Moreover, we know for a FACT he is an insecure, crude, rude, habitually angry, mean-spirited bully. A person who cannot let go of any grudge or slight until he feels he has destroyed his enemy. So, he is also neither shy nor subtle in telling us how he wants his enemies punished.

This is important because, historically, the first year of any presidency is as good as it ever gets. Indeed, everything becomes significantly harder to accomplish, especially domestically. The irony is that this first year provides sufficient on the job training that he has now familiarized himself with the powers at his disposal.

Given how little and dubious his accomplishment were in the past year, his record high disapproval ratings, ongoing personal and governmental court challenges, mid-term elections that invariably favor the opposing party, an energized opposing party, the high probability of a change in at least one house in Congress, probable corruption scandal(s) and the Mueller investigation all suggest the only unknown at this point is what event will constitute a tipping point for him.

In other words, when does Trump become unhinged and unchained?

Given the bland aftermath of past impeachment efforts, his interest pardons, and his age and wealth, he should feel no reluctance in crushing those on his enemies list. To become Putin-lite.

So the question that looms over 2018 becomes:

When and how he will abuse the powers of the office and go after his enemies regardless of the consequences?