Bret: I seem to remember Trump all but claiming to be the world\u2019s leading expert on pools, so I find this story delicious, at least to the extent that every time Trump gets a well-deserved comeuppance it\u2019s delicious. But, seriously, how can this possibly be so hard to get right?<\/p>\n
Frank: Our news-side colleagues have done a terrific job explaining<\/a> the complicated challenges involved. Trump didn\u2019t create this swamp. But because it\u2019s such an easily grasped, visually irrefutable embarrassment \u2014 and because he so arrogantly promised a quick fix while attacking his predecessors\u2019 efforts \u2014 it has become a devastating metaphor<\/a> and may be hurting him in a way that infinitely more consequential failures haven\u2019t. There\u2019s a thick, bilious coat of algae on his costume of hypercompetence.<\/p>\n Bret: Frank, before we go, I have a confession to make \u2014 a closet to come out of. I\u2019m addicted to house-renovation videos.<\/p>\n The more daunting the challenge, the more elaborate the reconstruction, the more storied the structure, the better. They\u2019re my mental-health breaks whenever I\u2019m stuck on a tricky segue between paragraphs. And my favorite is a YouTube channel called \u201cEscape to Rural France<\/a>.\u201d It\u2019s the work of an English expat named Daniel Preston, who, ably assisted by a handful of friends, is painstakingly bringing back to life the mostly destroyed Ch\u00e2teau de Chaumont in central France, which once served as a refuge for Jewish children<\/a> hiding from the Nazis. What I love is the vicarious experience of patient, meticulous, hands-on work; of the thought that goes into tricky carpentry and engineering and logistical decisions; of the love for something old and all but forgotten; of the excellent camera work; most of all, of the determination to give the chateau a new lease on life.<\/p>\n Watch it and you\u2019ll see what I mean. We live in an age of technological magic and moral bankruptcy. What Preston offers is a return to basics, a belief in the worth and beauty of the old, and a possibility of repairing, even resurrecting, stones and spirits alike.<\/p>\n The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters<\/a> to the editor. We\u2019d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips<\/a>. And here\u2019s our email: letters@nytimes.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Follow the New York Times Opinion section on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, Bluesky<\/a>, WhatsApp<\/a> and Threads<\/a>.<\/p>\n