Trump may well succeed in creating a United America---against him.
54
The fog is because he is a liar.
91
Mr. Douthat, the fog you see is in Trump's head. He literally cannot perceive anything beyond his own "aura." What I mean is that everything - everything - he does or says is calculated to, in his own mind, increase his popularity or make him look good (or tough, or a winner, etc.). That narcissism is the only filter through which he views the rest of the world.
So if you want to understand him or what he is going to do, try to guess how he thinks it'll change his popularity. And understand that his interpretation of what happened (e.g. comparing the reaction to his CIA speech to a Super Bowl, laughably saying his cabinet has the highest IQ ever, his lies about voter fraud and the size of his inauguration crowds) is also viewed through that same filter. He really is that shallow.
So if you want to understand him or what he is going to do, try to guess how he thinks it'll change his popularity. And understand that his interpretation of what happened (e.g. comparing the reaction to his CIA speech to a Super Bowl, laughably saying his cabinet has the highest IQ ever, his lies about voter fraud and the size of his inauguration crowds) is also viewed through that same filter. He really is that shallow.
75
All those words and Douthat didn't say anything clear
Trump is baiting the Islamic world to make attacks on US soil so he can declare Marshall law. He is quickly trying to consolidate power
What is frightening is the number of senators and judges that do nothing and say nothing waiting for the right time when the public is done and that may be too late
Trump is baiting the Islamic world to make attacks on US soil so he can declare Marshall law. He is quickly trying to consolidate power
What is frightening is the number of senators and judges that do nothing and say nothing waiting for the right time when the public is done and that may be too late
83
I think the real "fog" is the experience of conservatives like Mr. Douhat, who come from the great tradition of Edumd Burke, and feel that their historical project has been dashed against the rocks. What's next?
29
Not a fog bound Administration to run aground, a fog bound Administration to run America aground. Sad
76
You're right, many aspects of "policy" have yet to fall into place but I'll bet here and now he let's up on Russia and abandons our historic allies on sanctions.
For the rest of his foreign policy, whatever Vlad tells him.
For the rest of his foreign policy, whatever Vlad tells him.
57
Ross:
If the media - a.k.a. Fourth Estate, defender of truth - is to have any legitimacy, it must certainly, FINALLY!, stand up to the Big Lie Machine of Trump and the Republicans. If George Orwell were still alive, I'm certain that Trump would have made him his Press Secretary, if not the Director of Misinformation. If there is a "Fog Of Trump", lay the blame squarely where it originates: at the feet of the right wing media manipulators. And despite your disingenuous attempts at being a "reasonable" right wing pundit, you are certainly a part of this fog creation.
Trump has openly declared war on the Truth, and on the MSM, and if they have any backbone left after years of being corporate lap dogs, they will finally fight back and reclaim their mantel of Vox Populi.
If the media - a.k.a. Fourth Estate, defender of truth - is to have any legitimacy, it must certainly, FINALLY!, stand up to the Big Lie Machine of Trump and the Republicans. If George Orwell were still alive, I'm certain that Trump would have made him his Press Secretary, if not the Director of Misinformation. If there is a "Fog Of Trump", lay the blame squarely where it originates: at the feet of the right wing media manipulators. And despite your disingenuous attempts at being a "reasonable" right wing pundit, you are certainly a part of this fog creation.
Trump has openly declared war on the Truth, and on the MSM, and if they have any backbone left after years of being corporate lap dogs, they will finally fight back and reclaim their mantel of Vox Populi.
141
"If [Trump] can’t provide clarity and reassurance and a little light around his agenda, it will be very easy for a fog-bound presidency to simply run aground."
Not every beneficiary of such an eventuality is an external enemy. I suspect that many wealthy Trump supporters are encouraged by the prospect of a paralyzed democracy. What predator wouldn't be? Even the surrogates you see in TV ads, sleeves rolled up, hands in the soil, talking about everything they do for...you.
Not every beneficiary of such an eventuality is an external enemy. I suspect that many wealthy Trump supporters are encouraged by the prospect of a paralyzed democracy. What predator wouldn't be? Even the surrogates you see in TV ads, sleeves rolled up, hands in the soil, talking about everything they do for...you.
24
The article states: "We’ll find out whether Trump’s refugee and visa freezes from Muslim countries are actually .... a means to stricter screening". Never before today did I ever look into what such a screening process was, much less from Syria. I just presumed, as most folks including the President seemly do, that it was really loose and terrible. After all, the "press" never seems to rebut any such presumption. My Google search this morning quickly revealed how wrong such a presumption is. The following written by a Syrian refugee who actually went through the vetting process shows how extreme the "vetting" process already in place is for prospective Syrian refugees. http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/i-went-through-americas-e... How much more extreme could it be?
23
"If he can’t provide clarity and reassurance and a little light around his agenda, it will be very easy for a fog-bound"
His only agenda I have been able to see is to gain adulation from his supporters and to have good poll numbers. How do you formulate creditable policy around that?
His only agenda I have been able to see is to gain adulation from his supporters and to have good poll numbers. How do you formulate creditable policy around that?
15
What you call opposition, the rest of us call a free press that is finally doing its job again and holding policy makers accountable with actual facts.
53
Exactly. Enforcing immigration law is all that Trump has to do. By adding the mundane requirement that every employer must E-Verify - for National Security purposes- and then actually prosecuting those who violate our pre-existing law, Trump will need no $12B wall, no Muslim ban, no multi-personality theatre to appease his stunned audience. So why not? (his team is inept or they lied).
Ten years in employer prison will abruptly stop - and rapidly reverse - the incorporated flow of 'economic refugees' into the United States. Public, business, and religious ignorance is not a viable legal defense -
https://www.justice.gov/usam/criminal-resource-manual-1907-title-8-usc-1...
Ten years in employer prison will abruptly stop - and rapidly reverse - the incorporated flow of 'economic refugees' into the United States. Public, business, and religious ignorance is not a viable legal defense -
https://www.justice.gov/usam/criminal-resource-manual-1907-title-8-usc-1...
14
You in the media are trapped in a pernicious game of Catch 22 run by the bogus Bureaucracy of Fog. If the rules of this game were clear, logical, and fair, you would be able to do your job without seeming to lead the resistance to Trump. You would be able to investigate and report the facts and simply be viewed as performing the public service you are there to do. Editorials built around agreed-upon facts would be viewed as healthy debate. Instead, you must report on a POTUS and inner circle of ethically challenged advisors who lie and game the established system at every turn. Opinion writers then have to engage this craziness. Simply by virtue of doing your job, then, the media are by default leading the resistance to Trump -- even while appearing not to be doing your job, because your job is not to supposed to be biased against a president. Catch 22.
The only way out of this paradox is to keep doing your job of honestly investigating, reporting, and opining. Keep the sun shining bright on this fog until it burns off enough for more of his supporters to see what's really going on.
The only way out of this paradox is to keep doing your job of honestly investigating, reporting, and opining. Keep the sun shining bright on this fog until it burns off enough for more of his supporters to see what's really going on.
31
You're missing the whole point: The fog is a feature, not a bug. Trump's team is busy undermining our democracy from the bowels of the administration to the courts, co-opting representative government, undoing the post-War order that has kept us safe for the past 70 years. and he will, when certain segments of the citizenry push back, turn our police force against us, all while he amasses a real fortune (as opposed to the house of cards he had previously built) and sets up Steve Bannon as Vice Fuhrer in our soon-to-become one party state.
If you don't recognize that the game you're watching is a distraction while your pocket is being picked, you haven't spent enough time in New York.
If you don't recognize that the game you're watching is a distraction while your pocket is being picked, you haven't spent enough time in New York.
105
The press is just reminding folks that 2 + 2 = 4 while Trump wants us to believe the sum is 5.
33
I wouldn't be surprised if impeachment proceedings start before December ends.
24
A man who knowingly signs executive orders that are illegal to throw red meat to his base. Oh the glory.
He may find a judge and members of the N.Y. FBI office to lock her up.
He would receive such adulation for that act.
And that is why it is possible.
He may find a judge and members of the N.Y. FBI office to lock her up.
He would receive such adulation for that act.
And that is why it is possible.
19
With Mr. Douthat we must keep perspective. He is a Republican. He is certainly more to the right than most regular Times' readers. He spent eight years arguing against the Obama Administration. The fact that he is even writing these types of columns now should not only be refreshing to us--it's down right amazing. I never thought I'd hear him be so critical of a Republican President and a Congress stacked with Republicans. Hopefully these types of columns will register with those that supported Trump--and they'll realize as Mr. Douthat does--Trump "is a loose cannon."
32
"Second: The establishment press, as I warned last week, is being pressured to lead the resistance to Trumpism"
The question, Mr. Douthat, is why aren't YOU leading the resistance? Are you aware of what's been happening the past week and especially in the last 24 hours? How can any intelligent person think any of this is good?
We're witnessing the slow disintegration of America and Douthat and Republicans are going along with it because they'll get that tax cut on billionaires they've coveted for years.
The question, Mr. Douthat, is why aren't YOU leading the resistance? Are you aware of what's been happening the past week and especially in the last 24 hours? How can any intelligent person think any of this is good?
We're witnessing the slow disintegration of America and Douthat and Republicans are going along with it because they'll get that tax cut on billionaires they've coveted for years.
90
A 'lifting' (or 'descending') fog? This is the (rather weak, I'd say) descriptive metaphor? Really? I was curious about how long it would take Ross Douthat to settle into some sort of 'comfort zone' in which he would begin to create for himself grounds for accepting the moral and political character of Trump as president. Looks to me like it didn't take long.
40
Readers of RD's column should take a close look at the links it offers to provide examples of overwrought press claims of "muffled bureaucrats!" and "mass resignation!" The former cleatly does support Russ's thesis; the latter -- which chastizes a NYT piece for having the audacity to use "management" to refer to an officially labeled "management team" and accurately extrapolating numbers still trending at writing, and that sees assumes the validity of Trump administration termination of a man the GOP has included among the State Department cast of its Benghazi fabrications and wildly overwrought "email scandal" exaggerations-- not so much.
1
Ask any real businessperson what effect the fog of chaos and insanity does to the business climate.
12
Fanciful thinking on my part, but I hope that the worst of DT's actions (and there will be many) will affect his supporters the most (and we know there are fewer than there were for HRC).
8
Mr. Douthat, this is not the time for cold-blooded, detached analysis that amounts to "oh, just relax everyone, don't get hysterical and overreact to gag orders to government agencies, lunatic charges of voter fraud, a ban on refugees, etc, let's just calm down and see what happens." what we need right now is moral indignation and a passion for resistance to an administration that is destroying every value we hold dear. for once, Mr Douthat, step out of your hyper-rational detachment and show some emotion about what is happening to our country!
16
The problem for the Republican establishment is not what the President will do, whether he will fail, or the chance that he might even stop being President.
The problem for the Republicans is how to blame whatever happens on the Democrats.
The problem for the Republicans is how to blame whatever happens on the Democrats.
19
Mr. Douthat, with all due respect, are you fully aware of the events of this past week? A narcissistic President's obsession with crowd size, also asserts 3 to 5 million people not only voted illegally, but also none of them voted for him? Ms. Conway and "alternative facts"? Mr. Bannon instructing the press, no matter what the Constitution says "to keep its mouth shut? (Shouldn't that be plural rather than singular? But, never mind). Executive orders on pipelines in violation of trade treaties and WTO agreements? Unconscionable and unconstitutional immigration and refugee orders? Does any of this sound familiar? Because if it does, it isn't fog that you see, but the smoke from the fires as Trump burns down the very foundation of our country and any claim of moral leadership in the world. Do not try to write as if this man or this administration, or those in Congress that support or remain silent, are mere characters in a not fully developed drama. They are doing this, they are responsible, and their actions are reprehensible.
40
I'm not as worried about this guy's presidency running aground in the fog. I'm much more concerned it will run amock without many checks or balances.
9
Lying of itself is not something for which trump can be impeached. If it was the case, he would have been dragged off the inauguration stand in cuffs. But lying under oath on trial is perjury. The country has to bring him to trial. It won't be long before the punishment fits the crime.
22
So far John McCain and Lindsay Graham are speaking out against this week-old administrations lies and bad ideas. A crucial question is whether other Republicans will do likewise. Over the next year many of these congressional Republicans (the sober ones) will likely have to choose between Trump and conscience; the Times and other publications must follow that story closely.
28
I'm reminded of the horror movie of the same name where the spirits of a wronged, shipwrecked crew take revenge on unsuspecting villagers in the fog on the anniversary of the wreck - when the fog lifts and Trump and his cronies are gone, will all Americans still suffer the consequences of the shipwreck that some willingly brought about?
8
I'm more concerned about the fog of Trump apologists, normalizing, equivocating, and faking criticisms to deflect away from the horror.
19
Fundamentals of film flam- distract and deceive. The dismantling of our cherished institutions is underway. Damage has been done already and they are only getting started.
13
No way are we going to sit tight and see what happens. The chaos, the unilateral action and the downright craziness is a real threat to our country. It is very hard to understand how any rational, smart person, regardless of socio economic status can look at this last week and accept it. It's time for all pundits who were scathing about Obama, Clinton and/or Bernie Sanders take a deep breath, pull the big boy boxers up and admit the past 8 years were better than these past 7 days. You may not have agreed with policies but at least there was a calm deliberative approach to governing. Crazy ideologues did not run the White House, the press wasn't vilified and people weren't banned based on religion. I've said before and I will say it again: All of you who stood by and trashed Obama and fed the rise of Trump own this. You own the stink, the destruction of our values and you owe it to the American people to admit it. And no, we will not give Trump a chance. He got one, on Day 1, and blew it.
22
This article displays the thinking of the residents of Kew Gardens who, safe in their apartments, didn’t come to the rescue of Kitty Genovese when they heard her screaming from the street below.
First: Though I heard something i’m not sure what it is or where it's coming from. How can I know what's happening when there is often a lot of noise?
Second: News reports indicate that there is so much violence around that, as an individual, I can't do anything about it. People who go out at night do so at their own risk.
Third: The police should be taking care of this. Someone must have reported this. Besides, who am I to decide the law?
First: Though I heard something i’m not sure what it is or where it's coming from. How can I know what's happening when there is often a lot of noise?
Second: News reports indicate that there is so much violence around that, as an individual, I can't do anything about it. People who go out at night do so at their own risk.
Third: The police should be taking care of this. Someone must have reported this. Besides, who am I to decide the law?
8
So many people were saying "give the guy a chance", "maybe he will really govern differently than he campaigned".
What part of demonstrated insanity can't all of you hopeful fools spell? Trump is simply doing what he promised to do. And it is either stupid or evil.
His mental instability must be questioned by Congress and this deranged little child must be removed from office. His continued role as POTUS is a disgrace for us all and threatens our very existence.
What part of demonstrated insanity can't all of you hopeful fools spell? Trump is simply doing what he promised to do. And it is either stupid or evil.
His mental instability must be questioned by Congress and this deranged little child must be removed from office. His continued role as POTUS is a disgrace for us all and threatens our very existence.
13
An unpopular president will have limited ability to put his policies in place. We must keep the pressure up up so that Ryan looks like the outsider, not the leader. The President can't do anything without the money congress controls.
5
While the nation and the world focused on Mr. Trump's ban on Muslims, in the other ring of this circus he set up a very dangerous concentration of power in his and Mr. Brannon's hands. Key government officials (the director of national intelligence and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) will now be excluded from key National Security Council meetings unless DJT and Bannon invite them. This feels like a Bannon inspired strategy of setting a big fire in one part of the city while he and his men go in to rob another part of the city. Dangerous men have taken power; our country is in danger.
27
Fog is benign. What we are experiencing is mustard gas form of governance.
26
It's perfectly clear that Trump is ignorant & malevolent and plans on lying to justify everything. What's unclear is how far the Repubs will follow - will they go over the cliff with him, & if so, will they take the country with them? & I mean the Repubs in Congress, the states, the electorate, the press. For example, if Ross believes that Trump & Bannon (the real chief of staff) are planning a "racially-coded war against phantom voter fraud" will Ross unequivocally stand against it?
9
I think you are wasting your time on the liberal vs conservative dialectic, like most editorialists.
This is stupid and shameful versus...not.
Conservatives need to step up and show that their views are not based in craven opportunism, and the conservative movement that I flirted with in college most certainly was not. There is nothing ridiculous about originalist interpretation, fiscal restraint, even the pro-life ideology.
But this is nonsense and unless conservatives want to allign with idiocracy they need to say something.
This is stupid and shameful versus...not.
Conservatives need to step up and show that their views are not based in craven opportunism, and the conservative movement that I flirted with in college most certainly was not. There is nothing ridiculous about originalist interpretation, fiscal restraint, even the pro-life ideology.
But this is nonsense and unless conservatives want to allign with idiocracy they need to say something.
18
The characterization of the press' role here by Mr. Douthat reminds me of TV statements of David Ignatius regarding Prime Minister May's pre-Trump meeting speech. Nodding his head in respectful reserve, Ignatius delivered his cautious and measured warning to Trump of the PM's "signals" regarding "steady" policy and "prudent" responses to international dilemmas. He sounded like a cartoon character imitating an establishment guru in a tweed jacket somberly discussing weighty ForeignAffairs matters at the Cosmos Club in Washington surrounded by Mahogony Paneled bookcases containing first editions of John Marshall's life of Washington and Henry James' The Bostonians. Unfortunately, every real "signal" from the Trumpsters is that they utterly reject Ignatius' considered approaches. Upshot: stop advancing prudent advice to this numbskull. Flail him daily for the incompetence Romney/Bloomburg targeted months ago to undermine him to the point his administration collapses. Otherwise, pundits will simply become enablers of a fake legitimacy allowing him to proceed amidst an ostensibly reasoned debate about policy choices. Keep reiterating the only truism: he is unfit for the office.
15
Get off your knees, Ross. Stop looking for the silver lining in this administration which is the most darkly dangerous pack of deuces in living memory. America's strength has always been its openness and acceptance of people fleeing oppression. The country is made up of such people and their descendants. The ban on an entire religious group is an act of cowardice and completely against the grain of America's history towards outsiders. Try and remember those words on that plaque beneath Liberty and see this crowd for whom they really are. They are not your people, Ross, and no amount of rationalizing will change that. Get off your knees.
