President Trump's first 296 days of his second term, while precedent-shattering, are producing a lot more one-off, giveth-or-taketh-away deals than actual new U.S. laws.
Why it matters: It's the Santa and Grinch presidency, in which almost every day reveals a new promise to give something of financial value to a nation, group or individual — or take it away. But rarely do these transactions cement new laws.
- This reality reflects Trump's improvisational and dealmaking impulses. But it also means that a lot of what he does will be easily reversible.
