How the establishment throttled President Trump

President Trump and other populist nationalists are finding out that an electoral victory doesn't mean carrying all before you

Not so fast.
(Image credit: Illustration by Lauren Hansen | Image courtesy iStock)

The election of President Trump was considered impossible by nearly the entire political class. And this surprise inspired people to wonder at the dawn of a new order in Washington. But it seems that overturning the establishment's expectations is not exactly like overturning the establishment. President Trump and other populist nationalists are finding out that victory doesn't mean carrying all before you.

The establishment that Trump defeated in the election is still able to strike back. Part of this is just American federalism coming back to life. It was notable that America's states were able to successfully challenge the executive order travel ban. These checking institutions and powers may have been largely quiet over the last two administrations, as presidents have expanded the use of executive orders, but that wasn't a sign that they were dead.

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Michael Brendan Dougherty

Michael Brendan Dougherty is senior correspondent at TheWeek.com. He is the founder and editor of The Slurve, a newsletter about baseball. His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, ESPN Magazine, Slate and The American Conservative.