With a looming government shutdown, President Donald Trump needs to reassess his approach to congressional Democrats.

He might avert it altogether, depending on whether Mike Johnson in the House of Representatives and GOP stalwarts in the Senate approve a continuing resolution. But he may be better advised to correct some of his earlier decisions.

In the first month of his administration, Trump made an error by depending on DOGE and the mercurial Elon Musk.

Add on project 2025, championed by Russell Vought, whose mechanical approach to politics is tone-deaf to MAGA.

Tax cuts for the rich and cuts to programs benefiting the middle class and workers. He loaded his cabinet with Baronial elites such as Howard Lutnick and Scott Bessent. This was not what Stephen Bannon and the MAGA braintrust had in mind.

With reliable supporters such as Marjorie Taylor Greene, who now desire a course correction, Trump should take advantage by attracting Democrats. He certainly cannot depend on Chip Roy and company, much less the spiritless Johnson.

On Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, Trump could compromise, perhaps receiving concessions from Democrats. It would free him from the budget hawks or the Freedom Caucus.

Unquestionably, bipartisanship is a two-way street, and Democrats will have to make concessions; however, if Richard Nixon could go to China, Trump can certainly summit with Democratic leaders.

If they stand firm, then the President can at least be satisfied that he tried. But it must be in good faith.

Hanging tough can be seen as a sign of resolve, but most of the time it is regarded as stubbornness.

Trump simply cannot afford to depend on the wing of the GOP, which, not so long ago, leaned more toward Ron DeSantis. His 2024 campaign made a concerted effort to appeal to the Democratic vote.

If the current polls are accurate, Trump has squandered that advantage.

Those amusing speeches have been replaced by scowls and threats. Trump now has a program that only the Mar-a-Lago set can appreciate. He needs to shift, and fast.

Signs are clearly indicating that Trump has lost his momentum.

His program is stale, more reminiscent of George W. Bush’s than his MAGA agenda. When Bush tried the 2025 formula, his popularity plummeted in 2005.

Every flexible president has shifted gears. Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935, Dwight Eisenhower in 1954, and Richard Nixon in 1971 made adjustments that boosted their popularity. Each of them did the unexpected.

Trump is stuck in a funk, pushing a highly unpopular agenda.

He should listen to the Bannons, not the cabinet of Barons.