The good thing, and perhaps the only good thing, about the Trump Administration (shudder) is that you never really have to wait very long before the real story becomes apparent. This is decidedly not a regular presidency or White House where the shrouds of secrecy and intrigue hide covert actions for months or years at a time. They do try, the people with some political experience, to navigate Trump through what should be safe political harbors, but then he slams his foot on the speedboat’s gas and heads towards the bathers. And the bathers are the ones who voted for him.
Such has been the previous, tumultuous week in a fast-moving storm that seems to have no sunshine behind it, only darker clouds.
It’s clear that the president dismissed James Comey for delving too deeply into the matter of Russian interference in the election and the extent to which Trump campaign/ administration workers involved themselves in that contretemps. Trump also clearly believe(s)(d) that firing Comey would lessen the pressure the FBI guy was putting on the administration. Calling Comey “nuts” was just Trump projecting his fears and insecurities.
Which he does a lot.
In fact, I’ve come to believe that when Trump uses words like nuts and witch hunt, he’s actually referring to himself because that’s the type of behavior he’s exhibiting and the type of management style he’s using in the White House. Further, the country seems to be turning a corner on the president and his credibility. People like Trump, who think that they’re always right and are bolstered by people who are loyal to him, tend to believe that those who disagree with them must have something wrong with them. It’s difficult to run an administration on that, as we’re learning. And the worst part is that it’s getting even more difficult to see anything the president says as having the weight of probity or thought (if it ever did).
He’s also making it difficult for the Republicans to project a unified message on their agenda because Trump’s tweets keep getting in the way. And besides, the conservative agenda is not widely popular anyway, as the fight against the ACA repeal proves. Add in the other components such as huge tax cuts for the wealthy, and you have a real problem. And when James Comey makes his public testimony, the country will stop and listen.
Trump will not be impeached, and I would urge those who are calling his behavior and words treasonous to redirect their energies to 2018 and to confronting legislators who support his agenda. Let the Mueller investigation run its course and see where it leads. In the meantime, Trump will continue to hurt himself by trying to explain his actions and contradicting his aides, and his aides will leave because it’s really the president who can’t be trusted.
And just remember what types of people invoke witch hunts.
