Tag: Trump erratic behavior

Trump’s campaign is caught between 2 worlds, with 2 months to go

The president is exploiting all the trappings of incumbency in his reelection drive, but at the same time upstaging himself with unorthodox tactics.

LAS VEGAS — Past presidents running for reelection have built entire campaigns around their incumbency: Events in the Rose Garden. Signing ceremonies in the Oval Office. Cross-country campaign swings on Air Force One. 

President Donald Trump has used this tactic to his advantage in recent weeks — parking the iconic presidential jet behind the stage at his rallies, turning the executive complex into a high-production venue for the Republican National Convention and unveiling an updated list of potential Supreme Court nominees against the elegant backdrop of the White House Diplomatic Reception Room.

But for the wildly unpredictable president, it’s not enough. Continue reading.

White House reporter reveals alarming truth about Trump’s coronavirus response

A White House correspondent revealed that President Donald Trump’s disjointed response to the coronavirus crisis was largely driven by media coverage.

Associated Press reporter Jonathan Lemire appeared Thursday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” where co-host Mika Brzezinski asked why the president had changed his mind on winding down his coronavirus task force one day after floating that possibility.

“Does he know that when you talk about shutting down a task force one day, and 24 hours later, you say people called him, that he is thinking and flying by the seat of his pants?” Brzezinski asked. “Does he know he is exposing himself by the day, as to not being fully connected with the gravity of this problem? Is anyone helping him?” Continue reading.

Trump’s whiplash week

The president couldn’t stick to a consistent policy position on guns, taxes or Greenland.

President Donald Trump offered a head-spinning range of policy positions this week, contradicting aides and even himself multiple times on gun control, tax cuts and his interest in buying Greenland.

Trump is no stranger to whiplash-inducing policy shifts that leave his aides and congressional allies flat-footed. And it’s well-known that he often parrots the talking points of the last person he talked to on any hot-button issue.

But Trump’s recent reversals were notable for their breakneck pace and their far-reaching impact, as they left lawmakers, foreign leaders and voters scratching their heads.But Trump’s recent reversals were notable for their breakneck pace and their far-reaching impact, as they left lawmakers, foreign leaders and voters scratching

Former Trump officials are increasingly worried about the president’s erratic and outlandish behavior: report

AlterNet logoPresident Donald Trump became the butt of jokes all over the world this week when he offered to purchase Greenland and angrily canceled a visit to Denmark after Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described the proposal as “absurd.” The headlines, Maggie Haberman and Peter Baker note in a report for the New York Times, sounded like something The Onion would make up — only it really happened. But Haberman and Baker stress that to former Trump Administration officials, the president’s erratic behavior is no laughing matter. And those who have worked with the president, according to Haberman and Baker, are growing increasingly worried about his actions — especially with the 2020 election only 15 months away and the U.S. economy possibly going into a recession.

“Some former Trump Administration officials in recent days said they were increasingly worried about the president’s behavior, suggesting it stems from rising pressure on Mr. Trump as the economy seems more worrisome and next year’s election approaches,” Haberman and Baker report. And the current makeup of the Trump Administration, they go on to say, only makes matters worse: at this point, according to the Times reporters, Trump has too many sycophants and not nearly enough constructive criticism.

“After casting off advisers who displeased him at a record rate in his first two and a half years in office,” Haberman and Baker explain, “Mr. Trump now has fewer aides around him willing or able to challenge him — much less restrain his more impulsive instincts.”

View the complete August 22 article by Alex Henderson on the AlterNet website here.

A Clear And Present Danger to the Republic

Whenever Donald Trump makes a remark that embarrasses our country before the world, conventional analysis suggests that this is yet another instance of his infantile narcissism. So we were told again when the president of the United States insulted Denmark, one of the founding nations of NATO and a dedicated American ally, by canceling his scheduled trip to meet with the Danish prime minister — supposedly because she had deemed his scheme to buy Greenland “absurd,” which of course it is.

His visit to Denmark was originally requested by Trump, which made its abrupt, petulant cancellation all the more insulting to the Danes. The usual anonymous sources explained that he had other reasons to break the date, such as his aversion to flying overseas and his aversion to Barack Obama, who is also scheduled to visit Denmark next month.

When Trump appears to lose control — and follows up by suggesting that he is “the chosen one” or “the King of Israel” — it seems natural to worry that he is mentally ill. And that is one way to interpret his behavior.

View the complete August 21 article by Joe Conason on the National Memo website here.

GOP grows tired of being blindsided by Trump

Senate Republicans are getting tired of being caught off-guard by President Trump on key issues like health care and controversial nominees like Herman Cain, and say there needs to be more consultation from the White House.

Trump’s allies say they often find out about the president’s plans on Twitter or through media reports, making it almost impossible to offer the White House any advice before major decisions are announced.

“When names are floated, you guys come around and ask, ‘What about this person? What about that person?’” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a member of the GOP leadership team, told reporters Wednesday, saying he would like to see “more communication and collaboration.”

View the complete April 12 article by Alexander Bolton on The Hill website here.