11
President Trump is a popular president not just with the radical socialistic democrats. As a matter of fact: it was reported last week on several radio stations his rating was 59% after a week in office. He is operating by the law and the Constitution unlike the previous administration. Too bad; they will have to get used to the law and not politics.
I suggest that we, and the media, need to keep our eyes on Ryan/McConnell instead of Trump. Trump's bizarreness is a foil for what is taking place in Congress. That is where the real damage to our country will be taking place. As long as we all are distracted by the lunacy of Trump, then the Republican controlled Congress can forward their un-American agenda that favors maintaining and nurturing the oligarchy. And, while we're at it, beware Mike Pence. We in Indiana have seen him in action for too long.
13
Wandering into the fog machine will eventually be too dangerous for other leaders who must commit, back down, obfuscate, and obscure to lend "meaning" to their do-si-do with the President. When the adults dig in out of necessity to save their own careers, Mr. Trump, and those still following him, will be a more marginalized number.
Or they will start acting like adults.
Or they will start acting like adults.
1
Thank God for the press. Somebody has to hound this fool. I certainly hope he and his lemming Congress will run aground in the2018 elections. And the 2020 election. Hopefully we can survive until then.
5
I’m sure this is all Trump, Pence, Bannon etc. need to change their ways — yet another mealymouthed warning from Ross Douthat. Meanwhile, our maniacal president, urged on by cowards such as Speaker Ryan and Majority Leader McConnell, continues to stomp on the values the greatest generation and others sacrificed for. We as citizens should be ashamed of ourselves for allowing this to happen.
5
Still waiting for Douthat to apologize to the American people for being part of the GOP tea party movement that created the sordid and hateful environment that resulted in the election of this unqualified person who seeks to rule, not lead our country.
9
As Douthat writes, the confusion from the Executive Branch is intentional. "If it bleeds, it leads" editorial decisions results in more confusion. As Charles Blow wrote last week, keeping up with Trump is exhausting. I now almost dread reading the news. This is a goal of Bannon's.
Perhaps if there was a section that reported only, and in great detail, about the Legislative Branch, that focused primarily on pending legislation and the daily agenda of the various committees, the reader could focus on what is truly happening.
All of the ink about the crowd size is entertaining, but this type of story takes our concentration away from what is important.
As never before, we need the free press. Please keep providing facts, facts, and more facts without all of the talking-heads and Tweets. We need clarity when the fog of fascism threatens.
Perhaps if there was a section that reported only, and in great detail, about the Legislative Branch, that focused primarily on pending legislation and the daily agenda of the various committees, the reader could focus on what is truly happening.
All of the ink about the crowd size is entertaining, but this type of story takes our concentration away from what is important.
As never before, we need the free press. Please keep providing facts, facts, and more facts without all of the talking-heads and Tweets. We need clarity when the fog of fascism threatens.
11
"..for enemies, it looks like an opportunity."
Are our nations enemies, Trump's enemies? Am afraid that our enemies, such as the Russians, are The Donald's friends. If his friends are our enemies, are "We The People" his enemies also? Then what opportunities is he going to exploit against us?
Are our nations enemies, Trump's enemies? Am afraid that our enemies, such as the Russians, are The Donald's friends. If his friends are our enemies, are "We The People" his enemies also? Then what opportunities is he going to exploit against us?
1
Ross when the fog lifts and we get some clarity it will be the nuclear dust we are eating. Trump is dangerous, Trump is mentally ill, Trump is not going to calm down. This is just the beginning of the end.
5
What is beneath the Trump Fog? Hard to say, since the fog appears to be both genuine incompetence and a fine strategy to hide policy.
But under the fog? I'd say there is a real strategy to confound the public, send them off chasing rabbits while we dismantle a lot of basic democratic (is is Freudian that I just had to correct the spelling of the word from Demoncratic to democratic three times in a row?) ideals like faith in free elections, reliance on a Free Press, rejection of authoritarian leadership, and the necessity for empirical facts?
The fog is covering more than just policies.
But so many won't want to explore what is being grayed out and obfuscated, because they don't trust facts, they don't trust the press, they don't trust their neighbors, they don't trust anyone.
Who do I trust? Well to tell the truth, my 83 year old mother, who was born in the Depression and lived through WWII. Who remembers the newsreels of Nazis marching and remembers the revelation of the Holocaust, who remembers Pearl Harbor, Gold Stars on windows, rations, and death. Who remembers the rhetoric coming from Europe. Who feels the same vibe from our own rallies.
The fog is covering a ton of ugly.
But under the fog? I'd say there is a real strategy to confound the public, send them off chasing rabbits while we dismantle a lot of basic democratic (is is Freudian that I just had to correct the spelling of the word from Demoncratic to democratic three times in a row?) ideals like faith in free elections, reliance on a Free Press, rejection of authoritarian leadership, and the necessity for empirical facts?
The fog is covering more than just policies.
But so many won't want to explore what is being grayed out and obfuscated, because they don't trust facts, they don't trust the press, they don't trust their neighbors, they don't trust anyone.
Who do I trust? Well to tell the truth, my 83 year old mother, who was born in the Depression and lived through WWII. Who remembers the newsreels of Nazis marching and remembers the revelation of the Holocaust, who remembers Pearl Harbor, Gold Stars on windows, rations, and death. Who remembers the rhetoric coming from Europe. Who feels the same vibe from our own rallies.
The fog is covering a ton of ugly.
6
This isn't foggy Ross, things couldn't be clearer.
As President, we have a not especially bright, narcissistically disordered, 70 year old man-child who has bankrupted, of all things, four casinos, and who has never held any ideological belief other than that other people aren't allowed to say no to him and that it's always better to spend other people's money.
That idiot is surrounded by people who know how easy his ego is to manipulate and how completely rudderless he truly is. These people have very clear ideological agendas, and are quite intentionally sowing chaos all around us because it excites their rable.
Hope this helps clear things up.
As President, we have a not especially bright, narcissistically disordered, 70 year old man-child who has bankrupted, of all things, four casinos, and who has never held any ideological belief other than that other people aren't allowed to say no to him and that it's always better to spend other people's money.
That idiot is surrounded by people who know how easy his ego is to manipulate and how completely rudderless he truly is. These people have very clear ideological agendas, and are quite intentionally sowing chaos all around us because it excites their rable.
Hope this helps clear things up.
19
President Trump’s nearly constant lies to the American citizenry are surely “high crimes and misdemeanors.” We must prepare to win control of the House of Representatives in the 2018 elections if he is to be impeached.
6
What will it take for supporters to finally concede they voted for the wrong person and ideology? Many people always vote straight along party lines, never wavering never questioning. Rats that follow their leader of the cliff like lemmings, that's what many have become. And you should be proud.
5
Ross, each day Trump is in office the Fog is clearing, by the end of the month, my hope is we have a majority in this country see what I saw when he first came down that escalator ----a mentally unstable racists.
5
Russ, Trump's actions are already causing immeasurable harm. Your "nothing to see here", wait until actual harm happens approach is what got him elected to begin with.
The big difference, of course, is that his words and actions as president have actual consequences.
I only wish people like you, who are so sanguine that no harm is done until it is done, could feel what it must be like to be a legal refugee being detained by bewildered customs and immigration officials after his campaign pronouncement became an official order.
We are already over the cliff, on a foggy night, and you are saying that we shouldn't worry, because we don't know if the driver is really going to swerve off of the road.
Wake up! We are in the most dangerous time in my lifetime (not yet as dangerous as WWII, but it's only been a week).
The only thing I am heartened by is that all those people who didn't vote or who thought it didn't matter whom they voted for, are getting a huge wake up call and might actually show up at the midterm voting booths.
I only hope it's not too late.
The big difference, of course, is that his words and actions as president have actual consequences.
I only wish people like you, who are so sanguine that no harm is done until it is done, could feel what it must be like to be a legal refugee being detained by bewildered customs and immigration officials after his campaign pronouncement became an official order.
We are already over the cliff, on a foggy night, and you are saying that we shouldn't worry, because we don't know if the driver is really going to swerve off of the road.
Wake up! We are in the most dangerous time in my lifetime (not yet as dangerous as WWII, but it's only been a week).
The only thing I am heartened by is that all those people who didn't vote or who thought it didn't matter whom they voted for, are getting a huge wake up call and might actually show up at the midterm voting booths.
I only hope it's not too late.
11
The congress needs to stop World War III from happening, and the "opposition" (media, you:) needs to help them. Every possibly unconstitutional thing he might be doing needs to be analyzed in relation to issue of impeachment, or we're almost certainly doomed.
No need to analyze his cabinet on & on, unless it's to somehow get a rational General Mattis or Mike Pompeo to smooth things over before they get more out-of-hand. Need to stop doomsday, or the penultimate version thereof.
No need to analyze his cabinet on & on, unless it's to somehow get a rational General Mattis or Mike Pompeo to smooth things over before they get more out-of-hand. Need to stop doomsday, or the penultimate version thereof.
5
Wow, Toss it is almost like your eyes have been opened to the horror that is our president. And please stop blaming the press. They were OK when they reported every movement of Trump during the campaign, instead of focusing on policies and the crime riddled past of our current president. Trump is not acting different now, he is acting the exact same way he as always acted, a rich, spoiled, childlike, hate filled bigot.
11
If Trump has shown us anything, it's that what he says has no relation to what he believes. His pronouncements are for his and our entertainment (or, if you prefer, our bafflement).
My Trump-supporting friends said they voted for him to "shake things up." Well, he's done that already - and it appears that people that voted for him don't particularly like the shaking he's done.
Reality wins. A fantasy and conspiracy-theory based policy will eventually falter and all of us will reap the consequences of telling the naked emperor that he was wearing clothes.
My Trump-supporting friends said they voted for him to "shake things up." Well, he's done that already - and it appears that people that voted for him don't particularly like the shaking he's done.
Reality wins. A fantasy and conspiracy-theory based policy will eventually falter and all of us will reap the consequences of telling the naked emperor that he was wearing clothes.
16
Let's hope this fog-bound presidency runs aground without delay, the ship of state splinters into a million pieces and sinks to the bottom of the ocean never to be seen or heard from again.
One week - one week!!! - and the entire world is plunged into chaos because of Donald Trump and his puppet-master Bannon. And they both think it's just dandy and will continue to think that even when cities are burning and things fall apart to a degree unimaginable even a week ago.
One week - one week!!! - and the entire world is plunged into chaos because of Donald Trump and his puppet-master Bannon. And they both think it's just dandy and will continue to think that even when cities are burning and things fall apart to a degree unimaginable even a week ago.
15
Ross is making the mistake that so many have made and will continue to make. They believe that there's some core values, truths, or policies that Trump personally believes in and is trying to somehow carryout. There's not. So, the idea that the fog is going to lift is wishful thinking.
13
Normal. Abnormal. Alarming. Let’s discuss.
Those of us who actually are normal, many even liberals like myself, have favored enforcement of those “already on-the-books immigration laws” you mention. I don’t consider this to be “abnormal” at all. I know all about E-Verify. I also know the last thing business owners who rely on cheap labor want is to get caught hiring “illegals,” but they do it all the same. They call filling out the required forms “government overreach” and they vote for Trump. Utter hypocrisy, which should be abnormal, is now rampant.
The “alarming” part? Blaming the whole thing on the Mexicans, and building this “wall” to keep out the evil hordes. It’s offensive rhetoric. If we didn’t have work for these poor people, they wouldn’t be here. Let’s not be two-faced about it.
We are, first and foremost, a nation of laws, and that’s why we have credibility among most nations of the world. The stupidity of what’s unfolding in this country now will do nothing but erode that credibility. Instead of saying something “normal” like “we’re going to ramp up our efforts to enforce our existing immigration laws,” we argue with the Mexicans about who’s going to pay for a wall. How do you think idiocy like this looks to the rest of world? That’s alarming. That’s what keeps me up at night, and I don’t need you to explain it to me. You admonish the administration to lift the fog, I say things are already frighteningly clear.
Those of us who actually are normal, many even liberals like myself, have favored enforcement of those “already on-the-books immigration laws” you mention. I don’t consider this to be “abnormal” at all. I know all about E-Verify. I also know the last thing business owners who rely on cheap labor want is to get caught hiring “illegals,” but they do it all the same. They call filling out the required forms “government overreach” and they vote for Trump. Utter hypocrisy, which should be abnormal, is now rampant.
The “alarming” part? Blaming the whole thing on the Mexicans, and building this “wall” to keep out the evil hordes. It’s offensive rhetoric. If we didn’t have work for these poor people, they wouldn’t be here. Let’s not be two-faced about it.
We are, first and foremost, a nation of laws, and that’s why we have credibility among most nations of the world. The stupidity of what’s unfolding in this country now will do nothing but erode that credibility. Instead of saying something “normal” like “we’re going to ramp up our efforts to enforce our existing immigration laws,” we argue with the Mexicans about who’s going to pay for a wall. How do you think idiocy like this looks to the rest of world? That’s alarming. That’s what keeps me up at night, and I don’t need you to explain it to me. You admonish the administration to lift the fog, I say things are already frighteningly clear.
21
For those of us who supported President Trump we are pleased with his actions and is delivering on his promises. We hope he continues to make our country great again. It is about time. I highly doubt that Ross Douthat even voted for Donald Trump.
1
Republican senators, congressmen and power brokers have executed a cynical ploy in placing an obviously mentally ill and unqualified Republican into office pending an acceptable excuse to switch him out for Mr. Pence, someone nominally sane but also a Republican. Mr. Trump will provide them with an outrageously acceptable excuse quite soon.
Republicans are doing their best to assault reality and make America a joke around the world. May history heap shame upon the G.O.P. from which they never recover.
Republicans are doing their best to assault reality and make America a joke around the world. May history heap shame upon the G.O.P. from which they never recover.
4
Dear Ross, As usual you obfuscate about Republicans and do youd best to continue the fog. What actually happened this week? The unconstitutional executive order favoring one religous group over others for immigration. The canceling of a visit by the President of Music to meet with Trump. They will not pay for the wall. The Republican established deadline for repealing the ACA passed without any action. The Senate hearings for labor secretary delayed for the third time because the candidate could not get his paperwork done. Maybe he needs a robot to do it for him. The withdrawal from TPP. No fog at all, just incompetence and lack of true policy from this administration.
2
I am convinced that this president will never be able to provide clarity and reassurance. His juvenile vocabulary simply won't permit it.
2
While it may be thought that the “establishment press” is being pressured to lead the resistance, in fact, what is going on is something different. In an era of sound bytes (a relatively new matter) the press has presented the utterances of officials as newsworthy and left comment to the opinionators. But since almost everything Trump says is a lie or attached to a lie, the normal deference is fading. The press is simply disgusted and looking for a way to cover a man who lies all the time. And by all, I mean ALL.
Nor is the phrase establishment press fair. The press properly includes those that have news bureaus and reporters - and who gather raw news. Everything else is not news. (Thus Fox News is not a news agency at all).
Nor is the phrase establishment press fair. The press properly includes those that have news bureaus and reporters - and who gather raw news. Everything else is not news. (Thus Fox News is not a news agency at all).
4
Unfortunately for the future of the US, Donald Trump is just a natural extension of the digital derangement which now overwhelms us daily on television, the internet, social media, cell phones et al. It is in the self interest of everyone who profits from the chaos to compound it, accelerate it, transmogrify it.
Henry David Thoreau for President, please.
Henry David Thoreau for President, please.
Hey Russ, congressional Republicans and Democrats alike need to pay attention because Trump isn't taking calls at the White House, but we have their numbers. We are organizing, writing, calling and showing up at their offices and personal appearances and ribbon cuttings. They wouldn't take a group train to D.C. From Philadelphia, so they could avoid their protestors. Bad news, we are coming to their airports and state houses. Their majority is hollow, propped up by gerrymandering and people so cynical in the face of it they have failed to vote. Both parties have woken a sleeping tiger, and we won't go back. ACLU servers were crashing last night due to donations. We are coming for congress, since they are standing by and letting this jerk run the table.
5
I hoped for so much during the long prelude leading up to the election. Then I hoped for the best result when the election came. Now I just hope we can make it through another week.
4
“Twitter promise". Along with "alternative fact", does that now go on the list of two-word synonyms for "intentionally false statement" ?
2
Your article suggests an us vs them mentality drives this administration and I for one do not consider that normal. It is not elitist, establishment, mainstream or any label the administration and its supporters would attach. It is flatly unacceptable for the President of the United States.
1
Yes, The Republican President is a loose cannon. He holds a powerful office. Your Republican President matters not because of the chaos he creates, but because of his Republican Party. And it's not Trumpism, It's Republicanism. That's why you cannot be certain whether those leaked memos reflect the mental process of The Republican President or some run of the mill Republican
Man up Mr. Douthat. He's yours. He's surely not mine. Start calling him My Republican President in your columns.
Man up Mr. Douthat. He's yours. He's surely not mine. Start calling him My Republican President in your columns.
5
What we all need do is remember: "Don't believe a word that comes out of the White House. Even if the speaker thinks he (or she) is telling the truth. Nothing said can be relied upon. Consider only actions taken."
And pray God the rest of the country wakes up to the magnitude of disaster this administration represents for our country.
And pray God the rest of the country wakes up to the magnitude of disaster this administration represents for our country.
8
The fog of Trump? You might have trouble seeing the intent of this administration, but most of your fellow Americans see it clearly. Trump and his crew are as dark as his inaugural address. Their fear and hatred run through all their actions and words. Compassion and decency are absent.
My question is, when will congressional Republicans denounce Trump? When will evangelical Christians, his biggest supporters, part ways with him?
My faith in the decency of my fellow Americans says this will happen. But it cannot happen too soon.
My question is, when will congressional Republicans denounce Trump? When will evangelical Christians, his biggest supporters, part ways with him?
My faith in the decency of my fellow Americans says this will happen. But it cannot happen too soon.
