I wrote about why the Trump Presidency wasn't worth it for conservative legal activists. https://www.libertarianism.org/articles/myth-trump-judicial-success

If you're a conservative than the extraordinary bounty of federal judgeships over the last four years might be cause for celebration. President Trump appointed, and the Senate confirmed, over 230 judges during his single term in office.

Trump's action on judges is the most clear-cut victory of his presidency. Only his regulatory actions and criminal justice portfolio come close.

I care about all those issues and I still think the last four years was a terrible deal.

This point - that we were building up the conservative legal movement at the same time we were undermining its values - goes straight to the heart of what I want other conservatives who care about the rule of law to consider.

Most of all, I believe we've lost persuasive authority. Politics is about building your coalition and convincing people that your side is right. The Trump Presidency wasn't really about that at all.