WASHINGTON (TNS) — Donald Trump came into office with mandates to fix three big problems Joe Biden had failed to address: Out-of-control illegal immigration, persistent inflation and government spending that undermined American values of faith and freedom.

If he were to get all three firmly in hand, Trump’s popularity would go through the roof. But in each case, he’s taking his eye off the ball and handing Democrats a prime opportunity to crush Republicans in the 2026 elections.

The Trump administration is scooping up dozens of legit bad guys who don’t belong in our country just as Trump said he would. Brutal foreign gangs are on notice that the feds are coming for them. But that’s not what we’re talking about.

Deportations of men whose autism awareness tattoos have been mistaken for signs of gang affiliation are giving us sob stories of peaceful bakers wrongly sent to violent Salvadoran prisons. Apparently all it takes for a Tuft’s graduate student from Turkey to be scooped up by the immigration cops is an anti-Israel op-ed.

I am all for schools being tough with foreign students who commit crimes in protesting against U.S. foreign policy, but targeting people for the same “crime” committed with the publication of The Federalist Papers is un-American.

On the economy, Trump has made some unheralded moves to head off the leftover inflation from the Biden administration, most notably an executive order to unleash U.S. energy development and efforts to claw back a gusher of inflationary deficit spending under the Democrat’s flagrant false branding of the “Inflation Reduction Act.”

But this week was poised to undo all that by slapping inflationary tariffs on foreign autos as his administration prepares reciprocal tariffs on a host of other products. His moves will raise prices three ways.

First, they’ll directly raise the price of foreign products. Second, they’ll tangle up the supply chains of complicated products that involve parts that come from overseas, whether they are hightech chips or low-tech fabric, restricting supply. Third, American companies would be foolish not to take the opportunity of reduced competition to pad their profits with increased prices. We’ll all be hit in the wallet.

To make matters worse, Trump’s tariffs have been an on-again off-again affair fueling uncertainty in the broader economy. Uncertainty about government policy is poison to the investment that grows jobs here in America. Banks and Wall Street firms are raising the prospect of a recession in the next year. Voters backed Trump to be tough on trade and immigration, not sloppy. That’s what we are getting on government spending from his Department of Government Efficiency process, as well. On the poster-product for inflation, eggs, DOGE fired the chicken inspectors key to helping us get past the avian-flu driving price spikes. Before reversing course, DOGE delayed progress on getting flocks back to normal with little evidence of thought.

Trump separated himself from previous Republican leaders by arguing that Social Security and Medicare are sacred contracts with America’s retired workers who shouldn’t face the prospect of disruptive change. That didn’t stop DOGE from slashing the workforce and targeting cuts of up to 50%. I don’t think it matters much to the elderly if you cut off their checks through official budget reductions, as some conservatives have previously proposed, or simply cut off access to the money with ham-handed personnel cuts.

To top off the whirlwind of slipshod policy-making and incompetent execution, Trump can’t keep himself from fueling speculation about his desire for an unconstitutional third term. Here’s a thought, guy, why not pile up some successes before planning a victory lap?

If Trump continues down this path, he’ll hand Democrats just the issues they need to pummel Republicans in elections where primaries will be firing up in only a year. Already polls are showing the public souring on Trump’s handling of the economy.

Donald Trump was elected to do tough jobs the previous administration neglected. He deserves the time and the opportunity to get them done. But, boy, he’s not giving those of us inclined to give him a chance much reason to hope.

(David Mastio is a national opinion columnist for the Kansas City Star and McClatchy.)