5
The fog surrounds everyone, including Trump's entire team. It's hard to imagine a set of circumstances more advantageous to an enemy interested in filling any of the voids created by the lack of Trump vision (see his portrait entitled "The Visionary" in Vanity Fair) and the same deficit in his team and in Congress.
For sober and thoughtful analysis of Trump's every move, I strongly recommend CBC News. It's always on the mark, and just deferred long enough to shed the hype and hysteria which confound CNN and MSNBC.
For sober and thoughtful analysis of Trump's every move, I strongly recommend CBC News. It's always on the mark, and just deferred long enough to shed the hype and hysteria which confound CNN and MSNBC.
1
The whole thing a absolutely horrifying. Trump is a complete dunce who is being propped up by Bannon (pure evil) and Pence (EXTREME right wing agenda). Jared Kushner is another form of extreme--a Zionist. An alternate reality is being foist upon us and the media would do well, as Ross advises, to take a different tactic. How about simply reporting the news without opining 24/7, mentioning Trump directly as little as possible and reporting but not giving attention to or commenting on his nonsense or idiocy,much less over-dissecting it. Trump is Chauncy Gardiner folks, but he's mean and the people behind him who actually have brain power are even meaner.
4
It's not the media who are "being pressured to lead the resistance to Trumpism." They are simply reporting on the horrifying emergence of fascism in America. It wasn't the media who led the four million people on Saturday who marched in outrage against Herr Trump. It wasn't the media who concocted the demonstration of thousands of New Yorkers at Kennedy Airport against Trump's bigoted policy against Muslims.
The real question here is why Ross Douthat remains silent in the face of the new American fascism. Perhaps it's because he finds it so welcoming.
The real question here is why Ross Douthat remains silent in the face of the new American fascism. Perhaps it's because he finds it so welcoming.
6
Donald Trump is certainly listening intently to "his master's voice" (Steve Bannon) for advice on how to govern. Bannon's quote- "We're going to throw it up against the wall and see if it sticks" pretty much describes the president's first week in office. Another Bannon quote, or perhaps motto, "Darkness is good." seems well on the way to becoming an Orwellian reality as the Trump administration moves us backward to darker times.
9
Mr. Douthat. This fog bound presidency has already "hit the iceberg", is taking on water", and sinking fast. Have you been asleep in your cabin all of these months?
11
It's been just a week of Trump and I'm already exhausted.
122
It's not the "fog" of Trump, it's the "smog" of Trump, whose toxic governing chemicals include issue and policy ignorance, misogyny, racism , algorithms of serial lying and distortion, and a president with a pathological narcissism.
9
...or is he a dangerously impulsive reactionary who will continue to sign poorly thought-through executive orders, for a quick ego hit from Bannon and/or his Fox- loving base, resulting in the kind of chaos, suffering and panic seen today--the likes of which I haven't seen in the thirty plus years I've followed politics. This may in fact be the reality: he is a child with a giant erector set called the USA, which he views as solely a way to feed his metastasizing ego. We are, to paraphrase George HW Bush, in very deep doo-doo, with a feckless, compulsively out of control POTUS who needs to be removed sooner rather than later. He and his followers actually enjoy inflicting pain and suffering, just to settle grade-school level scores (eight years of resenting our first black president), which the majority of voters have already found revolting. I don't know why journalists overlook the insanely dark side of this person. We all do so at our peril, as today proved.
3
When it comes to consistent presidential policy, Trump is like the Gertrude Stein description of Oakland: "There is no there there." At the same time, the Republicans around him are attempting to foist their agenda on the country.
The result is fairly predictable: An evil chaos that is engulfing us all.
The result is fairly predictable: An evil chaos that is engulfing us all.
2
Your recent articles encourage the equivalent of fiddling while Rome starts to burn so we can see if it's really on fire. If we wait to see if Trump's actions are really as bad as they seem, it may well be too late. I wonder what you, Mr. Douthat, have to say about Trump's most recent executive order removing the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Director of National Intelligence from the National Security Council and adding Steve Bannon? Perhaps you have an angle to make this seem un-alarming. Maybe Trump is pranking the country?
9
Trump apologists throw the word salad around to justify the abnormal.
History will not treat them kindly.
History will not treat them kindly.
9
When one notices, during a flight, the pilot staggering up the aisle swigging from a bottle of gin, it is an inappropriate response to say "Well, so far so good." From the evidence so far, Mr. Trump risks being removed from office on grounds of psychological incapacity. The apparent inability to remember recent events and statements, the repeated failures to distinguish the real world from a dream world, cannot be written off as a new approach to politics. This is a condition all of us over 70 start to worry about.
9
"We’ll find out how far the president intends to run with the voter-fraud nonsense."
Ross, we already know the answer to that one, and you should too.
When Trump loses re-election in 2020 (despite repuglican voter suppression), "voter fraud" will be Trump's excuse for declaring a permanent state of emergency, calling out the military and his well-armed friends in the membership of the NRA, seizing permanent power as the first American Czar.
Ross, we already know the answer to that one, and you should too.
When Trump loses re-election in 2020 (despite repuglican voter suppression), "voter fraud" will be Trump's excuse for declaring a permanent state of emergency, calling out the military and his well-armed friends in the membership of the NRA, seizing permanent power as the first American Czar.
4
Douthat--"The trick for the public will be figuring where what’s “abnormal” is obviously “alarming” and where it makes more sense to wait and see."
"Wait and see''--Douthat reminds me of the Kevin Bacon character in "Animal House"-- "Remain calm! All is well!" After all, he's only been president for a week!
It's not like we haven't seen witnessing Trump and his worst instincts at play for more than a year, with the cautious holding their breath and waiting for the kinder, gentler Donald to appear.
He is what he is--a calculating, mean-spirited, short attention span narcissist--and the first week simply reflected that reality. Time for Douthat to wake up.
"Wait and see''--Douthat reminds me of the Kevin Bacon character in "Animal House"-- "Remain calm! All is well!" After all, he's only been president for a week!
It's not like we haven't seen witnessing Trump and his worst instincts at play for more than a year, with the cautious holding their breath and waiting for the kinder, gentler Donald to appear.
He is what he is--a calculating, mean-spirited, short attention span narcissist--and the first week simply reflected that reality. Time for Douthat to wake up.
4
What's to get nervous about?
1
I thought at first that DJT might make it to two years or so before being run out of town. Now it looks like he might not even last two months.
4
This is a repeat of last week's column. Once again, Mr. Douthat avoids taking a position on Trump. Instead, under the guise of being helpful, he criticizes the press for criticizing Trump. Why doesn't Mr. Douthat stop playing the good uncle and tell us what he, himself, actually thinks of The President?
7
What did the ghost of Ronald Reagan say to the Lying Loser Trump?
"There you go again."
"There you go again."
7
Is it true that, on the Day after the Inauguration, and even before he sent the head of the Park Service out chasing rainbows and measuring clouds and ghosts, he addressed the Staff. It was a sparse crowd, I might add, because the latest batch of Kelly Girl Temps hadn't arrived yet.
But, Don and had his red flag out and declared: Let the Tumult Begin. Now, with Jared circling around, acting like he owned the place, Reince was trying to determine which was the Out Box for the Senate, the next one (hopefully) for the house...and which one was for the Trash. But in effect, they all one down eh Laundry Chute.
Mike Flynn was walking around, swagger stick under his right arm, acting like he owned the place. But, Jared corrected him, since he owns the place. And that's when Ivanka arrived, and asked Steve Bannon to go fetch her a cup of coffee.
And of course, they all sang the hebrew version of Kumbaya!
I can hardly wait to see what kind of mischief this crew will get into next!
https://thetruthoncommonsense.com
But, Don and had his red flag out and declared: Let the Tumult Begin. Now, with Jared circling around, acting like he owned the place, Reince was trying to determine which was the Out Box for the Senate, the next one (hopefully) for the house...and which one was for the Trash. But in effect, they all one down eh Laundry Chute.
Mike Flynn was walking around, swagger stick under his right arm, acting like he owned the place. But, Jared corrected him, since he owns the place. And that's when Ivanka arrived, and asked Steve Bannon to go fetch her a cup of coffee.
And of course, they all sang the hebrew version of Kumbaya!
I can hardly wait to see what kind of mischief this crew will get into next!
https://thetruthoncommonsense.com
3
Reichsmarschall Steve Bannon is simply doing his calling by making America great again!
3
What's not to like about Trump?
- admonishing inappropriate crowd-photo comparisons, check
- yanking TPA, check
- brakes on refugees, check
- brakes on Obama Care, check
- brakes on PPA, check
- ridiculing irrelevant and California-assisted 3m popular vote claim, check
- taking aim at states with no voter Id, check
- asking the NYT to shut up, check
- reviving pipelines, check
- leveling the Media field with Skype call-ins, check
- ball rolling to fill Supreme Court, check
- boost to Brexit, check
- boosts to border control, check
- put misbehaving CIA on notice, check
- misbehaving UN on notice, check
- always failing Education department on notice, check
- boosts to domestic economy winning approval of stock market, check
It's by far the most accomplished 10 days in history, one that's already secured him eight years in the WH, not to mention standing shoulder to shoulder with FDR in the history books.
Meanwhile, the NYT, continue their graffiti painting, clueless. Yes, there's plenty of fog, but nothing a cup of coffee can't fix. Grab some? Like now, and then 5 times daily? Paying readers insist.
- admonishing inappropriate crowd-photo comparisons, check
- yanking TPA, check
- brakes on refugees, check
- brakes on Obama Care, check
- brakes on PPA, check
- ridiculing irrelevant and California-assisted 3m popular vote claim, check
- taking aim at states with no voter Id, check
- asking the NYT to shut up, check
- reviving pipelines, check
- leveling the Media field with Skype call-ins, check
- ball rolling to fill Supreme Court, check
- boost to Brexit, check
- boosts to border control, check
- put misbehaving CIA on notice, check
- misbehaving UN on notice, check
- always failing Education department on notice, check
- boosts to domestic economy winning approval of stock market, check
It's by far the most accomplished 10 days in history, one that's already secured him eight years in the WH, not to mention standing shoulder to shoulder with FDR in the history books.
Meanwhile, the NYT, continue their graffiti painting, clueless. Yes, there's plenty of fog, but nothing a cup of coffee can't fix. Grab some? Like now, and then 5 times daily? Paying readers insist.
3
Ross, your broad-brush tarring of the "establishment press" is insulting and incorrect. The press is not lunging for "the most shocking interpretations" of the Trump's administrations actions. The press is trying to accurately portray the chaos of this new presidency as well as Trump's aversion to facts and reality. The press has done a good, even great job at pointing out when Trump or one of his subordinates lies, exaggerates or tries to evade the truth. It's also trying hard to project the consequences of Trump's proposed policies, even though they rarely have substance or detail.
The press as far as I can see is doing its job. What about you?
The press as far as I can see is doing its job. What about you?
15
"In the Donald Trump era, though, there’s a distinctive problem: Before he can be defended or criticized, we have to figure out what’s actually happening."
A good beginning, Mr. Douthat, but isn't it evident that President Trump is busily creating a new television format: Irreality TV?
President Trump's fulminating Id is wholly transgressive. Throughout his first week in office, he has been committed to the belief that the standards that apply to others do not apply to himself.
He never leaves the stage. He is always stage-center, consistently imposing his own alternative reality on the world, no matter what the costs to others or the inconsistency of the means he employs in doing so.
If his misdirection, lies, and inconsistencies bother you, it is simply because you have not bought into his delusional "alt-reality".
Donald Trump lives in a truth-free, fact-free, post-post-modern world. For this candidate, there are no facts, merely interpretations--manipulative interpretations that he spins out on a reflexive spur of the moment, audience-centered basis.
None of the rules that applied to the benighted denizens of an earlier age--an age in which people believed in reasoned debate with reference to publicly accessible factual evidence--apply to him.
This Id-driven narcissist dwells in a world all his own--in a megalomaniacal dream-play.
It is his irreality, Ross, and you are welcome to it.
A good beginning, Mr. Douthat, but isn't it evident that President Trump is busily creating a new television format: Irreality TV?
President Trump's fulminating Id is wholly transgressive. Throughout his first week in office, he has been committed to the belief that the standards that apply to others do not apply to himself.
He never leaves the stage. He is always stage-center, consistently imposing his own alternative reality on the world, no matter what the costs to others or the inconsistency of the means he employs in doing so.
If his misdirection, lies, and inconsistencies bother you, it is simply because you have not bought into his delusional "alt-reality".
Donald Trump lives in a truth-free, fact-free, post-post-modern world. For this candidate, there are no facts, merely interpretations--manipulative interpretations that he spins out on a reflexive spur of the moment, audience-centered basis.
None of the rules that applied to the benighted denizens of an earlier age--an age in which people believed in reasoned debate with reference to publicly accessible factual evidence--apply to him.
This Id-driven narcissist dwells in a world all his own--in a megalomaniacal dream-play.
It is his irreality, Ross, and you are welcome to it.
10
I am dogged out tired of trying guess what Trump might do, even almost as tired as trying to figure out what he is actually doing. Here's da problem, Jack: he doesn't know what he plans to do (he's even admitted that he was once reminded of a promise he made by watching himself on television) and he's got a random crew of random amateurs around him trying to variously hide, promote themselves in public media and presumptive acclaim and, all the while, keep the boss somewhat tethered to planet earth while they, themselves float away (Kellyanne Conway, this means you).
Don't say, America, you weren't warned. There was a virtual tsunami of information coming out over the summer and fall about this guy's background, he dastardly poor business practices, his multiple bankruptcies, his taking over things, like the Eastern Airlines Shuttle, proclaiming how wonderful they were going to be and then dropping them like a scorching potato when things went south. Plus, his personal life. Plus, his lack of intellectual...depth? Does the word even apply?
Republicans have allowed us to slip into this witches brew. They were afraid to challenge him for most of the primaries, they called him out as unqualified for the presidency but then, in the next breath, announced they would support him anyway (so much for patriotism and love of country).
The chaotic mess over immigrants and travel bans is a model of what the next four years could look like. Please stop the world, I wanna get off.
Don't say, America, you weren't warned. There was a virtual tsunami of information coming out over the summer and fall about this guy's background, he dastardly poor business practices, his multiple bankruptcies, his taking over things, like the Eastern Airlines Shuttle, proclaiming how wonderful they were going to be and then dropping them like a scorching potato when things went south. Plus, his personal life. Plus, his lack of intellectual...depth? Does the word even apply?
Republicans have allowed us to slip into this witches brew. They were afraid to challenge him for most of the primaries, they called him out as unqualified for the presidency but then, in the next breath, announced they would support him anyway (so much for patriotism and love of country).
The chaotic mess over immigrants and travel bans is a model of what the next four years could look like. Please stop the world, I wanna get off.
18
Oh my god. This is so embarrassing. Trump has multiple centers of gravity? An ideological cocktail? He's merely a loose cannon?
Please stop with the euphemisms and colloquial sayings. We will never obtain "a certain clarity" with this fellow. He is insane.
You are undermining what is left of your dignity, Ross, by defending this madman. The only hope we have is Republicans waking up to what they have wrought. The rest of us can see the problem here.
Please stop with the euphemisms and colloquial sayings. We will never obtain "a certain clarity" with this fellow. He is insane.
You are undermining what is left of your dignity, Ross, by defending this madman. The only hope we have is Republicans waking up to what they have wrought. The rest of us can see the problem here.
26
Trump is suffering from malignant Narcissistic Personality Disorder. He is mentally ill. There will be no pivot and the "wait and see" approach is nothing more than folly.
20
Trump will not change. He was mentored early on by Roy Cohn, Joe McCarthy's
lawyer. His business empire connections are still in place. The Mexican wall
is unclear as to who will build it, how it will be paid, and whether it will be
effective. Trump can shatter the international economy and bring back 1929.
Trump can also stumble into another war. Back to the days of the Roman Empire
for similar behavior.
lawyer. His business empire connections are still in place. The Mexican wall
is unclear as to who will build it, how it will be paid, and whether it will be
effective. Trump can shatter the international economy and bring back 1929.
Trump can also stumble into another war. Back to the days of the Roman Empire
for similar behavior.
8
For a man who knows little about world politics, didn't even bother to prep for the debates and didn't know what Brexit meant when asked, Trump's top two advisors become very important. Reince Priebus is dyed in the wool GOP, while Bannon is a maverick cipher who has said he wants to break up our alliances, whatever that means. Who's going to win out, the slick lawyer or the dangerous radical? Maybe they'll just duke it out every day. Also, how many painful splinters will the rest of the R's be able to endure while fence sitting as their careening RINO runs amuck?
13
At least I can say that I am not fog-bound. I can say with lucidity that I am encouraging everyone me to boycott the American brand. Conscientious people of good will abroad should revise their vacation plans, opt for non-American alternatives when purchasing goods and services. I also hope that foreign states deny visas to American artists and athletes seeking to work abroad, during these troubled times in America. To paraphrase Trump : 'well, America isn't America anymore, ya know' -- he had been referring to France in the wake of terrorist atrocities committed by ISIS in the past two years.
15
A meteorite has hit the "Primordial Soup". We shall see what the derivative effects are. But, one has to remember, the soup, a complex mixture of people trying to live their lives as best they could, was already there.
There was no fog. There was an atmosphere too, incompetent to burn off the invader, before he struck. We shall soon see what the composition of the stew really was.
There was no fog. There was an atmosphere too, incompetent to burn off the invader, before he struck. We shall soon see what the composition of the stew really was.
2
The "loose cannon" that is Donald Trump has the nuclear launch codes at his disposal and unlimited potential to blow up the US and worldwide economy. Wait and see is not an option; normalizing his behavior as something we simply haven't witnessed is a death wish.
1
Never mind impeachment and high crimes and misdemeanors. How can this guy be sectioned? He is clearly a meglomaniac narcissist, delusional, a pathological liar, and a sociopath. Do we have to live through "Dr. Strangelove" for someone to step in with the butterfly net and take him away? It will be too late then. I wonder if it is more like "The Manchurian Candidate"? The followers of Johnny Isen in that film were just like Trump's. Maybe this is a plot to get that true blue GOP religious zealot Pence into the Oval Office.
