The White House is out of control. Governing by tweets, firing Comey, battling news media, investigating everything, kowtowing to Russia, booting Spicer, slamming Sessions, unleashing Scaramucci, spewing profanity, canning Priebus, and it can all be traced to the disgracing of the presidency by the unstable Donald Trump. Don’t stop reading. Let me explain.
Those who follow my posts know that I was not a Trump fan before the election. I couldn’t imagine him as president and didn’t vote for him (or Hillary). However, during his first weeks as president, I sought and saw some glimmer of hope. I agreed with most of his ideology, I praised his dream-team cabinet appointments, I applauded his Supreme Court justice nomination, I celebrated his religious freedom stance, and I welcomed his regulation reversals.
But, the real Donald Trump kept surfacing. President Trump is apparently going to be no different from candidate Trump. Granted, there is something refreshing about his break with traditional Washington thinking and political norms. I can take some of his unorthodox comments and behaviors as a strategy for anti-bureaucratic governing. However, he is going way beyond the pale and making a mockery of the presidency, democracy, and basic American values.
Thursday, Attorney General Sessions referred to the president as a different kind of leader. I have studied, taught, and practiced leadership almost all of my adult life. The president is not any kind of leader–a successful operator maybe, but not a leader. He has been a great business man who has profited billions. But, a lot of prominent business men have accumulated wealth by bullying, coercing, threatening, and making shady deals. That is not leadership. Leadership is bringing followers along side with positive incentive and reward sharing. True leaders are respected for their character and caring, not dependent on intimidation and egoism.
I do believe President Trump is a man with a genuine heart for America. Make America Great Again is more than just a slogan to him. But, he is a man who is psychologically unstable and unable to change. The bombastic and erratic personality that served him well in real estate development is hamstringing the governing of America. He realizes his need for wise counsel as evidenced by the caliber of cabinet and staff with which he surrounds himself. But, because he can’t change, he doesn’t heed their advice. His answer to conflict is to fire somebody. An organization is an organism that takes on the air of the person at the top. The dysfunction of the White House staff is nothing more than a reflection of the man in the Oval Office.
I know he is being constantly attacked by the Democrats and the news media, probably unfairly and more than any previous president. But, he brings most of that on himself. The way to handle it is through civil discourse with both the antagonists and the public, not hate speech and fiery tweets that offend friends and foes alike.
I have held this post in reserve for weeks hoping time would reverse the bizarre behavior of the president causing raised eyebrows of disbelief across America. I have celebrated small examples of rational thinking and action only to be disappointed by the next bombshell. His behavior can’t change without providential intervention. I pray for that intervention. I really do want him to succeed. Unfortunately, however, I doubt his being able to continue as president for a full term. I don’t wish for that, and it would be disastrous for our nation. Nevertheless, we survived Nixon, and we would survive Trump. The silver lining would be Mike Pence as the heir to the Oval Office to lead the positive initiatives of his predecessor without the negative baggage.
I invite your comments. Please “like” and “follow.”
Well Terry, I can only assume you now would have been much happier with the ONLY alternative there was in our past presidential election. That being the extremely evil Socialist Hillary Clinton. I have never in my life seen a duly elected president so horribly and unfairly treated as President Trump has been since being elected. The Socialist Democratic Party refuses to accept that they lost the election with the horrible choice they put forth. Even their second choice of Socialist Bernie Sanders was a poor choice and would have been doomed to go down in defeat to Donald Trump. The Socialist Democratic Party along with the cow towing media have unfairly and maliciously obstructed President Trump at every step of his presidency. I hated it when President Obama was elected not once, but twice as did many, many other Americans. However, most accepted his win and went on with their lives. The Socialist Democratic Party for some reason just can’t do this with President Trump. President Trump I agree has made some unorthodox statements as well as tweeted questionable things. With a vitriolic opposing party, a prejudicial and hateful media, a fellow party full of RINO’s and bitter members, a government full of unfaithful Obama obstructionists leftovers, and unfortunately as well, a cabinet with several sniveling backbiters, is it any wonder through frustration President Trump acts at times the way he does? He is not being given a fair chance to govern by just about everyone, including you I hate to say. He is not a politician, he is a very successful businessman and that is just what this country needed as a President.
I respect and admire you a lot Terry, however I also feel that through your extreme prejudicial distain from the very onset for Donald Trump you as well are not giving him a fair chance to govern. Be this because you just can’t stand him or for some other reason I don’t know. What I can tell you though is I am very thankful for this man that I voted for, that you voted against, became our President. The alternative that your vote for a very obscured unknown candidate who had absolutely no chance of winning the election could have ushered in Hillary Clinton would have been disastrous for our nation. Had Clinton won can you just imagine who the last as well as the next one or two more Supreme Court Justices would be? Many, many of the Christian values that you yourself believe in would be ushered out. That will not be the case with President Trump. Be thankful for that. The ends justifies the means I feel with my vote for Presudent Trump. I stand behind Trump. He is my President. Is he perfect? No. Does he at times say stupid and ridiculous things? Yes. Is he the better choice than the ONLY other alternative we had in the past election? A resounding YES! Please try to get behind and support this much better choice we had, even with the faults and flaws he has. It could have been much, much worse my good friend.
Hi Terry, Been reading some of your articles. I sadly believe our President is constitutionally unfit to govern. Its so sad.
I still hold out hope he will adjust to the office, Fred. However, my pragmatism says he won’t make it to the end of his first term. It’s a shame. He has so much potential.