Trump was unprepared. Now he’s out of his depth. Will he quit?
The good folks at Politico interviewed about twenty people who have worked with Donald Trump since he took the oath of office, and the portrait that emerges should leave you with little confidence that he can handle the job.
In interviews, nearly two dozen people who’ve spent time with Trump in the three weeks since his inauguration said that his mood has careened between surprise and anger as he’s faced the predictable realities of governing, from congressional delays over his cabinet nominations and legal fights holding up his aggressive initiatives to staff in-fighting and leaks.
The administration’s rocky opening days have been a setback for a president who, as a billionaire businessman, sold himself to voters as being uniquely qualified to fix what ailed the nation. Yet it has become apparent, say those close to the president, most of whom requested anonymity to describe the inner workings of the White House, that the transition from overseeing a family business to running the country has been tough on him.
Trump often asks simple questions about policies, proposals and personnel. And, when discussions get bogged down in details, the president has been known to quickly change the subject — to “seem in control at all times,” one senior government official said — or direct questions about details to his chief strategist Steve Bannon, his son-in-law Jared Kushner or House Speaker Paul Ryan. Trump has privately expressed disbelief over the ability of judges, bureaucrats or lawmakers to delay — or even stop — him from filling positions and implementing policies.
…
The president and his allies believe career NSC staff assigned from other agencies are out to get them. In turn, some NSC staff believe Trump does not possess the capacity for detail and nuance required to handle the sensitive issues discussed on the calls, and that he has politicized their agency by appointing chief strategist Bannon to the council.
Last week, Trump told an associate he had become weary of in-fighting among — and leaks from — his White House staff “because it reflects on me,” and that he intended to sit down staffers to tell them “to cut this shit out.”
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The interviews paint a picture of a powder-keg of a workplace where job duties are unclear, morale among some is low, factionalism is rampant and exhaustion is running high. Two visitors to the White House last week said they were struck by how tired the staff looks.
In Washington circles, talk has turned to whether a staff shake-up is in the works.
One person close to Trump said: “I think he’d like to do it now, but he knows it’s too soon.”
Those closest to the president are unnerved by that prospect, which they say would be a tacit acknowledgment that their team is struggling.
Politico did go out of their way to find factoids that show Trump and his team taking corrective action, along with the opinion of Trump allies, including Newsmax’s Chris Ruddy, who said, “I think if he’s demonstrated anything in his life, he is a very fast learner and adapts very quickly. The man is not to be underestimated.”
But the rest of the story begs the question: would a clearly frustrated Trump, who is not used to not being completely in charge, take a businesslike decision to “cut his losses” and resign to return to the private sector – before a scandal or yuuuge misstep takes his administration down in Congress?
You can’t help but wonder. ‘Nuff said.
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Copyright 2017 Liberaland
By: dave-dr-gonzo
David Hirsch, a.k.a. Dave "Doctor" Gonzo*, is a renegade record producer, video producer, writer, reformed corporate shill, and still-registered lobbyist for non-one-percenter performing artists and musicians. He lives in a heavily fortified compound in one of Manhattan's less trendy neighborhoods.
* Hirsch is the third person to use the pseudonym, a not-so-veiled tribute to journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson, with the permission of his predecessors Gene Gaudette of American Politics Journal (currently webmaster and chief bottlewasher at Liberaland) and Stephen Meese at Smashmouth Politics.
46 responses to Trump was unprepared. Now he’s out of his depth. Will he quit?
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Suzanne McFly February 10th, 2017 at 10:37
I believe rump is living his dream with all this backstabbing and neck slitting. He thrives off of chaos. He is like one of those housewives from those “reality” shows, except his hands are a lot smaller.
The Original Just Me February 10th, 2017 at 12:07
He is a Drummer and Not a Piano Player. :+)
BigD February 10th, 2017 at 13:18
Trump is also aware of how low he is held by the American people. He does not like that at all.
Larry Schmitt February 10th, 2017 at 13:38
He actually thinks he is loved. I’m convinced of that.
Larry Schmitt February 10th, 2017 at 11:06
Running a business is nothing like running a country. Anyone who claims it is, is deluding himself. Countries don’t have profit/loss statements. Businesses don’t have unfunded mandates. Any business that runs a continuous deficit will soon be bankrupt. Any country that doesn’t run a deficit won’t get anything done.
