Look out: Trump has entered his legacy-seeking phase

President Trump appears to have entered a new phase of his presidency: legacy-building. I don’t mean the quiet sort, where historians argue about your domestic agenda four decades later. I mean the flashy kind, with fancy new ballrooms, expanded maps and preferably a war or two.

This may explain several recent Trumpian enthusiasms: his revival of the idea of acquiring Greenland, his addition of his own name to the now-shuttered Kennedy Center, and the dubious decision to go to war with Iran.

Historically, presidents judged “great” tend to have a few things going for them: They expand the country, they get impressive architecture named after them, or they preside over a war. Think of Washington, Lincoln, and the Roosevelts. Trump, always intensely aware of ratings, rankings and branding, appears to be shopping for the same items for his resume.

Oddly enough, that could be reassuring. A president thinking about legacy is a president who at least suspects his presidency will end. But that doesn’t make this safe.

Legacy-building creates both good and bad incentives. If history tends to elevate wartime leaders, a president might be tempted to reverse-engineer greatness by finding himself a war.

Trump’s abrupt turn toward confrontation with Iran contradicts much of his earlier rhetoric about avoiding “forever wars.” And given with his lack of a coherent justification, it appears that instinct and ego rather than strategy are driving his decisions.

Trump has always been more of a gut guy. But he is definitely prone to symbolism, reputation, and historical stature. And as the reality of lame-duck status sets in, he seems to be........

© The Hill