If America’s governors, county commissioners, and mayors are pursuing their own more aggressive measures, his calls will fall on deaf ears.
The White House and US Government must get a tighter grip and treat it as a public health crisis, not a campaign platform.
At the very same time that the Government is orchestrating a comprehensive security and defence review, that comment will have caused grave concern.
His campaign team are likely to be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of facing off against Sanders.
The Prime Minister may be able to ignore disgruntled Tories, but the US legislature will play a critical role in any new trade deal.
What role do we want to play? Elsewhere, will we join China’s Belt and Road Initiative, or rebuff it at Washington’s insistence? What will we do about Huawei?
Donald Trump’s approval ratings in the next month may signal whether he is heading for the fate of Bill Clinton or Richard Nixon.
The visit has the potential to be an electoral gift to an increasingly desperate Labour Party. For Downing Street, a successful trip by the President will be one that causes as few political headlines as possible.
“Read the transcript” has become the à la mode at Trump rallies, replacing previous favourites including “Lock her up” and “Build the wall”.
“Sometimes you gotta let them fight, like two kids in a [parking] lot and then you pull them apart,” he said.
Both leaders are firing up their bases and seeking out all-or-nothing confrontations with their political enemies.
Trump is now on his fourth National Security Adviser. By the time the election comes, expect him to be on his fifth or sixth.
The White House attack on “the squad” risks turning out Democratic voters as a natural by-product of seeking to turn out Republicans.
A confused and crowded field will ensure the President has plenty of ammunition to throw at whoever emerges to challenge him in 2020.