Donald Trump got what he wanted out of Congress; it’s possible, in the coming years, that he is going to deeply reject it.

This isn’t because Trump has any particular laments about the devastating policy in the reconciliation package, which will gut social safety-net programs and cut taxes, particularly on the rich. He won’t lament ballooning the deficit, either. He doesn’t think too hard about any of that.

Rather, the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill is bound to be a tremendous albatross for the Republicans charged with shepherding his agenda through Congress. It may, too, prove especially damaging for his plausible successor, J.D. Vance, who is still somewhat likely to be the 2028 Republican nominee, despite Trump’s flirtations with seeking an unconstitutional third term.

That’s because, in the end, Trump and congressional Republicans didn’t pursue any great policy commitments consistent with the populist, MAGA-infused realignment that delivered him a commanding victory in the 2024 election. They didn’t, like far-right populists across the world, marry social conservatism and immigration crackdowns with a charge to safeguard the welfare........

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