White House Staffers Worry Trump Is Spiraling Out of Control
Source: Vanity Fair
Although no moment would have been opportune for Michael Flynn, Donald Trumps former national security adviser, to plead guilty to lying to the F.B.I. and agree to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller, last week was a particularly bad time for the news to come to light. Flynns plea deal happened to top off a week in which the president seemed to become increasingly belligerent, repeating outright lies to his inner circle, and reportedly convincing himself that he is immune to backlash, either political or legal.
It was perhaps the sense that he could operate with impunity that motivated Trumps delayed response to Flynns indictment on Saturday, when he tweeted what seemed like a damning confessionan impression his lawyers quickly moved to quash, with John Dowd taking responsibility for the tweets contents. Whether Dowd sent the tweet or not, however, was only the public manifestation of the crippling paranoia that is reportedly setting in behind the scenes at the White House, as well as the growing sense that Trump is spiraling out of control.
Politico reported on Sunday that staffers are increasingly unable to limit Trumps ability to consume informationit is near impossible, one said, to prevent him from watching televisionand Trumps allies worry that White House lawyer Ty Cobbs repeated promise that the probe will be over soon is divorced from reality. Theres no quarterback. . . . Theyre literally making it up as they go along, a person close to the White House told Politico, describing the lack of any containment strategy. Were in very dangerous territory.
Caught in the center of this Trump maelstrom is John Kelly, the former general-turned-chief of staff, brought in earlier this year to stabilize a warring West Wing and restrain the president from his worst impulses. Part of his initial strategy involved limiting the information that ended up in front of Trump, from news sources to people, even going so far as to reportedly keep Trump from entering the dining room at Mar-a-Lago. That workedto a point. Several of Trumps confidants outside the White House told The Wall Street Journal that now, if they wanted to get in touch with him, they simply call his wife, Melania Trump, and ask her to pass on messages to the president. If I dont want to wait 24 hours for a call . . . getting to Melania is much easier, said one such confidant. Trump has also taken to asking his aides not to tell Kelly about his private phone calls (a request they declined at least once), and apparently has free reign on Twitter. Believe it or not, I dont follow the tweets, Kelly said recently.
Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/12/donald-trump-michael-flynn-russia-tweets/amp
Eliot Rosewater
(31,121 posts)and on and on and on are DESTROYED
They dont care if he loses his fucking mind.
Mission accomplished destroying America, making the internet NOT free, and NONE of this happens if there are not thousands of lies told about Hillary.
hibbing
(10,109 posts)Gives all these evil fwads a wet dream. I think of where my parents would have been without these programs. I guess I'll find out myself.
Peace
Alice11111
(5,730 posts)continue to rob the poor to pay for the rich, and to dismantle the values our country used to stand for.
Doodley
(9,124 posts)To repeat those lies as if they are the truth to one's inner circle is to prove beyond any doubt that you are delusional.
progree
(10,918 posts)mobeau69
(11,156 posts)Yep, looking like they're getting ready to play the war card.
lark
(23,156 posts)Someone (Sessions, Pompeo?) will give him a heads up and he'll do it and when NK fires back a nuke, he suspends the constitution. The only way this won't happen is if generals know aobut it and refuse to sign off on the strike, which is very very unlikely. These can't be good dudes or drumpf would not have picked them. Remember when people thought Kelly was one of the good guys, until he showed his true racist hater colors. Bet the same is true for McMasters and head of Joint chiefs.
BBG
(2,550 posts)Wha? How is that even possible?
Doodley
(9,124 posts)lark
(23,156 posts)Russia's pre-emptive actions have already put in place our planned destruction, don't want them to win any more.
I think US leaders should stand up and up to this traitor and put him in jail where he belongs, only most of them are part of the plot for destruction of our constitution, and middle class. Mueller is our only hope or votes will be rigged even worse and our days as a democracy are over.
Alice11111
(5,730 posts)Manafort, when he was cussing him out, if I go down, everyone does. It is not a good thing to back him into a corner. Hopefully, he can resign and claim too much winning or his lawyers negotiate something. The satisfaction of getting him is not worth risking a nuclear holocaust. I'm sure Mueller has thought of that.
