How Trump lost Hope

For a moment this winter, it seemed the Trump administration had finally found its feet, said David A. Graham in The Atlantic. Former marine general John Kelly had instilled some military discipline as White House chief of staff and President Trump’s approval ratings rose when Congress passed a major tax cut. But the illusion of stability has been shattered by a string of highprofile departures from the White House over the past few weeks. First to go, after a domestic abuse scandal, was staff secretary Rob Porter. He was soon followed by Hope Hicks, Trump’s fourth communications director, after she admitted to a House panel that she sometimes told “white lies” on his behalf. Known as the “Trump whisperer” and his “surrogate daughter”, she was one of the few people able to soothe Trump’s frequent eruptions of anger, said Philip Rucker in The Washington Post. Now his economic adviser Gary Cohn has also resigned – he wanted nothing to do with the trade war Trump is contemplating. And to cap it off, Trump this week sacked his secretary of state, Rex Tillerson. Worried aides say the increasingly angry and isolated president now rages at the TV, and “confides to friends that he’s uncertain whom to trust”.

We shouldn’t be surprised, said Michael Goodwin in the New York Post. Trump’s presidency was always going to be unique. Knowing that he was a tireless “warrior” who would disrupt conventional politics and turn Washington on its head was the very reason that millions of Americans voted for him. Trump’s confidants say his tolerance for chaos is almost superhuman, said David Jackson in USA Today. He has actively welcomed melodrama and disorder throughout his career – in real estate and politics – and usually finds a way to turn it to his advantage. As Republican congressman Peter T. King puts it: “[Trump] had the worst campaign ever. On election night, he was the guy smiling.”

But campaigning isn’t governing, said Linda Feldmann on Csmonitor.com. To govern, Trump needs a competent staff and the record level of staff turnover is hardly conducive to that. What’s more, the exodus is probably far from over. Trump reportedly wants to oust “condescending” national security adviser H.R. Mcmaster, and keeps trying to force out attorney general Jeff Sessions, whom he derisively calls “Mr. Magoo”. In fact, he has let it be known that more heads may roll by tweeting that in the White House there is “no Chaos, only great Energy”, and adding: “I still have some people that I want to change.” It’s carnage, said Chris Cillizza on CNN. com, and as special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia creeps closer to the Oval Office, things are likely to get even bloodier. “Think the White House is in chaos now? Just wait.”