She's not sure his programs will work. And he might be connecting with people's base emotions. But, subject to those caveats, Doris Kearns-Goodwin was willing to admit that President Trump has "made a connection" with Americans.
Appearing on the Tuesday edition of CNN's New Day and after host John Berman acknowledged Trump's connection with his base, the historian and former LBJ staffer replied:
"He's made them feel that he's on their side, which is an important thing that a politician can do. I’m fighting for you. Now whether the programs that he's enacted really are going to help them or not is another question, but they feel so still. There’s something that, I think he’s connecting to their anger, he's connecting to go their anxiety, he’s connecting to their feeling that they’re different from the elites.
"He's somehow--there’s no question, you have to give him that, he's made a connection. But whether it’s really understanding them and wanting to make their lives better or whether it’s just that we’re standing together against these reporters, against these elites, all these other people that we don’t like."
As to whether Trump's programs have worked, Kearns Goodwin just needs to look at the unemployment numbers and other indicators demonstrating that the economy is humming along after years of stagnation under Obama.
