The path of U.S. politics over the past 10 years is scarcely believable — and keeps getting weirder. A miraculously successful amateur politician, now half a year into his second term in the White House, isn’t content to take his wins and count his achievements. Instead, he seems eager to bring the ceiling down on his own head. Meantime, his career-politician opponents aren’t just failing to hold him to account, they are doing what they can to shield him from falling debris.

Forgive the median voter for being disgusted, bewildered or both. If systemic political failure is possible, this must surely be what it looks like.

Consider a recent poll in the Wall Street Journal. On issue after issue they care most about, voters say they trust Republicans more than Democrats — yet, at the same time, they disapprove of the way the administration is managing them. Voters prefer Republicans to Democrats on the economy, inflation, immigration, tariffs, foreign policy and Ukraine. Yet on each of those topics, there’s net disapproval of the president’s initiatives. In particular, "51% say the change he is bringing is a form of chaos and dysfunction that will hurt the country. By contrast, 45% agree with the alternative statement that he is making needed and helpful changes.”