Aides fold they must stop "dropping off articles on the president’s desk – and then waiting for him to react, with a screaming phone call." https://t.co/yiJNLh4KVO
— Steve Inskeep (@NPRinskeep) August 3, 2017
Can’t the fine American folk tradition of “flaming bags of poo on the doorstep” get any respect, these days?
As a respite between important BREAKING NEWS stories, more proof that the guy the Repubs installed in the Oval Office is… not up to the job:
Kelly has told others he faces big challenges but sees biggest one as making sure Trump gets good info. My story: https://t.co/hiwEKC6R1V
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) August 2, 2017
… “He basically said, ‘The president has to get good briefings, he has to get good intelligence,’” one senior White House official said. “We have to be putting him in a position to make good decisions.”
In the West Wing, many of the president’s most controversial decisions have been attributed to bad information, partially because the president is easily swayed by the last person he has talked to — or the last thing he has read.
For example, he accused President Barack Obama of tapping his phone line in Trump Tower after seeing comments from a conservative talk show host and a Breitbart News article. He has often posted some of his most controversial tweets while watching Fox News and stewing. He has sometimes seemed to view television accounts of the news as more factual than information from people armed with classified information. He has made decisions about legal matters or major policy decisions while consulting with some aides — only to reverse them after talking to family members or friends, who he dials late at night.
He has been given information of dubious quality, from stories by GotNews.com, a blog written by a right-wing provocateur named Chuck Johnson, to segments of debunked documentaries. He has, at times, listened to real estate friends about legislative strategy while ignoring Speaker Paul Ryan or Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell…
Kelly and senior West Wing officials don’t believe Trump will fully change. He is not going to stop tweeting, for example, and they expect him to keep dialing old friends in New York after hours — and that he will likely huddle with aides when Kelly is not around. Senior officials are likely to still give him articles to read without Kelly knowing. “He’s not under the impression he can tell Donald Trump, ‘Oh, you’re going to do it my way,” one Kelly associate said. “He’s not delusional about it.”…
Apart from taking our comfort / entertainment where we can find it, what’s on the agenda for the evening?
Thursday Evening Comic Relief Open Thread: But That’s Their Only Skill Set!Post + Comments (281)