Trump: Ignores Law, Tramples Norms, Axes Tradition, Likes Tyrants, Shames Office

Entire Government & Nation Literally Under Trump 

NY Times excellent story (Peter Baker) sets a scary scene for all Americans (or at least it should) for this posting today:

Trump’s Efforts to Remove the Disloyal Heightens Unease Across His Administration

Let me set the scene for this post today with this reminder about how America was duped and conned by perhaps the best con man ever:

Smartest ever (only by his standard)

The tumult and anxiety in this Trump administration and at the highest levels of government that we now see daily comes at a time when the country confronts enormous challenges, including the corona-virus outbreak, Iranian and North Korean nuclear development, and Russian determination to play a role again in this next election.
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Democrats, for example, have expressed concerns about the administration’s ability to respond if there were a severe corona-virus outbreak in the United States, noting that a global health security expert position on the NSC has been left vacant for almost two years.

Trump has long been obsessed with loyalty, a view only exacerbated by his impeachment and the various investigations over the last three years that have convinced him that he is surrounded by a “deep-state enemy within (My note: def: Turkish derin devlet first used in 2000) that is leaking, lying, and sabotaging his presidency.”

He has also been frustrated by the decision-making process of government, aggravated at competing centers of power that have shaped the modern presidency but have, in his view, hindered his ability to enact policies.

With a more loyal team in place, he hopes to make more progress on initiatives that have been slow-walked by institutional inertia or resistance like tougher rules on trade and immigration. But that could mean less dissent and less open debate with surviving officials fearing the loss of their jobs if they are seen as stepping out of line. From the very beginning, his administration has been a turnstile of people who fall in and out of favor with the president.

Trump’s Scoreboard: Including those with “acting” designations, Trump is on his third chief of staff; his third press secretary; his fourth national security adviser; his fourth defense secretary; his fifth secretary of homeland security; his sixth deputy national security adviser; and, his seventh communications director.

Recall what Trump told the public “I will have only the best people working for you, believe me, only the very best” [sic]. Sample of that:

I will have only the best, believe me, the best

Data compiled by the Brookings Institution shows turnover among Trump’s “A team,” meaning his senior staff, has hit 82 percent in only three years. That turnover in those three years is more than any of the previous five presidents saw in their first four years.

Moreover, the Trump administration has been notable for a high level of serial turnover, with 38 percent of the top positions replaced more than once. Many key departments and White House entities have been hollowed out. Trump has thus been left with acting officials in many key areas. Also, recall he claimed “acting appointees give me flexibility,” but he fails to see that temporary leaders cannot advance his policies nearly as well as a Senate-confirmed appointee who has the stature and all the powers to do so. Now the whole establishment is suffering literally top-to-bottom.

My 2 cents: We, the whole world in fact, all know by now that Trump loves to fluff himself, stay in the limelight, front and center stage, center of attraction, and always be the best ever no matter what the evidence shows otherwise.

So, I wonder will he brag about being the worst administration in American history, hands down the very worse. Ha – doubtful.

But, Mr. Trump know this: History will record you over time and I believe posterity will remember you for what you truly are: The third president out of four impeached, the one with most turnover and least effective list of officials ever, and BTW, the most corrupt ever. Cheer about that won’t cha’… didn’t think so. 

Thanks for stopping by.