The Original Just Me February 10th, 2017 at 12:05
Very Well Stated.
BigD February 10th, 2017 at 13:17
Too bad repubs listened to the lies about debt since Reagan. They also ignore that the debt goes up when a repub is in office.
Willys41 February 10th, 2017 at 13:33
Being a corporate dictator doesn’t prepare you for presiding over a republic.
The Original Just Me February 10th, 2017 at 12:04
Trump is Not a detail person. He works off from instinct and reaction. He only looks at the Big Picture or Direction. He will tell others what he wants in general but offers No details of how to accomplish the Goal. He just wants to be the Person in charge but not be bothered by the details or small decisions that have to be made. He wants others to read His mind and Do the work. He can not express Himself well enough to convey His inter thoughts. He is Boisterous but Not Commutative.
Willys41 February 10th, 2017 at 13:32
Unfortunately, you have to know something beyond how great you are to succeed as president.
The Original Just Me February 10th, 2017 at 13:57
Uh ! G. W. ?????? Oh Yea, He never succeeded.
Willys41 February 10th, 2017 at 15:57
Bush “succeeded” in driving us to the brink of global economic collapse. But that’s the kind of success we’re used to getting from republicans.
mea_mark February 10th, 2017 at 12:23
” But the rest of the story begs the question: would a clearly frustrated Trump, who is not used to not being completely in charge, take a businesslike decision to “cut his losses” and resign to return to the private sector – before a scandal or yuuuge misstep takes his administration down in Congress? ” — Yup, and I think it could happen very soon. I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened within a week.
nola878 February 10th, 2017 at 12:43
Naw…that’d force him to admit the job was too big for him to handle, and we all know Rump NEVER admits error.
Willys41 February 10th, 2017 at 13:30
Too much of an ego to quit.
William February 10th, 2017 at 13:46
If Trump would jump from his ego to his IQ we’d be rid of him.
mea_mark February 10th, 2017 at 13:53
If his ego is not being fed as president and he is being humiliated, it is his ego that will drive him to resign. His own ego will undermine him.
Willys41 February 10th, 2017 at 15:59
You might be right. But I’d expect Trump to do something desperate to prove himself, even if it meant starting a war, even if it meant employing nukes. Stalin’s comment about a million deaths being only a ‘statistic’ was never more true than with Trump.
Snick1946 February 10th, 2017 at 14:36
He has gotta wait until after 2-20. Then he beats William Henry Harrison as the shortest tenured President.
William February 10th, 2017 at 13:06
He’s not really president. He’s playing with his cell phone while Bannon runs the show. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1d638b75b652f4e00e318283d988c491fcba1febc1005a496804d3127b322ce6.png
Willys41 February 10th, 2017 at 13:29
He’s not president. We have no president. We’ve got an empty suit who has no clue.
Foundryman February 10th, 2017 at 13:12
OMG!!! Is anyone watching this ridiculous news conference he’s having right now with the PM of Japan???… What a complete embarrassment to America he is….The guy can barely read!!!
BigD February 10th, 2017 at 13:15
Who here thinks that radical religious RWNJ repub Pence would be better? How’s that principle vote working out for ya folks?
Willys41 February 10th, 2017 at 13:27
The problem with Trump is 1) He has no regard for any opinions but his own, 2) He reads nothing and brags about it, 3) He thinks he knows everything when in fact he knows nothing of any relevance to the presidency, 4) he is incapable of tolerating criticism and therefore spends time trading shots with Hollywood actresses and TV personalities when he should be doing the work of the president, 5) he has no sense of proportion and therefore spends time criticizing staffers’ attire when, again, he should be learning how to do his damn job.
Trump, in short, is an amateur and being an egomaniac makes him the very worst kind of amateur — and the most dangerous.
Pence may be and is a right-wing “christian” fanatic but even that might be better than having no one at the helm of the ship of state.
Bunya February 10th, 2017 at 13:20
I honestly believe tRump would quit and leave us with Pence. That would be his last middle finger to the American people.
William February 10th, 2017 at 14:03
He’s out of his league but too stubborn to quit. http://giphy.com/gifs/drawing-donald-trump-kat-l3q2TGhB8qZhs1tny“>via
Snick1946 February 10th, 2017 at 14:41
There is one group that still idolizes him- Evangelical Christians. Don’t ask me why.
