You’re fired!
Since his assumption into office, scandal and controversy have never been far from Donald Trump’s side.
Iremember him during the height of “The Apprentice’s” fame. “You’re fired” became the catch phrase of a multitude of TV fans, who were enamored and captivated by his fresh and novel – if oftentimes abrasive and offensive – style of management. He had, after all, proven himself in business. He built huge casinos, lavish hotels, and opulent residential condominiums, in places as far- away as New York, Dubai, and Shanghai.
As a businessman and manager, Donald Trump was unique. He was not afraid of failure – many times his fortunes went south, and he even went bankrupt at least once in his business career. And yet, it seemed he was destined to survive every setback that would come his way. For this reason, some saw him as a superhero, a Midas whose touch turned everything golden.
It was probably for this, as much as anything else, that millions of Americans who felt disenfranchised and left out by the booming economy decided to make him their mouthpiece. Here was someone contrarian, who knew no fear, and who always spoke his mind on whatever he believed to be the right thing to do. Who else could be better?
And so it was, that against someone so entrenched in the American political system— former first lady Hillary Clinton— Donald Trump managed to do the unthinkable. Become one of the first truly unconventional American president. The man of the people, it seemed, had been elected into the office against overwhelming odds.
And even as president, he is a maverick of the highest degree still.
While other leaders would prefer carefully- scripted and well- rehearsed press conferences, Trump often speaks extemporaneously. Where former presidents always stuck to the script and always used deferential language when speaking, Trump speaks as he talks— calling the ISIS bombers of Manchester “evil losers.” Such is his candor, and such is his appeal.
But lately, his charm seems to have eluded him.
Since his assumption into office, to be fair, scandal and controversy have never been far from his side. But this week, they had become his bedfellows. And no one knows if this is something he could yet still recover from.
The testimony of former FBI Director James Comey, whom Trump “fired” for apparently not letting his ex- adviser Mike Flynn go off easy over his alleged involvement with Russia, is putting the president in water hotter than he has ever been before. And his survival, this time, is not guaranteed.
The good thing with Trump that endeared him to millions during his “The Apprentice” days, is also the same bad thing that is now threatening to end his reign as the president of the United States. When he was manager, he preferred to take matters into his own hands, broker his own deals, and personally conduct his own business. But as president, there are security clearances to be respected, protocols to be followed, and security concerns to be observed. As president, one does not simply look the other way and gloss over these concerns, not least when dealing with Russia, still perceived as the greatest threat to the security of the United States.
So it remains to be seen. As president, he has already uttered his famous line to Comey. Will the American people now utter the same line to him? Will “you’re fired” be the last words that Trump hears, as he turns off the lights for the last time in the Oval Office?