After major backlash, Trump’s radical plan to freeze government spending is on hold. Now, it’s all very confusing and somewhat opaque — which, under Trump, is by design — but here’s what appears to have happened: We often forget that Trump has frequently been cowed by public opinion when it turns against him.

The Trump administration is walking back a directive to pause trillions of dollars in government spending that bred uncertainty about the impact on everything from Medicaid to special education.