Trump has discovered the awesome powers of the presidency. Be afraid.

The president's aggressive military strike in Syria endangers his presidency — and all of us

The dark perks of power.
(Image credit: REUTERS/Joshua Roberts)

Donald Trump has done something presidential. And what a shame it came so soon. The president has no idea what he is getting himself, or his country, into.

In punishing Bashar al-Assad for the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria, Trump has found what his presidency has lacked from the start: the praise that he craves from the Washington establishment, its think tankers, and prestige journalists. He's also found the excitement of asking for something to be done and seeing it done immediately.

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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.