When Donald Trump arrived in Washington five-plus years ago and
delivered his inaugural address, he spoke of “American carnage” and used
dark language (“rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones,”
“disrepair and decay,” etc.) in previewing his first term as president.

But that vision was positively sunny compared to the dark-as-Vantablack
outlook he shared Tuesday at the America First Agenda Summit — the
clearest articulation yet of his likely 2024 message.

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Raghu Manavalan is the Host of POLITICO's Playbook.
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