Trump enters the swamp

Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States Friday at noon in much the same way he was elected.

Entertainers will largely boycott the inaugural festivities. So will dozens of Democratic members of Congress. Protesters will rage. The media coverage will be more critical than when his predecessor Barack Obama first took the oath of office, and will be more sympathetic to the demonstrators. Much of official Washington has yet to get over its shock.

All this was true during the campaign too, and none of it stopped Trump from reaching this point. "We are all ready to get to work," said Mike Pence, set to become the 48th vice president of the United States, at a press conference Thursday. "In fact, we can't wait to get to work for the American people to make it great again."

None of this was supposed to happen, according to political prognosticators from across the ideological spectrum. President Obama's approval ratings rebounded last year. Democrats were confident. Establishment-backed Republican Senate incumbents pitched a shutout against Tea Party primary challengers in 2017.