Don’t Root for a Recession

A downturn would crater Trump’s odds at reelection. It would also create much of the inequity, misery, and chaos that Democrats seek to avoid by winning in 2020.

With tumbling United States stocks, a queasy eurozone market, and decelerating Chinese growth, warnings signs are flashing that the U.S. economy, for all its strengths, may be slipping into a downturn. But some of the president’s opponents are greeting economic jitters with a surprising response: Bring on the recession!

Their thinking goes like this: Trump’s presidency poses a unique threat to the...