Like other opponents of the Left, I am annoyed by the obstructionist tactics engaged in by Senate Democrats and the often hysterical reaction of the media to just about anything done by President Trump. I’m also appalled by the way Democratic and Obamaite operatives in the intelligence service and in other federal agencies leak sensitive information to their buds at the Washington Post and New York Times. And I’m sick of how the anti-Trump protest demonstrators scream and vandalize; and I’ve no doubt that both former President Obama and George Soros have played significant roles in recruiting and funding the demonstrators. Finally, I’d hardly be surprised if Obama and his friends were not directly involved in wiretapping Trump Tower in the month before election. The Obama administration played dirty games of this kind even on its media critics, and it did manage to obtain (on its second try) judicial permission to tap phones in Trump Tower during October of last year.

Having indicated my orientation, it would be impossible to ascribe this analysis to my sympathy for Trump’s enemies, whom everyone who knows me knows I abhor. But these unlovable people may be following an effective strategy for discrediting someone they hate. They hit him over the head almost hourly with crises and scandals, most of which are made up or vastly exaggerated. These damaging or distracting revelations emanate from the media and are then repeated by Democratic politicians, the entertainment industry, and academics. For example, it makes no difference that not a scintilla of evidence has been uncovered that shows Trump and his staff “colluding” with the Russian government in order to steal the presidential election from the supposed frontrunner Hillary Clinton. But the charge continues to be made; and it has already led to the forced resignation of General Michael Flynn, who met with the Russian ambassador in December but who, from the evidence, did absolutely nothing illegal.

Right now Trump’s enemies are going after Attorney General Jeff Sessions for both “colluding” with the Russians and committing perjury. It seems that Sessions in responding to a convoluted question by very liberal Democratic Senator Al Franken about his possible Russian involvement said more than he should have. He not only underlined that he had not colluded with the Russians as a “Trump surrogate.” He also denied having any dealings with Russian leaders. But it seems that Sessions did have some dealings, in his capacity as a Senator, but in a situation that had nothing to do with Trump’s campaign. Clearly Sessions misspoke in trying to deal with Franken’s utterly incoherent, accusatory question, but there is absolutely nothing to suggest that he was hiding information about his dealings with the Russians, aimed at causing the defeat of Hillary Clinton.

Since this anti-Trump behavior is so relentlessly vicious, Republicans and Trump-sympathizers tell us that the other side is shooting itself in the foot. Supposedly there is no way the Democrats and the Left can regain power if they continue to conduct themselves like “spoiled children.” But there is no reason to think the Left is shooting itself in the foot. In fact it may be doing itself a favor by behaving like “spoiled children,” given our political and cultural divisions.

The Left is appealing unmistakably to its base, which comprises culturally radical whites, racial minorities, government workers, and college students. These target groups are hardly disturbed by the antics they see. According to a recent Rasmussen poll cited in Breitbart, as much as 30% of those polled believe that universities should keep conservative speakers from addressing them. 41% approve of the direction in which Trump is moving the country, while 48% disapprove. Even a thoroughly honest, dispassionate jurist such as Neil Gorsuch, whom Trump nominated to the Supreme Court, has 50% disapproval and only 41% approval ratings. Although Breitbart rejoices that Trump has turned some corner in winning general acceptance, this happy talk may be questioned.  We may assume that leftist sympathizers inhabit the U.S. roughly in about the same number as those who identify as Trump loyalists. Let’s not forget that in the recent presidential election, Hillary Clinton won about two million more votes than Trump, even while losing the Electoral College and about 90% of the counties in the U.S. Chuck Schumer, Rachel Maddow, and Bill Maher may be speaking for tens of millions of American voters when they blast Trump with reckless abandon. Behind them also stand the mainstream media in Western Europe and the Anglosphere, who push roughly the same leftist views as our media.

Our side is battling to come from behind; and that situation has not changed decisively because of the election in November. What the Left is now demonstrating is that it can use its assets to inflict continuing hurt on the electoral victors, indeed so much hurt that the winners won’t be able to take advantage of their victory. They can also wreak so much havoc that the “undecideds” and even former Trump supporters may turn to the Left to restore order. Such a reaction does not only occur in far-off countries without constitutional traditions. It can also happen here.

But President Trump does have a way to combat the Left’s tactics. He should be cautious about what he tweets (lest he strengthen the impression that he’s reckless about his words.) Tweeting may be a means for a populist leader to reach the “people” without having to go through enemy territory, but it only works well if the communicator is disciplined in making his thoughts known. He must also go after treacherous bureaucrats who are compromising his administration by leaking confidential information to the Trump-averse media. And he must not only remove these enemies from their posts but also bring criminal charges against them where possible. Finally, he must “drain the swamps” by purging as much of an overwhelmingly hostile bureaucracy as he can and then replacing them with friendlier civil servants.  Without these measures there is no way he can run a government that the “deep state” is working to undermine. Unless he can gain control of what is supposed to be his administration, other problems will continue to mount.