3
It is as bad as he promised - and his supporters love it. Even the protests can be played as a sign of his strength: "those liberals are terrified". Only the outcome will convince people that they voted for chaos and that will take months.
5
Trump who? He is a flake with the brains and attention span of a ten year old. So the below is rubbish.
"Second: The establishment press, as I warned last week, is being pressured to lead the resistance to Trumpism, which makes it more likely to run with the most shocking interpretations (muzzled bureaucrats! mass resignations!) of whatever the White House happens to be doing."
Quit treating him as normal. He is a not normal. He issued an order to bar immigrants based on nationality. That was illegal. He is not interested in reality.
Exactly why do you treat him as a thinking human being? Cut the vapid cliches out of your brain and deal with the real Trump. He is not qualified in any way shape or form to be President. We need the new term, impotus.
"Second: The establishment press, as I warned last week, is being pressured to lead the resistance to Trumpism, which makes it more likely to run with the most shocking interpretations (muzzled bureaucrats! mass resignations!) of whatever the White House happens to be doing."
Quit treating him as normal. He is a not normal. He issued an order to bar immigrants based on nationality. That was illegal. He is not interested in reality.
Exactly why do you treat him as a thinking human being? Cut the vapid cliches out of your brain and deal with the real Trump. He is not qualified in any way shape or form to be President. We need the new term, impotus.
4
Trump appears to be an anarchist, sowing chaos and confusion, reaping misery, suffering, and pain, and spreading it throughout the world. Since he is not motivated by the rule of law, respect for the traditions of our democratic republic, and respect for the dignity of humankind, what does motivate this strange man?
He is a dangerous megalomaniac, now unrestrained by a cowardly Republican Party.
The Democratic Party must oppose him at every step. Impeachment should not be far behind.
He is a dangerous megalomaniac, now unrestrained by a cowardly Republican Party.
The Democratic Party must oppose him at every step. Impeachment should not be far behind.
look, when an adolescent or a two-year old is acting out, would you advise the parents that their efforts to stop the behavior will just "play into it"? I doubt it.
Our Free Press has got to investigate and report fearlessly. Bravo!!!
I well understand that with a mentally ill boss and agendas of their own a bunch of sycophants are warring over the spoils of the Crazy Baby-Boss.
We should just wait on the "abnormal"??? Till we get to alarming? Well, I'm pretty alarmed already, simply seeing and comprehending the degree of obvious "abnormal".
We need to call a spade a spade. Simply put, the man is a lunatic. He's unfit, unwell, and a huge danger to the body politic and the Republic. The longer this chaos-creator is allowed to run rampant in a White House, newly cloaked in gold curtains for the Boy King, the worse off the nation may be.
Urge your beloved GOP to draw up Impeachment papers, Ross
Our Free Press has got to investigate and report fearlessly. Bravo!!!
I well understand that with a mentally ill boss and agendas of their own a bunch of sycophants are warring over the spoils of the Crazy Baby-Boss.
We should just wait on the "abnormal"??? Till we get to alarming? Well, I'm pretty alarmed already, simply seeing and comprehending the degree of obvious "abnormal".
We need to call a spade a spade. Simply put, the man is a lunatic. He's unfit, unwell, and a huge danger to the body politic and the Republic. The longer this chaos-creator is allowed to run rampant in a White House, newly cloaked in gold curtains for the Boy King, the worse off the nation may be.
Urge your beloved GOP to draw up Impeachment papers, Ross
1
Trump is a runaway train. People who decided to climb aboard risk life, limb, and reputation. How long can his PR people cover for him or his Cabinet officers carry out policies in which they are in direct conflict. One week in and it looks like the Keystone cops are in charge. His latest executive order on immigration has created mass confusion. He will exhaust the people around him. There will come a tipping point where there will start to be resignations. His A team on national security will probably show the first cracks. His B team on domestic policy may stick around longer because they are the B team. But his simplistic and half baked ideas which had traction on the campaign trail will now start to unravel as they are put into practice. Soon he will be seen as a national embarrassment, but the American public can never absolve themselves from this fool because we put him there for four years.
1
Trump is like the Titanic's captain, except that Trump generates his own fog. "Don't worry!" says Trump, "There are no icebergs here. It's working out very nicely. Full speed ahead!"
Trump reminds me of Capt. Peter Peachfuzz in the old Rocky and Bullwinkle show. Peachfuzz used his big inheritance to buy a ship and sail it randomly around the world. In the circa-1960 story "Jet Fuel Formula" Peachfuzz's crew, rather than mutiny, installed a fake control room so that Peachfuzz would think he was in control of the vessel, while the crew actually ran the ship from a different location.
Perhaps Trump's advisors are using the Peachfuzz strategy already. With the Trump administration, it's hard to tell.
Trump reminds me of Capt. Peter Peachfuzz in the old Rocky and Bullwinkle show. Peachfuzz used his big inheritance to buy a ship and sail it randomly around the world. In the circa-1960 story "Jet Fuel Formula" Peachfuzz's crew, rather than mutiny, installed a fake control room so that Peachfuzz would think he was in control of the vessel, while the crew actually ran the ship from a different location.
Perhaps Trump's advisors are using the Peachfuzz strategy already. With the Trump administration, it's hard to tell.
3
Read the Post's opinions instead of this column. The presenting problem is that Trump's narcissism is so overwhelming that he is unmoored, or as one Post writer speculated, "barking mad". No one around him can or will control it. It's not going to get better, so Mr Douthat's advice is naive and useless. The Republicans seem to fall into two camps: complicit or without spine. Yet it is they who must put a stop to this madness.
5
Mr Douthat, this is the kind of advice thawould have been appropriate for George W Bush in early 2001 - a clearly out of his depth, but possibly well intentioned man. It is already overmatched by the shear chaos of Mr Trump's first week, and you damage your credibility as a commentator. You come across as offering a fire extinguisher to someone who is either accidentally or deliberately lighting forest fires all around him. I suggest you get to grips with the reality of what is going on. Fast.
9
Shameful piece. Ross D. seems disappointed that the president's agenda will be 'run aground'. Is Douthat disappointed he won't be able to institute his muslim ban? Is he wishing Trump had an easier time denying climate change? Or maybe he hopes Trump and his team get their act together a little more to institute torture or purge the voting rolls. Rooting for the president's 'agenda' to succeed is to support a fascist who threatens this country's physical and ethical well-being.
2
To his staff and supporters Trump is the sun and they revolve around him. As in ancient times and religions - they worship the sun. There is no fog for them. They bask in his golden light.
3
Proffering this pompous advice, Mr. Douthat is more narcissistic than Mr. Trump.
Imagine, Ross, if you can, that you're Air Force wing commander, a captain of a Navy ballistic missile submarine, an Army brigade commander, the program executive of a major weapons system development effort, or an air battle manager directing operations over Iraq.
Then ask yourself:
How much Presidential fog, how much bluster, how many alternative facts will it take to dull the performance of your people -- who live or die in an environment with no second chance and no second place -- and increase the real risk to all of us?
Imagine, Ross, if you can, that you're Air Force wing commander, a captain of a Navy ballistic missile submarine, an Army brigade commander, the program executive of a major weapons system development effort, or an air battle manager directing operations over Iraq.
Then ask yourself:
How much Presidential fog, how much bluster, how many alternative facts will it take to dull the performance of your people -- who live or die in an environment with no second chance and no second place -- and increase the real risk to all of us?
7
Mr. Douthat where is your outrage. You continue to tell us we should wait and see. What will happen. It is abundtly clear you and you fellow Republicans and conservatives either agree with Trump or you are cowards who have no convictions to condemn what Trump is conflicting damage on USA and the World. We can dependent on you to be voice of reason and rule of law. Free press and hopefully judiciary will be filling that void. Please stop explaining what Trump is doing and either supporting or condemn him.
7
Mr. Douthat, there is one transactional question no one has asked Mr. Trump.
With all his push for transactional diplomacy, attacks on our allies, attacks on NATO and support for Putin, doesn't Mr. Trump realize that he is frittering away Trillions of the US Taxpayers' money spent over the last 70 years establishing a relative peace around the world, extending US global influence and creating a somewhat orderly world trade?
Every time Mr. Trump tweets insults and attacks against our allies and NATO, he weakens all these relationships and institutions the US has help create and paid for since WW II. Mr. Trump's tweets, statements and actions this week are creating power vacuums which will surely be filled by Russia and China at no cost to their taxpayers.
With all his push for transactional diplomacy, attacks on our allies, attacks on NATO and support for Putin, doesn't Mr. Trump realize that he is frittering away Trillions of the US Taxpayers' money spent over the last 70 years establishing a relative peace around the world, extending US global influence and creating a somewhat orderly world trade?
Every time Mr. Trump tweets insults and attacks against our allies and NATO, he weakens all these relationships and institutions the US has help create and paid for since WW II. Mr. Trump's tweets, statements and actions this week are creating power vacuums which will surely be filled by Russia and China at no cost to their taxpayers.
5
Ross seems to think the fog surrounding Trump's actions are deliberate. It is more likely that impetuous unthoughtful acts by Trump have to be backtracked when they prove insupportable nonsense. That is confusion pure and simple.
Unfortunately, once missiles are launched or bombs dropped, reversal of stupidity is impossible.
Unfortunately, once missiles are launched or bombs dropped, reversal of stupidity is impossible.
5
How can Trump provide clarity to the country if he does not have clarity within himself? His first week is "foggy" because his own thinking is foggy, or more appropriately, uninformed and delusional much of the time.
Some Republicans are happy because he is finally doing things they like. But they have to be wary that he has a self grandiose and unhinged ego the size of Mount Everest such that he cannot recognize facts and truths unfavorable to his image even if his life depends on it.
The fog in your head, Mr. Brook, is to ask a fog not to be foggy.
Some Republicans are happy because he is finally doing things they like. But they have to be wary that he has a self grandiose and unhinged ego the size of Mount Everest such that he cannot recognize facts and truths unfavorable to his image even if his life depends on it.
The fog in your head, Mr. Brook, is to ask a fog not to be foggy.
1
Trump is a sick, evil person. He is Nero, fiddling. He has no idea what he is doing, nor do his Cabinet picks. I don't care what it takes, impeachment, Article 25, section 4 of the Constitution. This evil, cruel man must be stopped.
11
This is very funny! Yes Ha ha funny. The press is making hysterical conclusions - no, the NYT has it right! The White House is divided - I didn't know any of the Cabinet was actually involved - Trump seems to rush around with his numerous directives - Will there ever be any serious discussions or actual policy? How can a man who does not read or travel or do public service understand the world. Go to a refugee camp - meet "these people" and their children. People can forgive much if there is compassion. There is a dark cloud of hate over the White House. There is little respect for the occupants.
4
Trump alone can cause these problems.
2
One cautious thought: if "war is the continuation of politics by other means," as Clausewitz says, your provocative title and trope suggest a faster "continuation" from one to the other than we might like.
1
Nice political party you got there, Ros. Too bad they're all too cowardly to rein this monster in.
9
Mr Douthat, you wrote: "Of course time will bring a certain clarity. We’ll find out whether Trump’s refugee and visa freezes from Muslim countries are actually temporary, a means to stricter screening, or whether they become permanent. We’ll move from speculation to reality on Russia policy. We’ll find out how far the president intends to run with the voter-fraud nonsense. We’ll see how often his angry tweets and behind-the-scenes obsessions cash out, and how often they’re just a way of venting."
Really? Why do you think this movie will end? Might we be in a post-Newtonian universe, driven by a new perpetual motion machine? Kinda like Groundhog Day, where you get up in the morning and find that every new day is just like the previous one. This week, as I read each morning's shocker presidential order, I sat down to write a letter to the editor. But by the time I got it ready to go, I was rear-ended by the afternoon's shocker presidential order, each one worse than the one before. As Amy Walter said on the PBS News Hour, "Get used to it -- this is what each day of the next four years will be like."
Really? Why do you think this movie will end? Might we be in a post-Newtonian universe, driven by a new perpetual motion machine? Kinda like Groundhog Day, where you get up in the morning and find that every new day is just like the previous one. This week, as I read each morning's shocker presidential order, I sat down to write a letter to the editor. But by the time I got it ready to go, I was rear-ended by the afternoon's shocker presidential order, each one worse than the one before. As Amy Walter said on the PBS News Hour, "Get used to it -- this is what each day of the next four years will be like."
4
You state: "The establishment press, as I warned last week, is being pressured to lead the resistance to Trumpism, which makes it more likely to run with the most shocking interpretations (muzzled bureaucrats! mass resignations!) of whatever the White House happens to be doing."
NOT REALLY. Unless you consider this as "resistance" to Trumpism: Every moronic tweet of his gets front-page headline treatment; Your coverage of his business and moral failures was in many instances a day late, a dollar short, and not systematically sustained (unlike say your over-reaching coverage of Clinton's emails and amplifying Comey's false concerns about them); Your fact checking of Trump, until recently, was sporadic, not very robust, and not often pursued with depth; Your hand wringing (and gate keeping? censoring from public view?) re: Buzzfeed publishing the dossier on Trump's alleged interests and behavior in Russia...and so on. No, you're not the resistance, not even close. Hopefully that will change. But stories like this one, which can be seen in part as corrective communications advice to Trump/Bannon, will not get you there.
NOT REALLY. Unless you consider this as "resistance" to Trumpism: Every moronic tweet of his gets front-page headline treatment; Your coverage of his business and moral failures was in many instances a day late, a dollar short, and not systematically sustained (unlike say your over-reaching coverage of Clinton's emails and amplifying Comey's false concerns about them); Your fact checking of Trump, until recently, was sporadic, not very robust, and not often pursued with depth; Your hand wringing (and gate keeping? censoring from public view?) re: Buzzfeed publishing the dossier on Trump's alleged interests and behavior in Russia...and so on. No, you're not the resistance, not even close. Hopefully that will change. But stories like this one, which can be seen in part as corrective communications advice to Trump/Bannon, will not get you there.
7
Ross, the facts are that Trump did win an electoral majority, if not the popular vote. It is also a fact that every story in the NY Times and all of the other comments on your piece were negative on Trump. So why should we trust the print media? It is also a fact that the economy during the 2016 was sputtering along at 1.6% under your much loved Obama administration. This has been the weakest recovery since WWII. People are working two or three jobs, and of course they are dissatisfied. Trump promised economic growth, so why not give him more than one week to show that he can deliver that.
Fact: You are talking about the idiot trump, a person who had 28% of all eligible voters elect him by an electoral college. The GOP appear to support the poorly educated and illiterate trump as long as he favors what they want. How long it will take to turn on him depends on these GOP gutless and spineless wonders. Their efforts to "replace" after an 8 year period provides evidence of the brain-dead GOP. The press is our only hope to lay bare the truth in spite of how it appears to the arrogant bully in the white house. We know that bullies are cowards and so know what we are dealing with.
8
Clarity, reassurance, and light coming from Trump. Really, Ross?
2
Republicans bought Trump, broke the country and now we're paying for him.
1
How could Evangelical "Christians" do this to our nation?
1
Is there really nobody left in the Republican Party with enough presence of mind to know that uncertainty is bad for business?
5
He's not going to provide clarity and reassurance. Steve Bannon is probably partly responsible for this, if of the Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble school of thought. Good luck figuring it out.
Fire burn, and caldron bubble school of thought. Good luck figuring it out.
Fog? No, more like smoke from a stink bomb. There IS no ideology, theme,
goals, ideas or leadership. This is like a group of boy scouts manning the
Titanic, with the same outcome. The press doesn't need to gin up hysteria,
It's there already. We have elected a clown, enjoy the circus.
goals, ideas or leadership. This is like a group of boy scouts manning the
Titanic, with the same outcome. The press doesn't need to gin up hysteria,
It's there already. We have elected a clown, enjoy the circus.
2
The conservative pundits are getting more negative, which gives me hope. But only if they remain true to their new-found "faith".
The stirrings, at least, of an awakening by a conviction Republican like Ross Douhat is always welcome, even with caveats like:
1. "Before Trump can be defended or criticized, we have to figure out what’s actually happening". Ross, are you suggesting that Trump has the faintest idea what he’s talking about, e.g. with the Muslim ban?
2. "The Trump inner circle clearly intends to encourage the press-as-opposition narrative". As Steve Bannon so eloquently put it to your employer, Ross?
3. "Trump is guaranteed to do things that seem “abnormal” and that take both the press corps and D.C. mandarins aback ... The trick for the public will be figuring where what’s “abnormal” is obviously “alarming” and where it makes more sense to wait and see". Come now, Ross. Blind Freddy can see that you’re clutching at straws.
Can't you just admit that Trump is, and has been from day one, manifestly unfit to be President of the United States? Or anywhere else? By any civilized standards?
1. "Before Trump can be defended or criticized, we have to figure out what’s actually happening". Ross, are you suggesting that Trump has the faintest idea what he’s talking about, e.g. with the Muslim ban?
2. "The Trump inner circle clearly intends to encourage the press-as-opposition narrative". As Steve Bannon so eloquently put it to your employer, Ross?
3. "Trump is guaranteed to do things that seem “abnormal” and that take both the press corps and D.C. mandarins aback ... The trick for the public will be figuring where what’s “abnormal” is obviously “alarming” and where it makes more sense to wait and see". Come now, Ross. Blind Freddy can see that you’re clutching at straws.
Can't you just admit that Trump is, and has been from day one, manifestly unfit to be President of the United States? Or anywhere else? By any civilized standards?
4
The country needs Obama to articulate to the people the damage Trump is doing.
5
Dangerous things are afoot. Trump wants no funds or programs for healthcare, refugees, environmental protection, financial and busiiness regulation, new federal employees. Yes please, however, to more military spending, more border police, a $15 billion border wall. All to defend against our newly urgent threat of immigrants and, especially, Muslims. He calls for a plan to defeat ISIS. He muses about getting all the oil from Iraq. I fear the fog of Trump could quickly become the fog of war.
