Still reeling from the breakneck pace and audacity of President Donald Trump’s first two weeks in office, the New Republic‘s Michael Tomasky made an intriguing comparison. “Trump 1.0,” he observed, “was a Jackson Pollock—splat splat all over the place. Trump 2.0 is painting within very precise lines. It’s terrifying.”

Tomasky was right. In his first term, Trump was undisciplined, impulsive, reactive rather than strategic, and politically naive. He underestimated the complexities of Washington and, at least initially, failed to recognize the dangers surrounding him. Eight years later, Trump’s eyes are wide open. He knows whom to trust and avoid. He is surrounded by a fiercely loyal team of Cabinet members, advisers, and staffers. His actions are deliberate. He is firmly in control.