Let Trump cook
As the rest of the world tries to figure out how to respond to the U.S. President, he's doing an incredible job of undermining himself
Donald Trump announced his intention to reopen Alcatraz on Sunday night, with one of his social-media posts that immediately garnered what has become a typical response: Is he serious?
The reasons for the skepticism are obvious to anyone who knows even the basics about the notorious island prison off the coast of San Francisco: it was closed more than 60 years ago because authorities came to realize that it was far more trouble than it was worth. The place was falling apart, and it was a giant pain to maintain and even operate because, yes, it is on an island. Ask anyone who has a cottage that is boat-access only, and they will shake their head ruefully and admit that it has some serious logistical challenges. Aside from being on an island, Alcatraz was eroding faster than normal because of the salty sea air, and it lacked any plumbing, meaning waste had to be dumped directly into San Francisco Bay.
Alcatraz is also a popular tourist attraction that draws more than one million visitors annually. Kind of seems like something that shouldn’t be shuttered on a whim?
The U.S. government, meanwhile, already has prison facilities for violent offenders, its “Supermax” facilities that it has built at great cost and fanfare, typically in remote areas of the country to keep the costs down. So, not across the water from one of the most expensive cities in America.
You see the complications here: An extremely costly and probably unworkable idea that would solve no real problem.
And so, Trump was asked about it, and, honestly, the response is worth watching in full:
I particularly enjoy how NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, and Muriel Bowser, the mayor of DC, who were there for an announcement about the NFL Draft coming to that city in 2027, stand there awkwardly as Trump meanders through his non-answer that makes painfully clear that this idea of his has only been considered at the most superficial level: Scary prison good.
A familiar pattern has now emerged. Trump makes an announcement, and everyone tries to figure out what it all means. Sometimes you get the straight-news takes, such as Trump’s call to reopen Alcatraz as a prison could be stymied by roadblocks, but more and more there is this kind of a response in the coverage: Cognitive decline? Trump spews a word salad to explain Alcatraz idea.
The fact that Trump never seems to be able to explain himself seems to be taking a toll. His approval ratings are down sharply, and as this post explains in some detail, his handling of the issues of the day, especially related to the economy, are seriously underwater. Perhaps this is not surprising when he has, for example, taken to explaining his tariff policy by insisting that children should have fewer toys. MAKE SCARCITY GREAT AGAIN.
There is a lesson here, I think, for Mark Carney or any world leader who is trying to figure out how to deal with Trump’s whirlwind of ever-changing policy announcements: Maybe just wait the guy out. He’s doing more to weaken his position, on almost a daily basis, than anything Canada could do in response.
Speaking of bad Trump ideas…
My latest column for the Toronto Star considers another of his policy ideas that seemed to have popped out of his head without much in the way of forethought: film tariffs.
You can read the whole thing here.
Is this finally Canada’s year?
An NHL team based in Canada has not won the Stanley Cup since 1993. You are tired of hearing about it. I am tired of writing about it. But Canada has three teams in the final eight this season. It’s possible, though unlikely, that Canada could have three of the final four teams. In my latest for theScore, I wrote about whether this might finally be the season in which the streak is broken.
Hollywood FC actually did it
I wrote about the somewhat unbelievable continued rise of Wrexham AFC for this newsletter a month ago, and honestly it seemed for a minute there like I had jinxed them. They immediately dropped points and were overtaken in the standings by Wycombe. But then they rallied, and managed to pull off the promotion feat yet again. My story on the whole crazy tale of Deadpool, Mac, and a hardscrabble Welsh town was published in the National Post on Saturday. You can read it here.