Trump’s need for praise turns off Americans

President Trump assembled his full Cabinet for the first time Monday.

Mike Pence said that serving as vice president to Trump was “the greatest privilege of my life.” That’s not saying much for anyone else Pence has worked with in his life.

The only thing Pence didn’t do was kiss Trump’s hand. But he had plenty of company around that table. The display of contrived adulation was nauseating. JoAnn Duignan

Would it surprise anyone if Trump asked them all to do that? They may have felt like they were kissing his ring, but they were actually licking his boots. Donna Longo

This was the most pathetic exhibition ever at a Cabinet meeting. All these people just sit around praising Trump, who boasts about all the things he claims to have done and hasn’t.

This is typical of Cabinet meetings with the dictator of some banana republic, not from a great democracy. One imagines that Cabinet meetings in North Korea before Kim Jong Un go down the same way. Andy Sandfoss

Trump should be reminded daily that he works for America and the American people, not the other way around. That display at the White House was like a 5-year-old’s birthday party with his friends saying what they liked about him.

Richard Nixon was a bad president and he resigned to escape impeachment. President Clinton had relations with a White House intern in the Oval Office, and he lied about it. Other past presidents have also done questionable things, but this is beyond the pale.

Trump just metaphorically took his shirt off and had everyone give him a belly rub. These must be the ones who did pledge their loyalty, unlike former FBI director James Comey. This is the most demeaning display I’ve seen in a long time. I bet he has his employees do the same. Lisa Parker

Once again, the boy president embarrasses himself and America.

No clue of reality from his ivory tower, Twitter feed in hand. Sad! Ron Schofield