Trump is so impulsive and destructive that White House staff use a combination of delays and distractions to keep him from going off.
Politico reported, “But interviews with 10 current and former administration officials, advisers, longtime business associates and others close to Trump describe a process in which they try to install guardrails for a president who goes on gut feeling — and many days are spent managing the president, just as Corker said….Trump, several advisers and aides said, sometimes comes into the Oval Office worked into a lather from talking to friends or watching TV coverage in the morning. Sometimes, a side conversation with an aide like Stephen Miller on immigration or a TV host like Sean Hannity would set him off. Then, staffers would step in to avert a rash decision by calming him down. At times, new information would be shared, like charts on how farmers might feel about ending NAFTA — or how his base might react negatively to an idea, like the verbal deal he struck with Democrats on immigration last month.”
These are the actions of a president that is not well, and completely out of control. Trump is so unable to focus on anything that his own staff has to try to control his impulses by distracting him with something else and delaying him. A president should never need the people around him to calm him down. The President should lead, not be managed by handlers.
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All of this behavior was predictable because it was visible on the campaign trail. Stories about Trump being out of control were reported daily, but they were buried by a media that was more interested in Hillary Clinton’s emails than the fact that the Republican Party had clearly nominated a person to be the next president who was not mentally well.
Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) was correct. There are just a few people who are keeping the country from total Trump chaos. The 25th Amendment is not a realistic option, so the only out of this disaster before the 2020 election is impeachment.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
