The Fourth Branch of Government Is Having a Moment

[n2doc]

All presidents must compete for influence over the executive branch, but Trump's having more trouble than most.
By Jonathan Bernstein

One effect of the Trump administration: We're getting an excellent (albeit unfortunate) education in the dangers and confusions caused by a historically weak president. Today's example: the rapidly multiplying obvious differences between POTUS and the executive branch departments and agencies.

This is not about some malevolent "deep state" scheming against the president. There are numerous examples Trump clashing with his own appointees -- some might call them his most senior cabinet members! -- who are saying and doing things that he strongly disagrees with.

The left hand of executive branch departments and agencies either don't know or don't care what the right hand of the president is up to. As an NBC News reporter noted, the Treasury Department sanctioned Russians and State blasted Saudi Arabia this week despite recent statements from Trump himself. His tweet about China and North Korea doesn't seem to match up well at all with what State has been doing. Trump deleted the sentence affirming mutual support for U.S. allies from his NATO speech reportedly over the objections of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense James Mattis. Earlier, Trump more or less declared himself a supporter of Marine Le Pen in the French presidential election, a position not shared by State. Outside of foreign affairs, he's frequently made claims about health care which not only contradict what Republicans in Congress are trying to do but also with what Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price has said. Without necessarily disagreeing on policy specifics (so far!), Trump announced that Treasury was about to roll out a tax cut plan without giving them advance warning.

And of course he's been bitterly opposed to Attorney General Jeff Sessions's decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein's decision to appoint an independent counsel, and fired the director of the FBI for continuing that investigation. He still only grudgingly and inconsistently accepts the conclusion of intelligence agencies that Russia interfered with the 2016 election.

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https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-06-23/the-fourth-branch-of-government-is-having-a-moment

[snot]

1. Not sure whether to be relieved or alarmed.