Trump single-handedly built a Republican majority, then destroyed it. By Greg Sheridan in The Australian.

Some Americans liked the weird, vulgar, crass Trump style. Tens of millions of Americans didn’t much like the Trump style but were willing to put up with that in exchange for a presidency that solved the problems.

And Trump has had some significant policy successes in his second term. He closed the US southern border and brought ­illegal immigration under control. That made a significant contribution to another big success, bringing down the crime rate.

Whatever you think of the US military campaign in Iran, it was contrary to every indication Trump had given about no more foreign wars and he made no ­effort at all to prepare the American people for any sacrifice that might be necessary, falsely promising them a short war of four or six weeks.

As a result of the Iran campaign, petrol prices, and especially diesel prices, soared. More than anything, the rise in inflation hurt the Republicans. Inflation tends to count for more in elections than do transgender issues. …

On immigration control, the public supported Trump, but, as with almost everything else, Trump overdid a defensible position and turned it into indefensible excess. Nobody voted to have often innocent people die in mismanaged arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. This contributed to a loss of credibility with Hispanic and independent voters. Hispanics, typically employed on lower than average wages, were also alienated by inflation.

But Trump also became more erratic and, though this hardly seemed possible, even more undisciplined in his speech and behaviour.

The way Trump and his family have enriched themselves out of the presidency has been shameless and off-putting to a lot of working-class folks who initially voted for Trump. Polls disclose that corruption was a big issue for American voters.