America elected a man who believes in nothing but himself

In the aftermath of disaster, it is always easy – and perhaps even psychologically necessary – to suppose matters cannot be as bad as they seem. Surely President Trump can’t be as bad as candidate Trump suggested he would be?

Perhaps not. And yet, really, why can’t he be? If you thought Trump deplorable on Tuesday morning he is not made more attractive simply because he has won an appalling victory.

In any case, the things a candidate says on the election trail remain the surest predictor of what the candidate will do if he wins the election and it does Donald Trump a disservice to suppose he’s any different in that regard. Those people who think he must have been joking (for no serious person could think like that, could they?) should themselves think again. The Presidency is not a game or a joke, far less the arena for a piece of performance art.