When is it okay for Democrats to work with Trump? How about never.

"When is it OK for Democrats to work with Trump? A handy guide" is the headline at Politico Magazine, but it turns out not to be such a handy guide. “Never” is probably not an answer Politico was interested in—too short, not wishy-washy enough—but author Bill Scher gets a little confused trying to come up with a Politico-friendly answer to this important question. 

Scher’s best answer is buried deep in the piece: “The only time it will ever be OK for Democrats to work with Trump is if Trump comes begging for votes and Democrats can dictate the terms.” But even that misses it. Sure, if congressional Republicans allow a vote on a bill that represents capitulation to a Democratic agenda, Democrats can think about voting for it, after carefully inspecting it from every angle to find any hidden traps. But work with Trump? Join with him to craft policy? 

Since January, Donald Trump has twice signed executive orders attempting to put into practice his campaign promise of a Muslim ban. He has released a budget that would slash education, environmental protection, medical research, and more while further bloating the defense budget. He has weakened consumer protections. He is moving to reverse an important clean water rule. He signed a bill effectively saying that federal contracts can go to labor law violators. He worked hard to pass a disastrous, unpopular healthcare bill. And as that bill’s failure shows, even if Democrats worked with Trump (which they should not) and came up with something they liked, it would still have to get past congressional Republicans.

Also, Donald Trump cannot go two sentences without lying. Working with him is asking to be deceived, manipulated, abused, and betrayed.

So there’s your handy guide to when it’s okay for Democrats to work with Trump.