195
How long will we go along to get along with the Emperor's new clothes?
Trump is always what he was, and what he is will always be. In a rare moment of agreement with commenter Richard Luettgen, it is Steve Bannon who must be watched, parsed, and challenged at every turn. He's like Karl Rove on steroids, and that is not a compliment.
2
I think Douthat radically underplays the danger of a Trump presidency, for the country and for the Republican Party. Trump has been in office a week and already we've had one of the largest mass protests in recent American history, he's nearly launched an all-out trade war with our third-largest trading partner, and he's set off chaos at the nation's airports with an illegal ban on immigrants from Muslim countries.
Americans, even the ones who agree with him, will not put up with this on a regular basis. We've gone from a superpower to a dysfunctional banana republic in a week. Republicans in Congress seem to think they can use him to get what they want on tax policy, Obamacare, and SCOTUS, but if they don't shut him down, and quick, they are going to have a genuine riot on their hands. Government bureaucrats are not going to enforce these inflammatory and illegal executive decrees and protesters are going to so completely gum up the works, nothing will get done. Somebody needs to play grownup and run the damn country. The GOP has the majority, and if they don't take back some measure of control, they are going to own this meshugas forever.
Americans, even the ones who agree with him, will not put up with this on a regular basis. We've gone from a superpower to a dysfunctional banana republic in a week. Republicans in Congress seem to think they can use him to get what they want on tax policy, Obamacare, and SCOTUS, but if they don't shut him down, and quick, they are going to have a genuine riot on their hands. Government bureaucrats are not going to enforce these inflammatory and illegal executive decrees and protesters are going to so completely gum up the works, nothing will get done. Somebody needs to play grownup and run the damn country. The GOP has the majority, and if they don't take back some measure of control, they are going to own this meshugas forever.
4
Yes indeed, we are running aground. But it will be four years until we can save our ship of state, and the damage in that interval may be devastating. Ross, you've been a voice of reason about Trump. You need to begin organizing the resistance.
1
"Of course, time will bring a certain clarity." NO. It will not. When dealing with someone with mental illness, there is no clarity. We will never know from day to day what new horror or idiocy awaits. There will be no functionality brought into this dysfunctional man's mind. And, we must not give him time. Look what he has done in one week.
3
"If he can’t provide clarity and reassurance and a little light around his agenda, it will be very easy for a fog-bound presidency to simply run aground."
Run aground? We'll be lucky to get out of this alive.
When will Douthat wake up and acknowledge the existential threat the Trump poses to our democracy and our nation.
Run aground? We'll be lucky to get out of this alive.
When will Douthat wake up and acknowledge the existential threat the Trump poses to our democracy and our nation.
1
The book "The Other Side of Midnight" has a Greek attorney who poses as dim witted in order to seduce opponents into the false perception that he's no threat. They'd let down their guard and then he'd rip them apart. In the practice of law, when I'd encounter what appeared a dim witted attorney I always suspected it was the Greek attorney trick, but invariably they showed themselves to be as they appeared.
It seems the press regards the obviously inept Trump team as nonetheless having some super special political savvy, but all they've done is con the lowest common denominator vote. People who If Trump stepped on he wouldn't bother to scrape off his shoe.
But in due time they'll realize Trump doesn't care about them and they'll turn on him faster than the South turned on LBJ. Beyond the con that Trump would look after lower class whites, the Trump team has nothing. They are not the Greek attorney from the novel. They really are as inept as they appear.
It's just a matter of time. You can almost hear the great crashing sound.
It seems the press regards the obviously inept Trump team as nonetheless having some super special political savvy, but all they've done is con the lowest common denominator vote. People who If Trump stepped on he wouldn't bother to scrape off his shoe.
But in due time they'll realize Trump doesn't care about them and they'll turn on him faster than the South turned on LBJ. Beyond the con that Trump would look after lower class whites, the Trump team has nothing. They are not the Greek attorney from the novel. They really are as inept as they appear.
It's just a matter of time. You can almost hear the great crashing sound.
1
What we will see above all else is who his Republican enablers are who are putting self and power above country.
2
It's amazing, and a little nauseating. that here Ross Douthat warns us, yet again, that reporters are bound to exaggerate the lunacy and threats of this new administration.
Wow. Oh yeah. THERE's the danger. Those darn excitable impressionable journalists!
Who are these Republicans. allies of Ross. who refuse to be terrified by Donald Trump ... one of the most selfish, deluded yet savvy, petty and vengeful men on the planet ?
Apparently Republicans generally have no sympathy, no imagination, for ...
1) refugees who fail to celebrate Christmas.
2) women with few resources who require contraception and lab tests, and children who are hungry for subsidized school lunches and good public schools.
3) citizens with "preexisting conditions" who need health insurance and affordable healthcare. And Americans who trust Medicare and Social Security (which most have supported for years by paying taxes) will help support them in retirement.
4) European countries that cooperate with one another.
5) Mexicans. Gays. Aliens living in the "inner cities."
Give it a rest, Mr. Douthat. Open your windows. Look around. Trump has earned his bad press. Lots of it. And to him it shall be given.
Wow. Oh yeah. THERE's the danger. Those darn excitable impressionable journalists!
Who are these Republicans. allies of Ross. who refuse to be terrified by Donald Trump ... one of the most selfish, deluded yet savvy, petty and vengeful men on the planet ?
Apparently Republicans generally have no sympathy, no imagination, for ...
1) refugees who fail to celebrate Christmas.
2) women with few resources who require contraception and lab tests, and children who are hungry for subsidized school lunches and good public schools.
3) citizens with "preexisting conditions" who need health insurance and affordable healthcare. And Americans who trust Medicare and Social Security (which most have supported for years by paying taxes) will help support them in retirement.
4) European countries that cooperate with one another.
5) Mexicans. Gays. Aliens living in the "inner cities."
Give it a rest, Mr. Douthat. Open your windows. Look around. Trump has earned his bad press. Lots of it. And to him it shall be given.
6
"A fog-bound presidency to simply run aground"?
How about capsizing the entire ship of state?
How about capsizing the entire ship of state?
3
We have five walls of protection against Donald, his ignorant cult, and his alt-right/alt-fact propagandists (like Fox News, Rush, and Breitbart): the media, Congress, the Democrats, the courts, and state governments.
Two of the five – Congress and state governments – are run by Republicans, which is hardly reassuring. Still, how deliciously ironic it would be if evil Republicans and evil Trumpites ended up butting heads and knocking each other out.
Assuming, however, that Republicans do cooperate with Donald and try to help him implement his very mean and bad ideas and proposals, we still have the media, the courts, and Democrats to fight back. May adversity bring out the best in all of them.
Two of the five – Congress and state governments – are run by Republicans, which is hardly reassuring. Still, how deliciously ironic it would be if evil Republicans and evil Trumpites ended up butting heads and knocking each other out.
Assuming, however, that Republicans do cooperate with Donald and try to help him implement his very mean and bad ideas and proposals, we still have the media, the courts, and Democrats to fight back. May adversity bring out the best in all of them.
3
Give it up, Ross! "his team is not particularly experienced"....??
How about utterly inexperienced in (a) international relations (b) constitutional law (c) basic macroeconomics (d) the mechanics of the US Federal government, not to mention integrity and simple human decency?
How about utterly inexperienced in (a) international relations (b) constitutional law (c) basic macroeconomics (d) the mechanics of the US Federal government, not to mention integrity and simple human decency?
3
The last thing Trump and his piratical band of wealth-extracting mercenaries want is for clarity and light to be shone onto their actions. My forecast? Four years of fog. Dense, obscuring, light-impenetrable fog.
1
Regarding Mr. Trump and the media in Mr. Douthat’s Op-Ed Jan. 29, I would like to quote a section of a letter to the editor by Mr. Kupersmith printed Jan. 28 at www.nytimes.com/2017/01/27/opinion/president-trump-vs-the-press-fighting...
“Thomas Jefferson famously said: ‘Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.’
“It is the function of the media to hold the government’s feet to the fire. The first step an authoritarian regime takes to assume total control is elimination of a free and independent press. Beware!”
“Thomas Jefferson famously said: ‘Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.’
“It is the function of the media to hold the government’s feet to the fire. The first step an authoritarian regime takes to assume total control is elimination of a free and independent press. Beware!”
4
Instead of unilaterally shutting down the immigration system of the past 30 plus years to go after cultural and believing Muslims, Trump should clamp down on Prosperity "Christians" -- who use alternative facts to explain the teachings of Christ under the spell of charismatic Tent Preachers. The placebos provided by mega church showmen to millions of desperate Americans have made the preachers rich and provided solace to millions of sinners. Trump uses the same placebos to hypnotize his flock.
2
Until the inauguration of Trump, I never fully appreciated part of an old Catholic prayer to Mary - " . . . to thee do we cry poor banished children of Eve, to thee do we send up our prayers, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears . . . "
1
Thanks Ross for not following the rest of your colleagues at the NYT in pushing their purple prose into the ultraviolet range. You take a lot of flack for daring to think carefully and independently about the Trump presidency, which will be our presidency for the next four years whether you like him or not. I agree that there are disturbing things about Trump but good journalists should be exposing the story beneath the surface. Reading the same virtue-signaling over and over again is becoming plain tiresome and not useful.
1
The fog-bound presidency is being helped to run aground with Minister of Propaganda Kellyanne Conway's "alternative facts" TV appearances.
9
The President is unbalanced and mentally unfit. The lies and distortions are not part of a brilliant strategy they are the actions of someone who has real emotional problems. I only hope no one is hurt or killed on the way to his removal from office.
9
It's almost cute how you cling to the notion that Trump is capable of sane governance, if only he'd just get his act together. When will you get "woke" to the fact that he's mentally unstable? I say this not as a partisan but as a concerned American. Policies change. Some are good. Some are bad. We have tended, over the years, to drift toward the good ones once we realize which ones are bad. But you can't live under insanity. Insanity doesn't have the public good at heart. Insanity is not bound by rule of law. If Trump had the same personality but without the money, his lunacy would be undeniable to everyone. But somehow the fact that he's managed to accrue great wealth (or at least give the appearance of it) blinds people to his mental instability. Crazy people can and do get rich. Can we please acknowledge that the man is straight-up nuts already?
11
"Trump is not a popular president"; well no, the least popular president ever. And the GOP created him and is responsible for his messes.
9
Ross, this isn't "fog." Trump doesn't just "do things that seem 'abnormal," and "loose cannon" does not do Trump justice. Joe Biden was something of a "loose cannon;" Trump is starting into narcissistic meltdown.
There's no "trick" that the public has any trouble discerning: Trump has gone bonkers. He needs the world to validate his delusions, and it's not happening. His lies are getting crazier, the public (and even the GOP in Congress) ever more aware and troubled by them.
Trump's presidency is already "aground." The question is how long a delusional president can last.
There's no "trick" that the public has any trouble discerning: Trump has gone bonkers. He needs the world to validate his delusions, and it's not happening. His lies are getting crazier, the public (and even the GOP in Congress) ever more aware and troubled by them.
Trump's presidency is already "aground." The question is how long a delusional president can last.
232
This is the best case scenario.
Things will make more sense next week when Hair Trump unveils his brand new Trumpstitution. Big stuff.
Last week I thought the problem was the likely onset of MSMADD - main stream media attention deficit disorder - spread by lies and obfuscation and diversionary tactics. But, now the danger seems to be that lies serially repeated will be assumed to be true. And assumed so beyond the base that elected POTUS. The media is challenged to triage and stay focused, not easy when a swirling fog of confusion is the new normal. Stay on it, Russ! I am not thinking he will run aground on his own.
We had been looking forward to purchasing a new Ford 350 Dually, $65,000.
Now? We are keeping the old one for a few years. And our new mantra is "save, save, save."
Trump and his team are far too erratic to be able to confidently spend money. This is not an administration that gives the appearance of an adult at the wheel. As a result we lack confidence in the direction of this country, and will sock away as much money as we can in case everything unravels.
Now? We are keeping the old one for a few years. And our new mantra is "save, save, save."
Trump and his team are far too erratic to be able to confidently spend money. This is not an administration that gives the appearance of an adult at the wheel. As a result we lack confidence in the direction of this country, and will sock away as much money as we can in case everything unravels.
Ross, I appreciate the clarity of your arguments at times, however one gets the sense that you are not emotionally moved by some of these Trumpian policies, which to some us implies that you don't care. I hope to hear some comments on this Muslim ban-- The New York Times described a few Iranians who are affected, including an Iranian scientist who accepted a fellowship at Harvard to study cardiovascular medicine and a PhD student at Yale who it seems may be barred from defending his dissertation. I hope that touches something more in you than a thought to be considered, or an argument to be formulated, and maybe ignites just a little bit of disgust and anger.
I nominate Mitt Romney to lead the charge of Dems and Reps and Indies to be the shadow president, just as the English have their shadow cabinets. Sure Mitt is too far right, but he did start Romneycare in Mass. He has governed a blue state; he has a family of honorable politicians. I prefer Obama, as I voted for him, but I also had no fear of a Mitt presidency. This is only being practical since the Reps have gerrymandered themselves into power and any strong Dem will not be backed by the right. Tis country needs to stop lurching from right to left to right every four/8 years. Polls always show the country split but I would guess that the greater majority sit in that ven diagram where they overlap. Trump has shown that he cares nil about the majority of Americans, just himself and his power. So, come on Mitt, rise up and gather the people of good will, compromise and honor on both sides and show the world what Americans are really made of. Just try not to make the rich too much richer.
I'm not sure what "clarity" Mr. Douthat seeks, especially after the E.O. regarding refugees. Like the Speaker of the House, he claims to be a Catholic but the views he espouses and his continued apology for Trump run counter to Catholic Social Teaching -- not some fringe Catholic group, mind you, but principles espoused by the Curia and the USCCB. These are the times that expose character. Mr. Douthat has none. He sits on his fence with his eyes closed unable to distinguish the light from the dark.
1
Seriously, Douthat? You're still in the camp of people who "take Trump seriously but not literally"? No, we don't have to wait to see which of his insane pronouncements to ignore as being mere Twitter fodder. It should be obvious now that when Trump says he intends to do something outrageous, unconstitutional, or just plain petty that he will follow through.
Trump craves attention and approval. Typical of the narcissistic personality, he unwittingly behaves in ways that insure he gets neither. Perhaps he is a fog. More likely he is simply desperately ill, headed for a psychotic break as the amplitude of his inner dissonance increases beyond his ability to contain it. He gives every sign of an impending breakdown.
And that's the good news IF the men around him check some of his horrific impulses.
And that's the good news IF the men around him check some of his horrific impulses.
Your concern is well placed, Mr. Douthat, but I cannot imagine how you see any reason, based on his behavior or that of his closest advisors, to think that Trump will ever realize that the induced chaos and lying that served him so well in his shyster real estate endeavors is likely to bring himself, and the country, to perdition. They are as little concerned with governing as they are with honesty, candor and fairness.
As far as I'm concerned, Ross, Trump's ship of state has already run aground. At the very least, it began leaking considerably during the transition and things haven't gotten any better since.
But I do take issue with one of your turns of phrase, namely "Poor Sean Spicer". Please--the man is a grownup, likely being paid handsomely, and he certainly knew what he was signing up for!
I have no sympathy for anybody in this administration, nor with any pundits who minimized this madman's ascent.
As for your warning to Trump and his team, I frankly think they're impervious to advice at this point. One and all, they're drunk with power and nothing is going to stop them until they finally see some negative consequence of their largely unpopular behaviors. I just hope they don't drag all of us down with them before they do.
But I do take issue with one of your turns of phrase, namely "Poor Sean Spicer". Please--the man is a grownup, likely being paid handsomely, and he certainly knew what he was signing up for!
I have no sympathy for anybody in this administration, nor with any pundits who minimized this madman's ascent.
As for your warning to Trump and his team, I frankly think they're impervious to advice at this point. One and all, they're drunk with power and nothing is going to stop them until they finally see some negative consequence of their largely unpopular behaviors. I just hope they don't drag all of us down with them before they do.
Pity the poor pundit, whose job is to analyze, interpret, consider, reflect, opine. We all know what Mr. Douthat is really thinking, and struggling to say in too many words: This monster has got to go, and sooner rather than later.
I do "... appreciate anew the tortoise-like pace of print journalism". I turned off all social media conversations about Trump et al simply because it was so overwhelming and deeply disturbing. I am now relying on a few trusted news sources hoping they can separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to reporting what is truly going on.
1
Ross, we the voters and decent upstanding tax paying citizens of America see all to clearly what Trump and his hangers on are all about. In one way Ross, There is no fog about it. None at all.
Any hot button horse feathers "red meat" nonsense that can be thrown to the circus crowds to rouse them into a cheer, will do. Deportations, bans, walls, taking names, evil regulations, voter fraud investigations, carnage, the EPA, whatever .... Just toss a policy pronouncement out there because it riles up the Fox News indoctrinated base and the illuminates the press.
Millions around the globe recoil at this riotous spectacle of fools and opportunists. There will be no "day in the sun" for America as one frequent commenter predicts.
Nay ..... nations, businesses and decent folk around the world will turn their backs on America as the Trumpites and Congress Critters divvy up the spoils of a once great nation. And in this you are right Ross. The fog and odiferous stench emanating from the GOP government in Washington is no longer worth the hassle of looking through.
My international partners and clients will clear off our obligations in the US and shift operations well clear of the lunacy here. ASAP. I'm thinking of contracts in Wisconsin, the Carolinas, Oregon, Louisiana, Florida and Washington state. Not worth our time or trouble. Time to close the offices in Miami and shift the staff to "higher ground" overseas. And our LOWEST paid staff is at $70k a year.
Any hot button horse feathers "red meat" nonsense that can be thrown to the circus crowds to rouse them into a cheer, will do. Deportations, bans, walls, taking names, evil regulations, voter fraud investigations, carnage, the EPA, whatever .... Just toss a policy pronouncement out there because it riles up the Fox News indoctrinated base and the illuminates the press.
