There is no place like the White House
In The Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West terrorized the Land of Oz, ruled through fear, and was fond of using flying monkeys to terrorize people. Fast-forward to Washington, D.C., and one might wonder whether the yellow brick road now leads straight to the West Wing. The flying monkeys have traded their wings for tailored suits, the crystal ball has been replaced by social media, and the daily political drama makes Oz look like a peaceful retirement community.
But behind the spectacle lies a much more serious question: What happens when presidential power, ethical controversies, and economic uncertainty collide? Drawing inspiration from The Wizard of Oz, the Political Great Whine is pulling back the curtain to reveal what the Trump administration has actually done—and what the American people think about it.
Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain
Remember the great and powerful Wizard of Oz? All that smoke, thunder, and booming authority—until Dorothy discovered, thanks to Toto the dog, the little man operating the machinery behind the curtain. Well, Washington has certainly had its share of smoke and mirrors.
Since returning to the White House in January 2025, President Trump has issued 292 executive orders, according to records available through October 30, 2026. That’s already more than the 220 he signed during his entire first term. Among the most disputed are orders attempting to restrict birthright citizenship, reduce the federal workforce, and redefine federal recognition of sex and gender. The administration argues these actions strengthen immigration enforcement, improve government efficiency, and protect established legal distinctions. Critics question their constitutionality, consequences for public services, and effects on civil rights. Courts have intervened in several major disputes, including the administration’s birthright-citizenship initiative. In August 2026, Trump issued a new citizenship order superseding his original 2025 directive. The question isn’t simply how many orders a president signs. It’s how far presidential authority extends—and who gets to pull back the curtain.
Sources: Executive order totals — Ballotpedia; Birthright citizenship — U.S. Department of State; Federal workforce order — GovInfo; Federal sex and gender policy — GovInfo.
Tariffs, War, and the Powers Behind the Curtain
And then there are the tariffs and the war in Iran. In April 2025, Trump imposed sweeping tariffs through executive action, claiming emergency economic authority. But in February 2026, the Supreme Court ruled that the law he relied upon did not authorize those tariffs. Meanwhile, the administration launched military operations against Iran without a congressional declaration of war or specific authorization for the conflict. Supporters defended these actions as necessary exercises of presidential authority; critics challenged their legality and consequences. Both controversies raise a fundamental question: Where does presidential power end and congressional authority begin?
What Americans Think: We’re Not in Kansas Anymore
President Trump frequently describes America’s economy in glowing terms. But the numbers tell a more concerning story. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate stood at 4.2% in September 2026, with just 29,000 jobs added that month. Meanwhile, the national average price of regular gasoline reached $4.18 per gallon on October 31, compared with approximately $3.04 a year earlier. And the economic struggle extends beyond the gas pump: approximately 36.1 million Americans received SNAP food assistance in July 2026, while the latest federal count identified 745,652 people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2025. The narrative about economic growth may be positive, but these figures reveal pressures that statistics alone cannot capture.
Americans are also expressing concern about the administration’s exercise of power. A January Reuters/Ipsos survey found that 52% considered the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Good an excessive use of force, compared with 25% who considered it necessary. By October, Pew Research Center found that 56% viewed ICE unfavorably. On the war in Iran, another Pew survey found that 65% disapproved of Trump’s handling of the conflict, while 73% expressed serious concern about higher gas and fuel prices. These findings do not mean every American agrees about immigration or foreign policy, but they demonstrate substantial public unease.
And what do Americans think of the president himself? A Reuters/Ipsos poll completed October 26 placed Trump’s overall job approval at just 32%, with 73% saying the cost of living was moving in the wrong direction. The administration points to economic growth and its efforts to strengthen border security and national security. Yet the public’s assessment is considerably less enthusiastic. Perhaps the most enduring lesson from The Wizard of Oz is that the spectacle of power and the reality behind it are not always the same. Sometimes, the most revealing thing we can do is pull back the curtain and examine the evidence.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics · AAA Gas Prices · USDA SNAP Data · HUD Homelessness Report · Reuters/Ipsos on ICE · Pew on ICE · Pew on Iran · Reuters/Ipsos October Poll
