The great Washington "Who Dunnit" was launched this week. It was the search for the anonymous author of the Op:Ed in the New York Times. A damning revelation of life in the White House and the vagaries of life with the President.
The week had not begun well. Bob Woodward released his new book "Fear, the story of Trump in the White House". The book opens with a shocking anecdote about how the President's closest advisors seek to thwart the directives of an unreliable and unstable President.
In one instance, according to the Washington Post, Trump had ordered a letter announcing the U.S withdrawal from a trade agreement with South Korea. The then Chief Economic Adviser, Gary Cohn, realised the initiative would be a disaster for U.S. policy. The solution for Cohn, just take the letter out of the President's in tray. Out of sight out of mind, Trump's limited attention span would buy time and short circuit Trump's impulsive policy pronouncement. No fan of GTD, the President doesn't even keep a list apparently.
Members of staff would frequently work together to block the President's most dangerous initiatives. Jim Mattis Defense Secretary ignored an order to assassinate Syria's President Bashar al-Assad? Top Brass ignored the President's diktat on trans gender people in the military. Trump's views on world trade are evident. On one speech he had written "Trade is Bad". When Cohn asked the President why he clings to such beliefs, the President responds: "I just do, I have had these views for thirty years".
The book "a work of fiction" according to Trump was bad enough. Then followed an anonymous editorial in the New York Times. "I Am Part of The Resistance Inside The Trump Administration" the article declared. I work for the President but like minded colleagues and I have vowed to thwart parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations. The root of the problem is the President's amorality and lack of principle. A disrespect for free minds, free markets and free people. Declaring the Press as the enemy of the people is dangerous. Trump's impulses are anti democratic and anti trade.
The President's style is impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective. He engages in repetitive rants, off topic and off the rails. Impulsive responses lead to half baked, ill informed, reckless decisions which have to "walked back".
Trump has also a extended capacity for mendacity. Advised not to testify to the Mueller investigation, "It's either that or an orange jump suit" advised Attorney John Dowd in March. The President's ability to avoid reality would make it difficult to avoid the inevitable lies under oath, the suggestion.
Now the search is on to identify the "Enemy Within". The NYT Editorial was "An Act of Treason", according to Trump. Jeff Sessions Attorney General has been urged to seek out the perpetrator and bring him or her to justice ... and soon. Ah yes the enemy within, sometimes is closer than you think ..
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