George H.W. Bush accepted the 1988 Republican nomination for president, reassuring his party that he wouldn’t cave to Democratic pressure to raise taxes. In perhaps his most effective rhetoric ever, he described the left returning again and again to press him to take more money from people’s wallets. He said his final response would be, “Read my lips — no new taxes.” This solidified his base and helped win him election. But when he betrayed his promise in 1990, the base evaporated and Bush was defeated at the hands of Bill Clinton in 1992.
President Trump’s promise to “build the wall” may now be similarly significant. His repeated undertaking to fortify the southern border helped him more than any other to win the presidency in 2016. But like “read my lips,” it could destroy him if he caves to Democrats’ pressure to go back on his word.