Millions around the globe recoil at this riotous spectacle of fools and opportunists. There will be no "day in the sun" for America as one frequent commenter predicts.
Nay ..... nations, businesses and decent folk around the world will turn their backs on America as the Trumpites and Congress Critters divvy up the spoils of a once great nation. And in this you are right Ross. The fog and odiferous stench emanating from the GOP government in Washington is no longer worth the hassle of looking through.
My international partners and clients will clear off our obligations in the US and shift operations well clear of the lunacy here. ASAP. I'm thinking of contracts in Wisconsin, the Carolinas, Oregon, Louisiana, Florida and Washington state. Not worth our time or trouble. Time to close the offices in Miami and shift the staff to "higher ground" overseas. And our LOWEST paid staff is at $70k a year.
What remains of the once-famous New York Times is like the worst possible investor: it is ALL set except for the possibility of this man being a complete jobs machine.
Forbidden from these pages is the news that Trump has encouraged the stock markets like no recent President without acting to pump up stock prices with fake money not even being printed, just being numbers on a computer screen like the last one did.
If this President is respected by 2020 it will be counted hereabouts as a complete failure even if twenty million full-time jobs have been created by then.
As was said this week, the corrupted media in the U.S. counts this Administration as its enemy.
Forbidden from these pages is the news that Trump has encouraged the stock markets like no recent President without acting to pump up stock prices with fake money not even being printed, just being numbers on a computer screen like the last one did.
If this President is respected by 2020 it will be counted hereabouts as a complete failure even if twenty million full-time jobs have been created by then.
As was said this week, the corrupted media in the U.S. counts this Administration as its enemy.
2
I'm rather 'late to the Ball' on this; our President seems to be way in over his head.
The only way to lift “The Fog of Trump is through the sunlight of truth!
Let me know when the fog lifts and I can breathe again. I am frightened with fear that the Monster in the White House and the Vice-Monster and the party they lead (or does the party lead them) will take our nation into the dark ages of McCarthy and Hitler. No, I didn't say they were Hitlers exactly, but their actions against civil liberties and their adherence to lies and the spread of propaganda are very similar to those dark times.
I voted and I marched in the Jan 21 Women's March and I will continue to speak out against the fog that is surrounding us.
I voted and I marched in the Jan 21 Women's March and I will continue to speak out against the fog that is surrounding us.
1
Yes, Trump is disturbing. More disturbing to me, though, is that 63,000,000 Americans voted for him. That is the problem facing this country.
1
Too much talk about weather. Fog? Seriously?
This guy is nuts. He's dragging us and the World down with him. Conservative leaning people of this Country, please, realize we're in trouble and address it head on with honesty and integrity. Your moral compass has veered in a scary direction for most of us. Please stop normalizing the 'alternate universe'. Leaders of both parties - show some damn backbone; your self serving smiles next to Trump's actions are disgusting.
This guy is nuts. He's dragging us and the World down with him. Conservative leaning people of this Country, please, realize we're in trouble and address it head on with honesty and integrity. Your moral compass has veered in a scary direction for most of us. Please stop normalizing the 'alternate universe'. Leaders of both parties - show some damn backbone; your self serving smiles next to Trump's actions are disgusting.
4
Author Susan Forward refers to the FOG of emotional blackmail (fear, obligation, and guilt). It seems that the press is under the shadow of Trump's FOG: fear that that if it doesn't acquiesce to Trump's will, it will be subject to his ridicule; obligation to a standard of balance in reporting despite the alarming signs that Trump is unbalanced; and guilt about using language to describe Trump's actions that has never been so widely used before in the mainstream media. Under the circumstances, do we have the luxury of time to wait to find out what is going to happen next?
1
It seems that truth, analysis, calmness, reason, level-headedness, consistency, fairness, logic and justice are not winning.
And lies, invented tales, imaginary problems, anger, vengeance and bullying are.
I know what side I would rather be on.
And my President knows what side he would rather be on.
And lies, invented tales, imaginary problems, anger, vengeance and bullying are.
I know what side I would rather be on.
And my President knows what side he would rather be on.
1
"I ended last week’s column with a warning for the press corps, about their potential contribution to a climate of political hysteria."
I think the media has received enough warnings from the Trump Administration, thank you. That warning might have been welcome during the election, when Hillary's emails were akin to treason. I read your column and I also read stuff from Fox and, (cough!) Breitbart. The idea that a Ross Douthat appears in the NYT is a testament to freedom of the press. That being said, how would you and Herr Trump treat the press going forward?
Perhaps Trump should put out guidelines to the press, you know, to reduce the "climate of political hysteria."
1. Herr Trump should be referred to as, "your greatness".
2. Questions should be submitted beforehand, to Sean Spicer for appropriateness and editing.
3. Questions that might cast doubt about Herr Trump's opinions as fact will be forbidden.
Sound OK, Ross? You get the idea.
I think the media has received enough warnings from the Trump Administration, thank you. That warning might have been welcome during the election, when Hillary's emails were akin to treason. I read your column and I also read stuff from Fox and, (cough!) Breitbart. The idea that a Ross Douthat appears in the NYT is a testament to freedom of the press. That being said, how would you and Herr Trump treat the press going forward?
Perhaps Trump should put out guidelines to the press, you know, to reduce the "climate of political hysteria."
1. Herr Trump should be referred to as, "your greatness".
2. Questions should be submitted beforehand, to Sean Spicer for appropriateness and editing.
3. Questions that might cast doubt about Herr Trump's opinions as fact will be forbidden.
Sound OK, Ross? You get the idea.
55
Ross, the Trump ship has run aground. Trump is so out of touch with reality he tweeted that his ban on refugees from Muslim countries is working "smoothly." In seven days in January, he has upset our relations with Mexico, with the nations of the European Union, and with China. He has signed about a dozen executive orders without any input from the departments and agencies that have to implement them. Hence the Syrian, Christian family that landed in Philadelphia today but had to return to Quatar within three hours.
His words and behavior are poorly thought out and impulsive. It amounts to a ready/fire/aim pattern. If the following weeks are similar, not only you, the Press, and the American people will be exhausted and demoralized, the frayed cords that hold us together will start to break.
His words and behavior are poorly thought out and impulsive. It amounts to a ready/fire/aim pattern. If the following weeks are similar, not only you, the Press, and the American people will be exhausted and demoralized, the frayed cords that hold us together will start to break.
1
If Trump and his wacky little minions think they can succeed by fomenting chaos, they may find its a strategy hard to sustain. Its only been only one week, they have 207 more weeks to go. That's a lot of chaos to foment.
People have always wondered what will stop Trump; people couldn't do it, so perhaps the presidency itself will do what no human being could? We didn't want Trump to be president, but now that he is, the pressure is on him right now. And he doesn't have much room for error.
I'm not suggesting a passive response to the Trump presidency, but it could be that the best approach right now is to just sit back and watch Humpty-Dumpty fall off that stupid wall he is going to build.
People have always wondered what will stop Trump; people couldn't do it, so perhaps the presidency itself will do what no human being could? We didn't want Trump to be president, but now that he is, the pressure is on him right now. And he doesn't have much room for error.
I'm not suggesting a passive response to the Trump presidency, but it could be that the best approach right now is to just sit back and watch Humpty-Dumpty fall off that stupid wall he is going to build.
1
To me and many others, Trump's 1st week in office looks menacing so far. Just to name two events, have Kellyanne Conway's statement about "alternative facts", and Trump's apparent disconnect from reality with his insistence that over 3 million votes were fraudulently cast against him. Regardless of what pundits write and say, it is just and patriotic to oppose Trump when he and the people around him are untruthful and try to circumvent the rule of law.
5
Ross, if Republican legislators weren't still so giddy with their self-perceived power of controlling all three branches of government and their dreams of trashing every social program since Social Security, they would get down to work and impeach and convict this moron of the first high crime or misdemeanor that presents itself.
I know Trump has still not read the Constitution of the United States of America. I'm beginning to wonder if the same may be true about a whole bunch of our elected leaders.
I know Trump has still not read the Constitution of the United States of America. I'm beginning to wonder if the same may be true about a whole bunch of our elected leaders.
5
The anger of the American people at this man-child lunatic is manifest and growing, rapidly.
The Republican party welcomed him, normalized his vitriol, selected him, and elected him. They alone are responsible. They alone will be held accountable. They alone have the power to end this madness through Congressional action.
Republicans will suffer the wrath of the people if they push this nation towards a confrontation that may result in the Second Civil War.
The Republican party welcomed him, normalized his vitriol, selected him, and elected him. They alone are responsible. They alone will be held accountable. They alone have the power to end this madness through Congressional action.
Republicans will suffer the wrath of the people if they push this nation towards a confrontation that may result in the Second Civil War.
4
Political analysts will be writing lengthy tomes about the beginnings of this Presidency if we survive with our freedoms intact. There is no doubt that we have intellectual paralysis in the Executive Branch. We are in Constitutional Crisis and it is now a matter of when Congress has to intervene and remove Trump and Pence.
3
It is not fog, it is a black curtain that has descended around the White House and the rest of the executive branch. What little transparency and honesty there has been in the past is gone. It is not the job of the press and pundits to give advice to the administration. It is the job of the press to report the facts to the sovereigns (voters) of the United States.
Expose the lies. Educate the public.
Expose the lies. Educate the public.
4
A "racially-coded war against phantom voter fraud " will continue to be the policy of the Republican party. I don't see any of them speaking out against it. The possibility of a permanent majority is just too tempting. This campaign which is now a few years old has led us to Trump and all of his other lies. It is the biggest threat to democracy we face, period. If it continues we will live in an Orwellian democracy complete with leaders who don't know or practice the real thing.
4
You have described a most un-presidential monster, trying to scare everybody into submission, given that his alternate reality does not seem to match with ours; and his trying to coerce his enablers into defending the indefensible, his presidency will remain in disarray, and the country in tatters. This may be the just price we must pay for electing him in spite of all his baggage of nonsense, his braggadocio and utter ignorance of the facts. And his fictions won't compensate for the real needs of our democratic society. No siree, Donald.
4
I believe the writer errs in seeing complexity in the current situation. We now have King Donald the Destroyer, Lord of the Swamp in command. Take a look at the prominent, recent picture of the King's "I-am-supreme" facial expression as former General Mattis holds his hand. Take a look at his appointments, his orders, and his craven need for constant public approval. No, we have the clarity the writer thinks is missing. Certainly, the writer is correct that there are rivalries with different people in his orbit seeking to pull the strings, chief among them the vice-president and the speaker of the house, each of whom has made their deal with the King. But who is playing who in this mix? The King is in charge. He knows it, and so should we.
3
It's the "press-as-opposition" narrative for sure, but there are others that are related but separate:
1)Trump as the disruptor, the "chaos politician," who jumps around different issues wildly with his flame-throwing tweets, and thus satisfies anti-press, anti-establishment anger and hatred in the base
2) Trump as the "victim" of a vicious press out to destroy him (and keep him off Mt. Rushmore), thus validating his actions with their "unfairness" and "being some of the most dishonest people in the world"
3) Trump the great defflector and obfuscator who applies "the fog" to impose the more radical policies proposed by his right wing cabinet
His flame-throwing and shrouding satisfies his base, which in turn satisfies his massive ego, which in turn drives his opposition berserk...very clever!!!
1)Trump as the disruptor, the "chaos politician," who jumps around different issues wildly with his flame-throwing tweets, and thus satisfies anti-press, anti-establishment anger and hatred in the base
2) Trump as the "victim" of a vicious press out to destroy him (and keep him off Mt. Rushmore), thus validating his actions with their "unfairness" and "being some of the most dishonest people in the world"
3) Trump the great defflector and obfuscator who applies "the fog" to impose the more radical policies proposed by his right wing cabinet
His flame-throwing and shrouding satisfies his base, which in turn satisfies his massive ego, which in turn drives his opposition berserk...very clever!!!
2
Once again Douthat is deceived by his desire to see an orderly political universe that will produce, like Emile Coue, the best of all possible worlds. This fog-bound comment ignores the devastation DJT has wrought on hapless people trying to better their lives with little prospect of achieving any of the fantasy projected on them. The total disrespect of American values, practices, traditions, and even laws is insulting to our visitors, our people, and our future. Bannon's cavalier comment that The Times, and most others, don't understand America is a back handed claim that he alone has access to knowledge and must therefore be accorded authority and power. That claim alone is breathtakingly arrogant but the consequence that obedience is the proper response it demeaning to all, press included, who work to make America what it can be. Douthat's fog is dissembling prevarication and he would do well to recognize that this is not mumblypeg but serious business which real consequences for real people. Douthat warning the media of anything is laughable as he's been largely wrong for the last several years using the august platform of The Times to do so. And here, again, he mistakes the fire for the smoke; these are real and damaging actions that have consequences today. Responding in reasonably real time is actually the right thing to do.
7
Ross Douthat is right about the “fog” surrounding President Trump making it difficult to know what is actually happening in the White House. Mr. Douthat is wrong to suggest that journalists should cool their heels until they know that President Trump is not merely venting.
We have been urged by Trump’s inner circle to ignore the new President’s words and to defer judgment until we see his actions. Well, although it is barely more than a week into the presidency, we have seen enough to know that this is wrong.
The public would be derelict in its collective duty as citizens, if it failed to mobilize now. This is especially true when we have a cowardly Speaker of the House saying, relative to the anti-Muslim measures, that he thinks President is “right on target.”
We have been urged by Trump’s inner circle to ignore the new President’s words and to defer judgment until we see his actions. Well, although it is barely more than a week into the presidency, we have seen enough to know that this is wrong.
The public would be derelict in its collective duty as citizens, if it failed to mobilize now. This is especially true when we have a cowardly Speaker of the House saying, relative to the anti-Muslim measures, that he thinks President is “right on target.”
10
Apparently Mr. Douthat thinks Americans are overreacting to what Trump is doing. That the press should not "interpret" the events going on everyday and that everyone should sit in the chair with their backs straight and hands cupped in their lap. Mouths zipped. Pretty hard to do. Especially when the consequences of Trump's actions are so potentially frightening. There is no reassurance, no time for people to digest and adjust, and no evidence these orders aren't exactly what they seem to be: creating a false sense of security for this country AND the rest of the world. Will Trump get up in front of his supporters and bellow: Mexico won't pay for the wall, you will. Will he firmly state: We are blocking people from places where terrorists come from, except from the places where most of the terrorists that struck America come from. No he won't. Hard to misinterpret the facts, Mr. Douthat. And remember. Trump isn't just alarming many, many Americans. The rest of the world is watching, too. And they are scared as well. These policies aren't just being developed. They have been in his and his advisers minds for some time. But many thought he would pivot and he wouldn't actually go this far. But he has. Very, very hard to sit back and wait to see how it all plays out.
8
My only confusion is trying to discern if this administration is what typically occurs in Trump inc. (probably) or just reality TV. No matter, there will be enough evidence for the articles of impeachment before the end of the year. President Pence will make us long for the Donald.
7
Donald J Trump is a pathetically insecure man. Bannon has quickly figured out that he can exploit that insecurity by inviting the president to sign anything Bannon puts in front of him. It's win-win, Bannon gets to impose his Alt-Right vision of America, no questions asked, and Trump gets another photo op, another chance to scrawl his name and boost his ego on an Executive Order. (And not for the Donald a normal pen, it has to be a broad-nibbed Sharpie, in black, so as to create a 'wall' of tightly spaced letters, at least two inches tall, like a Richard Serra steel sculpture looming over the document.)
14
The Fog of Trump is the fog that people experience when they are in thrall to a narcissist. This has been happening for some time now, as the press and everyone on these boards try to "figure out" donald trump. What is he doing? How and why is he doing it?
It's all wasted energy. It will never make sense. There will be no clarity. He is operating from a place that has no conscience, only ego preservation.
It's all wasted energy. It will never make sense. There will be no clarity. He is operating from a place that has no conscience, only ego preservation.
26
*Before he can be defended or criticized, we have to figure out what’s actually happening*
It would seem that Mr Trump has no idea what he is doing ("action" without thought of the consequences yes, but I see no virtue in that especially considering the manifest ramifications, many negative).
Keep trying to figure him out, Mr Douthat. Good luck with that. He is a glorified carnival side-show barker with the talents of a Chameleon. Welcome to the show.
It would seem that Mr Trump has no idea what he is doing ("action" without thought of the consequences yes, but I see no virtue in that especially considering the manifest ramifications, many negative).
Keep trying to figure him out, Mr Douthat. Good luck with that. He is a glorified carnival side-show barker with the talents of a Chameleon. Welcome to the show.
15
For the "establishment press" to NOT lead the resistance to Trump at this point is an abdication of its moral responsibility to uphold decency, and its political responsibility to preserve the Republic. The "establishment press" ought to have demonstrated this throughout the presidential campaign. It didn't.
By actively resisting Trump now, the "establishment press" is finally waking up. It's finally doing the right thing. This is not a time to indulge in alternative narratives: A bullying, lying, dangerous tyrant sits in the White House.
We've not arrived at aux les barricades, but every day the press responds to Trump with a putatively "neutral" stance leads us closer.
By actively resisting Trump now, the "establishment press" is finally waking up. It's finally doing the right thing. This is not a time to indulge in alternative narratives: A bullying, lying, dangerous tyrant sits in the White House.
We've not arrived at aux les barricades, but every day the press responds to Trump with a putatively "neutral" stance leads us closer.
27
It seems so unfair to our not so lovable new president. He wanted the job, but wait there are rules to be followed and obeyed. Deranged Donnie does not follow rules, he never has before. How can poor Don put the screws to all his enemies if radical judges interfere by following the constitution and act rationally. This is so unfair to our not so poor but completely unbalanced pathetic president. It might be more difficult our demented monster to destroy the planet, what a poor boy to do?
16
"Trump is not a popular president, he has not actually built an electoral majority, his team is not particularly experienced. If he can’t provide clarity and reassurance and a little light around his agenda, it will be very easy for a fog-bound presidency to simply run aground."
The sooner, the better.
The sooner, the better.
