Donald Trump agrees to reopen the government

By LEXINGTON | WASHINGTON, DC

SOME SAID it was the disruption of some flights to LaGuardia airport early on January 25th that persuaded him. The air-traffic controllers at Donald Trump’s local airport—unpaid after 35 days of the government shutdown—had voted with their feet. Yet the great climb-down the president affected later in the day had in reality been on the cards for some time.

He shut down the government last year in a bid to strong-arm the Democrats to fund his promised southern border-wall. Yet they flat refused, which was also predictable. Most Americans don’t want the wall, especially on the left. And the president had helpfully made it clear that the mounting socio-economic damage caused by the shutdown was on him. Naturally, most Americans—including some of Mr Trump’s loyal supporters—therefore blamed him for it. Mr Trump’s ratings have fallen to their lowest level in a year. The latest poll suggest only 37% approve of his performance—a shockingly low number at a time of near full employment.