The Washington Post has left a scathing attack at President Donald Trump calling him a clueless child.
President Donald Trump
All White Houses leak. Sometimes the leaks are big, sometimes
small. But there are always people willing to talk to reporters about
the “real” story or about why the chief executive made a mistake in
regards to some decision he made.
That said, I've never seen so much leaking so quickly — and with
such disdain for the president — as I have in the first six days of
Donald Trump's presidency.
Two recent examples:
1. This from the New York Times today on Trump's impulsiveness:
Mr. Trump’s advisers say that his frenzied if admittedly impulsive
approach appeals to voters because it shows that he is a man of action.
Those complaining about his fixation with fictional voter fraud or crowd
counts at his inauguration, in their view, are simply seeking ways to
undercut his legitimacy.
Yet some of his own advisers also privately worry about his
penchant for picking unnecessary fights and drifting off message. They
talk about taking away his telephone or canceling his Twitter account,
only to be dismissed by a president intent on keeping his own outlets to
the world.
2. This from WaPo on Trump's inauguration crowd estimates:
Trump’s advisers suggested that he could push back in a simple
tweet. Thomas J. Barrack Jr., a Trump confidant and the chairman of the
Presidential Inaugural Committee, offered to deliver a statement
addressing the crowd size.
But Trump was adamant, aides said. Over the objections of his aides
and advisers — who urged him to focus on policy and the broader goals
of his presidency — the new president issued a decree: He wanted a fiery
public response, and he wanted it to come from his press secretary.
Time and again, the image of Trump pushed by his “aides” is one of a
clueless child — someone who acts on impulse, disregarding the better
advice of people who know better. We know he needs to be managed or else
he will say and do stupid things, the message seems to be. We're
working on it.
And what we know about Trump from his presidential campaign is that
some of his top staffers — most notably Kellyanne Conway — often
communicated to the boss via the media. What that strategy suggests is
that Trump is influenced at least as much — and, in truth, likely more —
by reading the sniping of his aides on background (meaning without
their names attached) in the news than he is by private conversations.
That the best way to reach him, change his mind or otherwise bend his
ear is through a public airing of grievances.
Trump has shown that his tendency to obsessively consume media —
especially cable television — is unchanged in the six days since he has
become president. He appears to be making policy decisions via things he
watches or reads. (Remember Trump's famous/infamous statement that he
got his military information and advice “mostly from the shows.”)
At odds with all of this, however, is the fact that Trump is both
deeply proud and hugely image-conscious. Having to read and watch
allegedly loyal “aides” casting him as a sort of feckless child
constantly in need of guidance wouldn't seem to be the sort of thing
that would sit well with him.
Tim Miller, a former spokesman for Jeb(!) Bush's presidential
campaign and a frequent Trump critic, summed that sentiment up nicely:
The New York Times
Trump doesn't seem like the type who will enjoy his advisors talking about him like he's a child to the New York Times for long.
Tim Miller added,
It doesn't take much imagination to conjure up an image of an irate
Trump surrounded by the various clips of his aides driving the
perception that he badly needs to be managed at every moment. If Trump's
entire #brand is centered on being the best/classiest/smartest, these
sort of leaks fundamentally undermine that image. And we're only six
days into his presidency!
The frequency — and nature — of these leaks are yet another
reminder that the Trump presidency is nothing like anything that's come
before it. There is no blueprint. We're through the looking glass.
But my educated guess is that these leaks must be driving Trump
absolutely crazy. And when he gets mad, history suggests he will try to
get even. And quickly.
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