trump caved at the worst possible moment - when the backlash was at the highest point.

i mentioned that the backlash was obvious, but i maintain the view that it isn't sustainable. what i was getting across is that you should have expected the backlash to hit a peak and then fall quickly, at which point the democrats would be facing serious resistance. trump might not gain from it directly, but the democrats completely collapse when faced with apathy - and because trying to equate a border wall with white supremacism is stupid on a good day, it had no potential in the form of a popular struggle. primaries are starting, soon. democrats are going to want to talk about things that actually matter to them, like universal health care. support for immigration reform in a broader sense is a niche issue in a small geographic area that alienates potential democratic voters more than it revs them up.

but, now, he just looks like an idiot for wasting everybody's time, which is a kind of feedback cycle that the democrats can take advantage of in mocking him for the rest of the cycle.

i thought this guy was supposed to be an expert at negotiation?