The hope of the many people who harbor reservations about Donald Trump is that the presidency will change him. That's also what his hard-core supporters fear.
Trump's inaugural address showed why those hopes and fears won't materialize. It was harsh, nationalistic, lacking in civility or generosity, reflecting his dark view of politics. It had some of the same themes that Ronald Reagan offered 36 years earlier, but with none of the uplift that the 40th president radiated.
Presidents don't grow to become new people. They can rise to occasions, alter perspectives, turn to different advisers for counsel. But the Oval Office hasn't changed the basic compass or persona of any modern president.
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