31
The far bigger issue beyond whatever Mr. Douthat or the rest of the mainstream media reports, is that the 60 million Americans who elected Donald Trump president believe they've had a great week. Their GOP representatives, with some rare exceptions, are not about to challenge that in the least. March, protest, accurately report, or laugh smugly at the dismal incoherence and dishonesty of the new leader of the free world, until there are real consequences to the supporters of this frightening corruption of American values, this depraved lunacy will continue.
3
Ross' article reminds me of the 60's and 70's when there was such a 'thing' as center-right Republicans. I'm starting to think that, like W, the perceived incompetence is part of the plan: like criminals in a low budget heist movie they divert our attention with a lot of noise while they loot the bank(treasury).
Carter, Clinton and Obama all inherited huge, historically high, deficits with the result that they had no room to implement a Progressive agenda.
Again; is this incompetence or a well thought out plan?
Carter, Clinton and Obama all inherited huge, historically high, deficits with the result that they had no room to implement a Progressive agenda.
Again; is this incompetence or a well thought out plan?
"for enemies, it looks like an opportunity."
Indeed. Trump's actions will embolden enemies of freedom abroad and at home. He is making it easier for extremists to recruit others to their positions. He has done more in a week to diminish the USA's moral authority than any president in living memory.
Indeed. Trump's actions will embolden enemies of freedom abroad and at home. He is making it easier for extremists to recruit others to their positions. He has done more in a week to diminish the USA's moral authority than any president in living memory.
3
I'm not a genius but i don't need to wait for a few months to figure out what's going on: media intimidation and suppression, unconstitutional bans on immigration, pathological lying, nominating some of the most unqualified people ever for the majority of cabinet positions, threatening women's rights here and around the globe etc etc. What's unclear about any of this? But what's worse is the articulated or tacit support these men continue to receive from the majority of the senate and congressional members of the Republican Party. If nothing else, Trump/Bannon's reckless, amoral and discriminatory actions are threatening the safety of our troops, diplomats and intelligence officers around the world. Where are all of the flag-waving patriots now? Trump, Bannon, Ryan and McConnell are totally disgusting.
2
President Trump's behavior so far has been perfectly consistent with his character, personality and history of actions, and we have Ross Douthat admitting that Mr. Trump is a loose cannon and that we should expect to see "abnormal" things that take us aback (some which will even be alarming), and we have Maureen Dowd's shock at the speed with which things got weird (as if there were any other options given Mr. Trump's personality and the night and day differences between President Obama and Mr. Trump).
And how abnormal or weird will things get? Well, in the words of Hunter S. Thompson, the weird are turning professional.
But I think that there will be an even better gauge for the level of weirdness in this instance, and we are seeing the first hint of it tonight in response to Mr. Trump's immigration ban: the courts are going to fight back. And I wouldn't be surprised if SCOTUS steps up to the plate bigly, with Chief Justice Roberts leading the fight.
Justice Roberts, a liberal. Then we will know it is really weird. But I honestly believe that Roberts knows the stakes and cares about his historical record, and he won't sit idly by and let there be a catastrophic destruction of our democracy and ideals under his watch.
And how abnormal or weird will things get? Well, in the words of Hunter S. Thompson, the weird are turning professional.
But I think that there will be an even better gauge for the level of weirdness in this instance, and we are seeing the first hint of it tonight in response to Mr. Trump's immigration ban: the courts are going to fight back. And I wouldn't be surprised if SCOTUS steps up to the plate bigly, with Chief Justice Roberts leading the fight.
Justice Roberts, a liberal. Then we will know it is really weird. But I honestly believe that Roberts knows the stakes and cares about his historical record, and he won't sit idly by and let there be a catastrophic destruction of our democracy and ideals under his watch.
1
It strains every ounce of whatever self control I possess to be civil to Mr. Douthat, but I'll manage.
This apologistic/quasi-exculpatory screed for the chief executive is so foul, that if it's the author's honestly held belief, I'd venture he's not far afield of the diagnoses made, mostly in private, but one now in public (see the professor of psychology at Johns Hopkins' comment), of Trump's mental health.
I'm at my limit of being courteous.
We are in serious danger.
This apologistic/quasi-exculpatory screed for the chief executive is so foul, that if it's the author's honestly held belief, I'd venture he's not far afield of the diagnoses made, mostly in private, but one now in public (see the professor of psychology at Johns Hopkins' comment), of Trump's mental health.
I'm at my limit of being courteous.
We are in serious danger.
1
Resist!
No need to talk about how absurd our situation is. Each of us needs to find the community of resistance that seems most important. We don't need to decide which specific cause needs action. We just need to engage with a cause we resonate with. If we all find our own community, we can work to change our future; and we will find our communities have the most important thing in common: Resistance.
No need to talk about how absurd our situation is. Each of us needs to find the community of resistance that seems most important. We don't need to decide which specific cause needs action. We just need to engage with a cause we resonate with. If we all find our own community, we can work to change our future; and we will find our communities have the most important thing in common: Resistance.
3
Trump is out to put the nation into chaos. Russians will influence all policy decisions taken by the country. The former Soviet Union has not forgotten how it was broken into pieces and the role U.S.A had played in it. With Trump in the chair, Russia will have its dream come true.
What looks most shocking to me about Trump's executive order banning refugees from entering the US, sounds like he does not, in his heart of hearts, trust any of American security body scattered around the world a bit...A ban on refugees and an extreme vetting would be carried out by - directly or indirectly - the CIA, FBI, Police force, etc.etc, and many other Government issued security bodies, which by the way are doing their job 24/7. By signing orders not letting people he deems untrustworthy in, he is stating implicitly that he is absolutely terrorized by any non-American reality that escapes his excessively paranoid control. That's also the gist of such extreme insularity, commercial protectionism - under the false pretense of "America first" - and isolationism: he is shutting himself and the entire nation off, with the help of institutionalized security forces that are following his orders for "Reasons of State" as Noam Chomsky would have it.
Soon Americans will enter airplanes to fly to another country having to worry whether that country will suddenly ban the entry of Americans in retaliation for Mr. Trump's madness of arbitrarily banning nationals of other countries from entering the U.S. Best we get used to being viewed as citizens of a failed nation.
Mr. Trump vs. Hillary Clinton? A couple more elections with choices like this and we'll be looking back fondly on Tiberius, Caligula, and Nero. We are well into the abyss. A wee bit of tinkering isn't going to begin to fix this mess. The rot is deep and Mr. Trump is merely the surface manifestation.
Mr. Trump vs. Hillary Clinton? A couple more elections with choices like this and we'll be looking back fondly on Tiberius, Caligula, and Nero. We are well into the abyss. A wee bit of tinkering isn't going to begin to fix this mess. The rot is deep and Mr. Trump is merely the surface manifestation.
1
Although I agree with some of Mr Douthat's observations. some of the blame for the fog rests with the Democrats.
Although they may differ with the philosophy of his cabinet picks. they can not deny the competence of those Trump selected.
By playing the childish game of holding them up they are allowing DT's inner circle much more latitude,
The confirmations should be made this week. and let very competent nominees start to get the President's ear,
Although they may differ with the philosophy of his cabinet picks. they can not deny the competence of those Trump selected.
By playing the childish game of holding them up they are allowing DT's inner circle much more latitude,
The confirmations should be made this week. and let very competent nominees start to get the President's ear,
1
We are now dealing with Boss Trump. American voters, the FBI and Vladimir Putin have spoken. He's America's CEO.
I can only assume that Vladimir Putin is pleased with Boss Trump in charge in America. For one thing, the FBI is all aflutter. The agency may never recover from its partisan role. If Boss Trump ends up a clunker, they will be forever in part to blame. A discredited FBI is perfect.
Presently, Boss Trump's numbers are tanking at a time when they normally swell. Down as low as 36%. Historically awful. No let-up in sight.
Why are Americans less than enamored by Boss Trump? As bosses go, he seems opaque, arbitrary, egomaniacal, combative, nasty, and undependable in both word and deed. Some of us expected he'd be awful boss. Few thought he'd be this awful.
Supporters believed or prayed he could be 'Presidential'. More than once, he swore he could. He instead appears not to know what the word means,
GOP leaders assumed or prayed 'Presidentiality' lurked within Boss Trump, that he was somehow going to bring order to the rudderless party with bold policy ideas. Some even assumed he would have concrete plans.
But it has been executive orders that polarize, a too-cozy cabinet, lies, defense of lies, a fight with Mexico, nervous NATO, unfunded enhanced border security, conflict of interest, and no end to Boss Trump's ego.
The time is past for analysis.
The GOP needs to begin figuring out how to fire Boss Trump.
I can only assume that Vladimir Putin is pleased with Boss Trump in charge in America. For one thing, the FBI is all aflutter. The agency may never recover from its partisan role. If Boss Trump ends up a clunker, they will be forever in part to blame. A discredited FBI is perfect.
Presently, Boss Trump's numbers are tanking at a time when they normally swell. Down as low as 36%. Historically awful. No let-up in sight.
Why are Americans less than enamored by Boss Trump? As bosses go, he seems opaque, arbitrary, egomaniacal, combative, nasty, and undependable in both word and deed. Some of us expected he'd be awful boss. Few thought he'd be this awful.
Supporters believed or prayed he could be 'Presidential'. More than once, he swore he could. He instead appears not to know what the word means,
GOP leaders assumed or prayed 'Presidentiality' lurked within Boss Trump, that he was somehow going to bring order to the rudderless party with bold policy ideas. Some even assumed he would have concrete plans.
But it has been executive orders that polarize, a too-cozy cabinet, lies, defense of lies, a fight with Mexico, nervous NATO, unfunded enhanced border security, conflict of interest, and no end to Boss Trump's ego.
The time is past for analysis.
The GOP needs to begin figuring out how to fire Boss Trump.
4
"Trump himself is famous for agreeing with the last person who bent his ear."
The mark of a first-rate intellect. I feel better already.
As for the Gang of 4-6 advisers, they will devour each other. At the moment my money is on Pence being the last dog standing; he has Torquemada's instincts.
The mark of a first-rate intellect. I feel better already.
As for the Gang of 4-6 advisers, they will devour each other. At the moment my money is on Pence being the last dog standing; he has Torquemada's instincts.
3
We can only hope that the Republican Congress will turn on him. Of course that will be after they get their tax cuts, regulatory relief, Supreme Court appointments, and elimination of financial transparency.
Once they deliver for their campaign contributor overlords, they will need to look toward the mid-terms. Once the Republican base realizes they are being negatively affected, they will turn also. They only wanted those "others" to be negatively affected. Remember "keep the government out of my Medicare"?
The Republicans created this mess, now they must live with it.
Once they deliver for their campaign contributor overlords, they will need to look toward the mid-terms. Once the Republican base realizes they are being negatively affected, they will turn also. They only wanted those "others" to be negatively affected. Remember "keep the government out of my Medicare"?
The Republicans created this mess, now they must live with it.
1
But run aground is a pretty safe place to be, really.
Trump knows nothing about government, or the US and its many different communities and needs. He clearly doesn't want to lead as a micromanager. So not having to do much as far as running successful programs probably looks good.
Now picture him as a sock puppet with Putin's hand directing things.
There is nothing to stop Putin's Puppet from eventually dropping sanctions and letting Putin take Ukraine and whatever else he wants to steal. There is nothing to stop Putin's puppet from weakening America horrendously by fanning the flames of fear and conflict between left and right.
For Trump it would be fun, he would be the center of attention.
No, run aground must look like a good place to be, as he destroys America one social program at a time, one Cheney like war at a time, one European alliance at a time.
Trump voters thought they were expressing their anger, but really, they just put in a master diamond cutter, someone who will split this country apart.
Hugh Massengill, Eugene Oregon
Trump knows nothing about government, or the US and its many different communities and needs. He clearly doesn't want to lead as a micromanager. So not having to do much as far as running successful programs probably looks good.
Now picture him as a sock puppet with Putin's hand directing things.
There is nothing to stop Putin's Puppet from eventually dropping sanctions and letting Putin take Ukraine and whatever else he wants to steal. There is nothing to stop Putin's puppet from weakening America horrendously by fanning the flames of fear and conflict between left and right.
For Trump it would be fun, he would be the center of attention.
No, run aground must look like a good place to be, as he destroys America one social program at a time, one Cheney like war at a time, one European alliance at a time.
Trump voters thought they were expressing their anger, but really, they just put in a master diamond cutter, someone who will split this country apart.
Hugh Massengill, Eugene Oregon
2
It would be darkly amusing to watch the Republican Party walk off the gangplank into Trump's alternative universe, were it not so terrifying for the rest of us. This must be the result of having such closed minds that they can't see that Trump is literally mentally unfit to be president. The press is not an opposition party, and insisting on a fact based approach is not some kind of plot against America. This column shows that Ross has drunk the Kool-aid.
1
Now that "fake news" and views from President Trump and his staff are being called out in headlines in The Times as "false" and "lies," it is not time to side with Big Brother who wants to muzzle them (have the press "shut up" or shut down) or at least lend credence to his delusional thinking about the size of the inaugural crowd, the popular vote, and bringing back torture. The blizzard of executive actions were just what all politicians do--throw out as much "red meat" to their base as they can. So, we have the reinstatement of the Reagan era Mexico City rule banning aid if abortion is involved, building the wall, saying falsely "Mexico will pay for it," banning Muslims immigrants from specific copuntries, and ordering the defunding of Obamacare. This the bigoted nationalist, "America First" agenda President Trump ran on is and is attempting to deliver on even if it means trampling on a few laws and America's historic advocacy for human rights by turning off the "lamp beside the golden door." This is the flurry of a wild-swinging, sloppy opening round by the President desperately trying to overwhelm, disorient, and to knock-out the opposition. Fortunately, the media and, especially the public, are not that easily swept aside, nor as fog-bound as you think, as the protests attest.
It's not at all unusual for musical groups to use smoke machines to obscure their entrance upon the stage. There's a surreal feeling seeing a group of performers slowly coming into view behind a rising column of white smoke. Add to that a pulsating beat, and by god we have the makings of a wonderful night of music. Unfortunately, that's not happening with this administration. With them, they have taken sunny and mild winter days, added a top layer of cold air, and plunged this country into a dense fog bank, behind which they devise plans to wreck havoc on this country and the world. Unless the citizens of this country, and that includes the entire Congress, wakes up, we are in for a very long spell of general despair. Now is not the time to stand on the sidelines as the band marches by; now is the time for action. News organizations, Editorial Boards, Columnists, Pundits, Individuals; lets fight back against this backward looking, hateful administration.
6
This week trump has done the very thing I was most afraid of, he has presented a very vague to no policy on very important things to us and the world while chasing some meaningless stuff. I can live with the fact the new government has different policies on most things from me, however I can not live with a president/government that jumps around, takes a different position daily and lies to make his point. After only one week we have started down a very dangerous and slippy slope.
2
As radical as this may sound, I suggest the press reports what happened as clearly as possible, and trust the public to respond. Yes, some of the public, roughly 30%, will always go along with Trump. I base this on knowing roughly 30% of the population backed Nixon even after he resigned. We are always going to have a few die-hard lemmings in the population. Ah, America ! At the same time, I'd assume 30% will oppose Trump no matter what. (Frankly, I'm being very conservative with that percentage, but I'm simply trying to make a point.) That's just the way it goes. However, that other 40% of the population is where the press needs to focus its voice. As odd as this may sound, trust them. Conservatives, liberals, middle-of-the-road (I'm sure there are a couple of those), and everyone else in this country deserve accuracy and detail. Yesterday, when the protests at the airports came together they happened because concerned citizens stepped up and said they'd had enough of Trumps nonsense. Last week hundreds of thousands marched for women and against Trump. Report the news, ignore the shouting little boys and girls in the White House, and we - the public - will act accordingly. Now, if you can just get congress to act like adults, that would be amazing.
8
Permit me to offer an alternative explanation to Mr. Douthat's:
1. A very troubled man who hijacked the GOP and won the presidency is now implementing his most incendiary campaign promises with nary a thought about the potential negative consequences in spite of warnings from home and abroad. In areas outside of the campaign promises, the man with no discernible political philosophy is making it up as he goes.
2. When administration members and leaders of the GOP are not busy inventing "alternative facts" or "walking back" statements and tweets, some are openly opposing Trump's policies.
3. Conservatives who were appalled at Obama's use of executive orders and deficit hawks who couldn't stop talking about the national debt have fallen silent.
4. The establishment press by simply reporting the chaos and the hypocrisy are now being accused of being "the opposition party."
1. A very troubled man who hijacked the GOP and won the presidency is now implementing his most incendiary campaign promises with nary a thought about the potential negative consequences in spite of warnings from home and abroad. In areas outside of the campaign promises, the man with no discernible political philosophy is making it up as he goes.
2. When administration members and leaders of the GOP are not busy inventing "alternative facts" or "walking back" statements and tweets, some are openly opposing Trump's policies.
3. Conservatives who were appalled at Obama's use of executive orders and deficit hawks who couldn't stop talking about the national debt have fallen silent.
4. The establishment press by simply reporting the chaos and the hypocrisy are now being accused of being "the opposition party."
413
POTUS Trump treats executive orders as if they are memos to his business division leaders. They apparently go through no initial vetting process by either the legal staff or the departments charged with implementing the poorly thought out policies they attempt to enshrine. Congress goes along and praises the action after railing for years about President Obama's use of executive orders that circumvented their obstruction.. The Spicer/Conway merry-go-round spins ever faster. At least the Judiciary is starting to show some courage and will probably be denounced as "activist" judges circumventing "the will of the American People."
It's not "The Fog of Trump" Ross, it the miasma.
It's not "The Fog of Trump" Ross, it the miasma.
53
We are witnessing absolute insanity. We have a commander-in-chief willing to pick fights with just about anyone - the president of Mexico, refugees, the press, women, the National Park Service, health care recipients, and 3+ million illegal phantom voters - in order to satisfy a salivating base of people claiming to need jobs and validation, but who really just want to have their simplistic ideals of what American used to be returned to them on a silver platter. Our new president will never grow up, but our populace needs to - and pronto. Mexico and other sane countries, plus those with citizens needing refuge, will turn to other countries who will gladly (and gleefully) take our place as leaders among nations. Wake up, citizens, and snap out of your reality show mentality. Be prepared to realize that what happens next may effect you, your family, your neighbors, and not just Democrats.
