Trump’s Week — Oh, My!
As a public service — just in case you haven’t been able to keep up with Donald Trump in the past few days — here’s a recap of what our current president has been up to.
He fired FBI Director James Comey, who was leading his agency’s investigation into possible collusion between Russia and Trump’s campaign last year.
Trump then gave several different reasons why he fired Comey and allowed members of his own administration give out false reasons for the termination.
Trump revealed he’d earlier dined with Comey and inappropriately asked him if he — Trump — was under investigation.
Trump then issued a threatening tweet that Comey “better hope there are no ‘tapes’ of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!”
That, of course, opened the door for reporters to ask if Trump — like Richard Nixon — secretly taped conversations inside the White House.
Trump then threatened to cancel his own staff’s daily press briefings because his own staff cannot accurately communicate with the American public.
My, my. What does all this mean? Glad you asked. It means, simply, that Donald Trump’s White House is an absolute disaster — completely dysfunctional.
And the reason for that mess is — yes, you guessed it — Donald Trump himself. He is completely unable to control himself — unable to do something as simple as staying off Twitter and not making stupid comments that ignite political firestorms.
He is his own worst enemy, and he has given those who oppose him in the press and elsewhere all the ammunition they need to investigate him and even, in some cases, to call for his impeachment.
Let me be clear: There’s no evidence yet that warrants Trump’s impeachment. But that may be only temporary, because the FBI investigation and congressional investigations into those possible Russian ties won’t go away. In fact, they will intensify.
If those ties are proven, then Trump’s presidency is history, and Mike Pence will be sworn in as the new occupant of the Oval Office.
Even if no Russian ties are proven, it’s fairly clear right now that Trump has no idea how to be president or how to govern. Creating national chaos on a weekly basis is not a policy — it’s the sign of someone who is clueless or arrogant or both. And that’s a dangerous combination.
Impeachment is difficult and throws the country into a spiral of hatred and recrimination. If Trump is shown to have had any kind of inappropriate contact with the Russians, it would be far better for the United States if he simply goes on Twitter one morning and announces he’s had enough — and is turning over the White House to Pence.
I know lots of people who would breathe sighs of relief should that happen. They may disagree with Pence, but they recognize that he is likely to act and look much better as president than the clown who now occupies the Oval Office.