Was turning the dial this week and ran across a pair of doofus preachers on some Christian station praying for ‘our embattled president’. Stuff like ‘Gird him oh God against the evil that is trying to destroy the work you are doing through him’. That sort of drivel,
There are not sufficient numbers of these simple souls out there to prevent him from being gotten rid of. But they won’t make it easy. And many of them have guns.
Mike N. February 10th, 2017 at 15:16
That really is the boggling thing. Who knows how many women Trump impregnated out of wedlock that then aborted their ‘babies’. Trump really seems like a “if you loved me, you wouldn’t make me wear a condom” guy…
nola878 February 10th, 2017 at 15:50
You make a good point. Didn’t he say he spent Vietnam dodging STD’s?
Tells me right there he wasn’t using condoms.
muffler February 10th, 2017 at 18:12
It’s because the Evangelicals pretend to represent morality, but in fact they only want the end of the world so they have Gods kingdom. They don’t care how it is accomplished. A cult of death will sell your existence in reality to achieve their myths.
robert February 10th, 2017 at 20:02
Funny thing is, the religions over here don’t tell you what ticks off the 7 angles but if you see them arrive ? At least we will know donald had something to do with it
The Original Just Me February 11th, 2017 at 01:18
Hey, If they can idolize the Imaginary ” Big Guy in the Sky “, Then Prickident Trump gives them something Real to Goggle about.
amersham1046 February 10th, 2017 at 16:54
Out of his depth, and after 1 month the water is only knee deep
The Original Just Me February 11th, 2017 at 01:15
That’s not water.
StoneyCurtisll February 10th, 2017 at 19:29
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_eJgHLI5e4
majii February 10th, 2017 at 19:33
Who didn’t know Trump knew nothing about government before becoming POTUS? Evidently, the Americans who voted for him, and they didn’t care. All they were concerned about was his bombastic rhetoric. If he’s an embarrassment to them now, they deserve to be embarrassed. According to Steve Benen’s reporting yesterday, on a phone call with Putin last week he had to ask a staff member to tell hm about the START Treaty after Putin asked him about renewing it. He said the START Treaty was a “bad” treaty Pres. Obama negotiated with Russia. This tool doesn’t even know that a president of his own party, Reagan, helped to create the first START Treaty and successive presidents have only renewed and refined it. The ignorance of this tool and those who voted him into the highest office in our nation is disgusting and shameful.
robert February 10th, 2017 at 19:56
The minute trump refused to reveal his taxes. If he’s not going to be honest with that Why take his word on anything else ? I find it boring to read about anything else he screws up going forward yet interesting how our elected and the rw media eats it up
amersham1046 February 10th, 2017 at 21:27
He can’t quit, his ego is too large to admit defeat
The Original Just Me February 11th, 2017 at 04:14
It is easy to get Him to resign. Just tell Him We want Him as King Trump but He has to resign as Prickident First. Oh, don’t say anything about the U.S. not having a King.
robert February 10th, 2017 at 22:13
I don’t see the trumpster quitting He’s too busy spending the taxpayers money on court while screwing up executive orders .
I guess all this means it’s trump first then America
The Original Just Me February 11th, 2017 at 01:14
The Spending and Screwing Prickident.
robert February 11th, 2017 at 04:05
Donald the lame duck
Or is it too soon ?
The Original Just Me February 11th, 2017 at 04:10
Let’s just go with ” Dumb Duck ” for now. :+) It rimes with Numb Nuts.
The Original Just Me February 11th, 2017 at 01:13
He is probably Mad that He isn’t getting as much time with the Interns as He thought He would.
Foundryman February 11th, 2017 at 12:01
To suggest he would quit because of the bungling and idiocy you have to believe he possesses some type of humility and self awareness.
Ned Nutley February 13th, 2017 at 15:45
He’s one of the most disliked men in the world
now and most Americans didn’t vote for him,
there’s a growing chance he’ll only be a one
term president, he’s not gaining any new voters
with his incompetence and so many of his
current supporters getting buyers remorse, he
probably won’t even run in 2020 so he can avoid
the “loser” label.