Laffy Kat
(16,386 posts)Should start evacuating S. Korea. Yep.
mobeau69
(11,156 posts)If Dotard launches strikes on NK targets I can see NK attacking Seoul or crossing the DMZ or both and then it's on. This is scary.
MontanaMama
(23,337 posts)He's been out of control since day one. I doubt any of these ass hats worry one bit about him or more importantly, their country.
Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)If they REALLY cared about this country they would speak out openly
Response to TomCADem (Original post)
jb5150 This message was self-deleted by its author.
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marble falls This message was self-deleted by its author.
populistdriven
(5,644 posts)At the very least it is in bad taste; and it is certainly insensitive. i.e. if I were an exotic entertainer the implied derision would definitely make me feel unwelcome and prejudged.
marble falls
(57,204 posts)marble falls
(57,204 posts)ananda
(28,876 posts)When wasn't 45 spiraling out of control?
Doodley
(9,124 posts)EllieBC
(3,041 posts)His default state is "out of control".
Justice
(7,188 posts)BumRushDaShow
(129,450 posts)There is no "sense". There is FACT. For the past 45+ years, he HAS "operated with impunity" with absolutely no consequences, so why should he assume things will turn out any different this time? "
Alice11111
(5,730 posts)left behind unpaid workers and took several bankruptcies. He was so proud to state that.
ffr
(22,671 posts)What about the lives of millions of Americans he's ruining, all to exact revenge on 66 million voters who voted for the popular vote victor, Hillary Clinton.
I hope Bubba has a good time with them.
Lock them up.
charliea
(260 posts)Maybe it's true but this title, or something similar, has been showing up for a while now in this and other forums. While I fervently hope it's true, and that Dowd will resign for 'his' poorly thought out pResidential tweet, Politico is weak source to hang your hopes on.
Mueller
Aint
Goin'
Away
Resist!
SeaDoo77
(540 posts)They are like 3 inches from your nose if you haven't noticed.
You, and your spawn will be locked up soon.
Merry Xmas.
eleny
(46,166 posts)It'll be his get out of jail card if the truth comes out and his ass is grass.
Salviati
(6,008 posts)Perhaps one way to solve their problem is to up his consumption of Big Macs and Fish Filets, and let nature take its course...
Rollo
(2,559 posts)...
Solly Mack
(90,785 posts)If anything is to be trusted about what those staffers think or don't think, it's this - if they are speaking to reporters about their supposed concerns, it's only to get out ahead of anything negative coming back on them.
If Trump goes down - they tried. They showed they were worried. They voiced their concerns.
If he doesn't - it all goes away - their so-called worries forgotten because there is no need to cover their asses by pretending they are alarmed by his behavior.
Otherwise - they'd quit.
If they were the least bit decent, they would have never taken a job in the WH under Trump.
Alice11111
(5,730 posts)bright to see that getting involved with him was toxic.
He even had trouble finding legal representation. He is a lawyer's nightmare. He is what the Bar and malpractice companies tell you to stay away from...out of control client, plus, he is known for stiffing everyone, including his lawyers. They probably took a lot of his assets as collateral. He will try to bankrupt them out again, and he will claim he is a really, really smart guy. Believe me. Believe me. Remember when he said he hadn't paid taxes because he was smart, in the debates?
Plus, the establishment Repubs would prefer Pence or Ryan anyway, which is one reason Wall Street rallies as long as it gets tax cuts and deregulation. It wanted to get those done so that there wouldn't be an interruption, but the rich mostly don't care whether it is Trump or Pence. He does have that loyal base..."Jews will not replace us."
They may start a revolution, or they say they will. I think they will fall in line eventually.
Rollo
(2,559 posts)... to keep the President from watching television?
JustAnotherGen
(31,886 posts)We read or hear of this. It's tiring.
His staff can't be counted on to woman up/man up and do the right thing. They are just as evil as It is.