Jonathan Bernstein, Columnist

Why Does Trump Want a Second Term?

The president can’t answer basic questions about his agenda and isn’t trying to appeal to new voters. So what’s his goal?

June 26, 2020 at 11:30 AM UTC

By Jonathan Bernstein

Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering politics. A former professor of political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio, he wrote A Plain Blog About Politics.

Running on empty.
Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/CNP/Bloomberg

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It’s not unusual for Republicans to be less programmatic in their campaign promises than Democrats. Still, President Donald Trump’s answer Thursday night to Sean Hannity’s question about his plans for a second term was perplexing: