Trump’s Cowbell Moment

Voldemort's hit parade 1. Repealing Roe v Wade 2. DOGE 3. ICE's operations in Dem cities.

Many of you don't understand the concept of cowbell. I find that disturbing.

Trump’s Cowbell Moment

His accomplishments on the economy are drowned out by the Minnesota drumbeat.

By Kimberley A. Strassel, WSJ

Jan. 29, 2026 5:23 pm ET

President Donald Trump in Washington, Jan. 28. Jose Luis Magana/Associated Press

In Washington’s Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium Wednesday stood the great and good of the Republican firmament—senators, representatives, governors, cabinet secretaries, the president himself. The occasion: the launch of the new Trump investment accounts for children. The look on participants’ faces: relief.

Relief not to be talking about shootings in Minneapolis. Relief that Donald Trump delivered a whole speech with no mention of immigration (and only one of tariffs). Relief that they were finally—months late, possibly too late—talking about economic accomplishments.

Alarm has gripped Washington’s GOP, as a White House never famed for focus has become obsessed with a few priorities—ones no longer doing Republicans any good. Poll after poll shows Americans are gloomy about the economy and want Washington to focus on growth, prices, affordability, jobs. Day after day, the Trump administration instead rides harder its hobby horses of immigration and tariffs.

The word most frequently heard in private Republican griping is “overkill.” Mr. Trump came to office in 2016 promising GOP voters a tougher stance on immigration and trade deals. He delivered that in term one, from a travel ban and border wall to the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement and targeted tariffs. Along the way he shifted the national debate—both within his party and more broadly. If the goal was a reset, mission accomplished.

That’s one reason his initial work this second term to close the border to Biden chaos was a political home run. America craved a return to Trumpian border security, just as it looked hopefully to a redux of Mr. Trump’s even bigger first-term accomplishment: economic vitality. Yet the lesson White House adviser Stephen Miller seems to have taken from border success is akin to Christopher Walken’s in the famous SNL skit: “I gotta have more cowbell.” Until a tinnitus-deranged America finally rebelled.

Republicans began voicing concerns to the White House last fall, as stories about immigration raids, Alligator Alcatraz, National Guard deployments and daily tariff threats crowded out all else. They were reassured that 2026 would bring new focus, as the start of the reconciliation tax cuts and midterms. The House and Senate crafted a legislative agenda designed to highlight both the administration’s accomplishments and the GOP majority’s additional work on affordability.

January came. As did wall-to-wall coverage of a massive ICE deployment to Minnesota, presidential threats to invoke the Insurrection Act, a fatal shooting in Minneapolis, another fatal shooting, fights over the facts of those shootings, federal prosecutor resignations, Justice Department probes of Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey; Portland violence, Louisiana raids and tariffs or threats against South Korea, Canada, and all of our North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies. Add in one narco-thug snatch, a Greenland grab and the launching of an “armada” against Iran. Thus January ends.

No surprise that nobody noticed when the House passed a bill to reduce the cost of manufactured homes, which account for 11% of new single-family home starts. Or that national average gasoline prices recently hit their lowest level in five years. Tax filing season officially opened Monday, and refunds are on the way thanks to last year’s tax relief—but whatever. And yes, the Trump accounts launch was a pretty big deal—if totally overshadowed by Tom Homan in Minneapolis. Is that enough cowbell?

It is for congressional and conservative Republicans, who have been fiercely lobbying the White House to get its priorities straight. One message to Mr. Trump: Your advisers’ monomaniacal focus on “zero tolerance” immigration policy is now actively doing you, and us, harm. A second: We need all attention focused on our next economic steps. A third: This is handing Democrats too many gift-wrapped wins. The left, still mired in resistance mentality, would have little to offer in response to a daily drumbeat focused on tax cuts, economic growth, Trump accounts, school choice, civil-service reform, emancipated cars and appliances and falling gasoline prices. But they have plenty to work with in Minneapolis shootings, or farmers getting pummeled by tariffs.

This is all part of this week’s White House pivot. The president wisely looks to be widening his counsel beyond the cowbell crowd, leaving Mr. Miller and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to point fingers at each other. Mr. Homan was dispatched to Minnesota to calm tension. The White House is talking with Senate Democrats about actions to ease through final appropriations bills and avoid another shutdown drama. The president flew to Iowa Tuesday to tout economic achievements and devoted much of Wednesday to the Trump accounts launch.

Will it last? That will be the day-to-day question and challenge. Democrats will do all they can to goad Mr. Trump into more confrontation, and an unfavorable Supreme Court decision on tariffs could tempt the White House to lash out. But much of the nation is sick of the cowbell, crying out for some economic harmony. Time to end the clanging.

Write to kim@wsj.com.