15
There is no doubt it will be difficult to follow the peas in the shell game that President Trump and his advisors are gleefully playing with the press and the public, and the resulting confusion threatens to obscure the true outlines of their plans (assuming that Mr. Trump has real plans). They imagine themselves to be masters of the Universe at the moment, but in time their machinations will be obvious to all but their most benighted loyalists. Messrs. Trump and Bannon may also find that breaking all the rules has consequences they did not expect and cannot manage.
1
The fog is intentional. Autocrats seek to sow confusion. They want to separate language from the truth the better to attempt to define what is real. Trump is the bullshitter in chief. He does not lie; liars care and know what is true, The better to deceive about the state of the world, but bullshitters simply say what they want to manipulate others irrespective of the accuracy of what they say. Trump is like Putin is like the dictators of Europe in the 1930s. Our whole democracy is at risk. Those who supported Trump and those who think he is carrying out his so-called mandate are delusional and naïve.
19
The question is can we survive this presidency?
He's neither cool nor composed enough to critically think through his moves.
With that fact compounded by his zero experience in government, and the "cage match chaos" of his white house as described to the press by his aides. Who are already leaking to the press that he seems deranged.
And--as we learn day by day--an erratic nature, an ignorance of key domestic issues, a closed minded attitude of right wing extremism with foreign policy.
He's neither cool nor composed enough to critically think through his moves.
With that fact compounded by his zero experience in government, and the "cage match chaos" of his white house as described to the press by his aides. Who are already leaking to the press that he seems deranged.
And--as we learn day by day--an erratic nature, an ignorance of key domestic issues, a closed minded attitude of right wing extremism with foreign policy.
9
Journalists earn their pay by assembling actual facts and events into a coherent whole. Their default position is that these facts and events are the visible trail of a coherent intent, not unlike the movement of galaxies being indicators of the existence of dark matter.
The danger, which this column reflects, is that good writing and organization can create the impression that behind Trump's ill-considered and impulsive actions there is, in fact, a coherent intent. Put simply, he knows what he's doing. Writing that "Trumpism is an ideological cocktail that doesn’t fit the patterns we’re used to in American politics" reads like we're about to experience a revolution in political thought, much like the change from Newton's physics to Einstein's.
An alternative interpretation is that Trumpism is a set of mostly random actions Trump believes are needed to keep him the center of attention, even though he's already there. What else explains the energy Trump devotes to crowd size, voter fraud and other petty and groundless grievances compared to actual policy actions. Based on the first week, it's more likely that history will remember Trumpism as a diagnostic category in a future edition of the DSM than as a political philosophy.
The danger, which this column reflects, is that good writing and organization can create the impression that behind Trump's ill-considered and impulsive actions there is, in fact, a coherent intent. Put simply, he knows what he's doing. Writing that "Trumpism is an ideological cocktail that doesn’t fit the patterns we’re used to in American politics" reads like we're about to experience a revolution in political thought, much like the change from Newton's physics to Einstein's.
An alternative interpretation is that Trumpism is a set of mostly random actions Trump believes are needed to keep him the center of attention, even though he's already there. What else explains the energy Trump devotes to crowd size, voter fraud and other petty and groundless grievances compared to actual policy actions. Based on the first week, it's more likely that history will remember Trumpism as a diagnostic category in a future edition of the DSM than as a political philosophy.
11
Very little is being written about Bannon who is Trump's Dick Cheney. The real power behind the throne. Bannon has a long range plan that he will influence Trump to implement.
I fear the Republican party which embraced the nascent tea party to win an election was surprised when it was later overtaken by the same group. The Republican Party has proven over the last 8+ years that it has put party before country. It appears that it is about to embrace the alt right in the belief it will help to further the Republicans long range plans only to later find it has been subsumed and the alt right is in control.
That republican senators are fast tracking this slate of cabinet nominees who are stealth bombs sent to destroy the very agencies they have been nominated to run will do more damage than the George W Bush presidency and may allow China to quickly become the dominate world power.
I fear the Republican party which embraced the nascent tea party to win an election was surprised when it was later overtaken by the same group. The Republican Party has proven over the last 8+ years that it has put party before country. It appears that it is about to embrace the alt right in the belief it will help to further the Republicans long range plans only to later find it has been subsumed and the alt right is in control.
That republican senators are fast tracking this slate of cabinet nominees who are stealth bombs sent to destroy the very agencies they have been nominated to run will do more damage than the George W Bush presidency and may allow China to quickly become the dominate world power.
25
Douthat " If he/Trump can’t provide clarity and reassurance and a little light around his agenda, it will be very easy for a fog-bound presidency to simply run aground."
Difficult for Donald Trump to listen to the advice of ' to provide clarity and reassurance and a little light around his agenda."
Trump's success, so far, is doing exactly the opposite. He keeps his opponents, domestically/internationally, off balance and guessing about his real intentions.
It remains to be seen, how long such novel strategy continues to work before a serious miscalculation happens.
Difficult for Donald Trump to listen to the advice of ' to provide clarity and reassurance and a little light around his agenda."
Trump's success, so far, is doing exactly the opposite. He keeps his opponents, domestically/internationally, off balance and guessing about his real intentions.
It remains to be seen, how long such novel strategy continues to work before a serious miscalculation happens.
6
Trump is like acting like a third world dictator out of Africa, one of the former Soviet Republics or the Middle East, with his need for adulation, his demonizing of his media "enemies" (himself or through his henchman Steve Bannon), his Twitter sloganeering and by making his family members his advisors.
He's even got the GOP to be his grovelling toadies now. Whatever happened to their so-called "values" like free trade, reduced spending and strict construction of the Constitution? Out the window, along with their self-respect and any claim for the moral high ground.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. All three branches of government controlled by only one party is, I fear, more than this or any other democracy can stand for very long. I hope we still have a functioning government with its institutions intact by the time he is gone. Will there be many good people left in the federal government by the time this petty despot and his handmaidens are done?
He's even got the GOP to be his grovelling toadies now. Whatever happened to their so-called "values" like free trade, reduced spending and strict construction of the Constitution? Out the window, along with their self-respect and any claim for the moral high ground.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. All three branches of government controlled by only one party is, I fear, more than this or any other democracy can stand for very long. I hope we still have a functioning government with its institutions intact by the time he is gone. Will there be many good people left in the federal government by the time this petty despot and his handmaidens are done?
8
Underestimating Trump seems one of the persistent aspects of his candidacy and now presidency. It could well be that "running aground is precisely what is the intended goal.
Trump does't give a hoot for democracy, we know that, so his oath of office is worth nothing. While it sounds paranoid, he might well have set his aims at a dictatorship: Trump as president for life! He is ambitious, knows he hoodwinked almost 50% of the voters to support him, so he can up the ante, and aim for the next fun thing to do.
His decree on blocking visa- and green-card-holding foreigners and especially the turmoil it generated, can be seen as having achieved its purpose: It has identified the enemy within: the ACLU,lawyers and judges that prevent to make America safe again, by resisting the will of the people as expressed by his excellency the Donald. His supports will certainly follow him in such an accusation. and cheer when he takes these internal enemies down...
A nice little war with China would give the opportunity to crack down on all these enemies. That may be just part of his big plan.
Even, though I hope I am utterly wrong, there maybe some order in all this madness some purpose. It is certainly not without precedent as a piece in the Washington Post yesterday indicated referring to Chavez in Venezuela.
Interesting times ahead, that's for sure.
Trump does't give a hoot for democracy, we know that, so his oath of office is worth nothing. While it sounds paranoid, he might well have set his aims at a dictatorship: Trump as president for life! He is ambitious, knows he hoodwinked almost 50% of the voters to support him, so he can up the ante, and aim for the next fun thing to do.
His decree on blocking visa- and green-card-holding foreigners and especially the turmoil it generated, can be seen as having achieved its purpose: It has identified the enemy within: the ACLU,lawyers and judges that prevent to make America safe again, by resisting the will of the people as expressed by his excellency the Donald. His supports will certainly follow him in such an accusation. and cheer when he takes these internal enemies down...
A nice little war with China would give the opportunity to crack down on all these enemies. That may be just part of his big plan.
Even, though I hope I am utterly wrong, there maybe some order in all this madness some purpose. It is certainly not without precedent as a piece in the Washington Post yesterday indicated referring to Chavez in Venezuela.
Interesting times ahead, that's for sure.
4
'Voter-fraud nonsense' or 'voter fraud lies'? The threshold for asserting a lie is high and involves a deliberate attempt to deceive. The President of the United States has awesome powers of data collection and analysis. If within a week or so Trump continues to assert massive voter fraud *without* any evidence or merely anecdotal evidence, I think it will be fair to assert any such talk constitutes deliberate attempt to deceive.
8
Many years ago at a meeting in London with The Economist's publisher, I asked him about the how the special airmail edition, printed on feather-weight paper, was doing. My assumption was that anyone in the US who was an addictive Economist reader like me would have no problem paying the extra price for the airmail edition.
Not so, I was informed. Research had proven what you rightly call "the tortoise-like pace of print journalism" especially delivered from abroad, was in fact a real benefit. Readers had said that the time it took for the regular edition to reach the US served an 'editing' function: the breathless 'breaking news' had broken and been largely forgotten by the time the issue got to the reader, permitting him to enjoy the more durable content without having to bother with the more temporal content.
Waiting a day or two before hearing the 'latest' Trumpian bombast could certainly help settle the nerves. Hooray for the thoughtfully written word.
Not so, I was informed. Research had proven what you rightly call "the tortoise-like pace of print journalism" especially delivered from abroad, was in fact a real benefit. Readers had said that the time it took for the regular edition to reach the US served an 'editing' function: the breathless 'breaking news' had broken and been largely forgotten by the time the issue got to the reader, permitting him to enjoy the more durable content without having to bother with the more temporal content.
Waiting a day or two before hearing the 'latest' Trumpian bombast could certainly help settle the nerves. Hooray for the thoughtfully written word.
4
Mr. Douthat, you seem content to observe, straining to glimpse through the fog you describe. As disaster unfolds. You say, "time will bring a certain clarity".
Meanwhile, Trump and the GOP conspire and act to destroy our values, limit our rights and place our lives at risk. That is no overstatement. Mr. Douthat, America cannot sit back and wait. The fog clouds only your vision and that of other Trump supporters. Wipe your glasses, get a new prescription. The rest of us see what is happening with great clarity.
Trump is turning America into a 3-ring circus. He is in the center ring; an orange, strangely bouffanted clown, riding a unicycle, juggling our rights, values and futures, and distracting our attention from rings one and two where the GOP is quietly performing out of the spotlight.
America does not have time for wait and see. The GOP is working frantically in rings 2 and 3, to rollback the personal rights, security and social progress our fathers and grandfathers fought for. The GOP has and is betraying The People. The ACA, Social Security, Medicare, medicaid, women's control of their bodies, gay's rights, religious freedom, worker protections, environmental protections, are all being sliced and diced and served up as a sacrifice to the wealthy.
America is running out of time. If we fail to act, we are guilty of cowardice and betrayal of those who fought for our rights, our cherished values, an America we love.
Meanwhile, Trump and the GOP conspire and act to destroy our values, limit our rights and place our lives at risk. That is no overstatement. Mr. Douthat, America cannot sit back and wait. The fog clouds only your vision and that of other Trump supporters. Wipe your glasses, get a new prescription. The rest of us see what is happening with great clarity.
Trump is turning America into a 3-ring circus. He is in the center ring; an orange, strangely bouffanted clown, riding a unicycle, juggling our rights, values and futures, and distracting our attention from rings one and two where the GOP is quietly performing out of the spotlight.
America does not have time for wait and see. The GOP is working frantically in rings 2 and 3, to rollback the personal rights, security and social progress our fathers and grandfathers fought for. The GOP has and is betraying The People. The ACA, Social Security, Medicare, medicaid, women's control of their bodies, gay's rights, religious freedom, worker protections, environmental protections, are all being sliced and diced and served up as a sacrifice to the wealthy.
America is running out of time. If we fail to act, we are guilty of cowardice and betrayal of those who fought for our rights, our cherished values, an America we love.
35
If by "pressured" to lead the resistance to Trump" you mean the press is being pressured to pierce the "fog", do their research to reveal lies (which flow almost constantly from this administration) and choose accurate (think the word "lie") albeit unconventional language to describe this administration, then yes, I guess they're being pressured.
The "fog" is needed for any authoritarian leader to take hold. The people must be kept confused and in the dark, while seismic shifts in governance take place. For such a leader the more confusion the better. The free press is our only hope for piercing that fog, and all the while Trump attempts to supplant responsible reporting with his own fake news and statistics (think inauguration numbers). Cognitive dissonance and confusion is the lifeblood of a leader who wants his people to place loyalty above fact and the evidence of their own eyes.
So yes, the "pressure" is on the press to "lead the resistance", if by "leading the resistance" you mean presenting the facts that are in opposition to Trumo's and Conway's fictions and "alternative facts", delving deeper into the research, not taking administration statements at face value and naming unconstitutional actions when they take place. Piercing the fog is the job of the free press in a democracy, the last stand for the truth. So if by "lead the resistance". You mean do your job, then yes, the press must do its job with vitality and courage and urgency.
The "fog" is needed for any authoritarian leader to take hold. The people must be kept confused and in the dark, while seismic shifts in governance take place. For such a leader the more confusion the better. The free press is our only hope for piercing that fog, and all the while Trump attempts to supplant responsible reporting with his own fake news and statistics (think inauguration numbers). Cognitive dissonance and confusion is the lifeblood of a leader who wants his people to place loyalty above fact and the evidence of their own eyes.
So yes, the "pressure" is on the press to "lead the resistance", if by "leading the resistance" you mean presenting the facts that are in opposition to Trumo's and Conway's fictions and "alternative facts", delving deeper into the research, not taking administration statements at face value and naming unconstitutional actions when they take place. Piercing the fog is the job of the free press in a democracy, the last stand for the truth. So if by "lead the resistance". You mean do your job, then yes, the press must do its job with vitality and courage and urgency.
25
I am not happy about what I have to write here, nor do I like feeling the way that I feel: but just days into the Trump administration, it grows more evident with each passing hour that we have become engaged in something that is very, very far from "business as usual."
I simply cannot find words in English strong enough to describe the intensity with which I loathe almost everything that Donald Trump stands for, nor - more importantly - the fear that I have of his ability and his readiness to do serious harm to the country that "elected" him (more or less) into office.
I believe that he is an ongoing and grave danger to America, it's people and it's values.
Narcissist, sadist, racist, neo-fascist and xenophobic, his is an energy that appeals to the very worst instincts in those around him. A poisonous force that befouls everything and everyone in his presence, the character in literature he most calls to mind is the degenerate Gollum from Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings." In a single word, "toxic."
It is no wonder that "they" - those foreign governments that covertly promoted his campaign for the Presidency - are those who would benefit most by a weakened, divided and retrograde America.
Tonight in the Kremlin, in the halls of power in Beijing and elsewhere, they are snickering at America's ignorance and venality.
My most earnest prayer now is for his speedy and successful ending of Mr. Trump's stewardship and removal from office.
I simply cannot find words in English strong enough to describe the intensity with which I loathe almost everything that Donald Trump stands for, nor - more importantly - the fear that I have of his ability and his readiness to do serious harm to the country that "elected" him (more or less) into office.
I believe that he is an ongoing and grave danger to America, it's people and it's values.
Narcissist, sadist, racist, neo-fascist and xenophobic, his is an energy that appeals to the very worst instincts in those around him. A poisonous force that befouls everything and everyone in his presence, the character in literature he most calls to mind is the degenerate Gollum from Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings." In a single word, "toxic."
It is no wonder that "they" - those foreign governments that covertly promoted his campaign for the Presidency - are those who would benefit most by a weakened, divided and retrograde America.
Tonight in the Kremlin, in the halls of power in Beijing and elsewhere, they are snickering at America's ignorance and venality.
My most earnest prayer now is for his speedy and successful ending of Mr. Trump's stewardship and removal from office.
65
It is good to see that as a conservative Ross is struggling to make sense of Trump as well as the rest of us. For a quick answer, the person to watch most and to fear most within Trump's White House is Bannon. That he actually spoke publicly last week with his unadulterated berating of the press doing its job tells me that he may step out a bit more in the future. Bannon is pure evil and not crazy. He can play Trump like a Stradivarius violin and does. There are three things at play. First, Trump's mental instability; second is policy; and third is political strategy. They overlap. The question is on any given day to whom will Trump turn for advice other than himself. And the answer will be the person who most supports his narcissistic needs. And that will be Bannon. And Bannon wants to destroy most government and establish a libertarian anarchy in its place.
27
what very few have plainly stated is that the fog is not just the result of inexperienced and secretive advisors. It is also caused by the fact that Donald Trump is severely mentally unstable. The tweets and pronouncements are confusing because his mind is muddled with conspiracy theories and a desperate need for adulation. It is likely that he believes the voter fraud claim because he can't accept that he is not idolized by a majority of the public. The only logical conclusion his unstable mind can come up with is that there is a conspiracy to delegitimize him. His family including Jared Kushner and his advisors all know this. It is why they desperately try to explain Trump's erratic behavior with a bizarre "alternative facts" narrative. The only real question now is how long will Republican leaders in Congress let this go on. How long will their desire for power and the fear of losing the Trump constituency cause them to deny Trump's dangerously unstable mental state. How much damage will they allow before they impeach him. In the first week Trump fired the opening shot for a trade war with Mexico and threw the Visa program into chaos. What is next, a real military skirmish with China in the Pacific? Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell how long will you let this go on?
43
"Normalization of Deviance" - coined (I believe) during NASA's Challenger mishap investigation and defined by Dr. Diane Vaughan as "the gradual process through which unacceptable practice or standards become acceptable. As the deviant behavior is repeated without catastrophic results, it becomes the social norm for the organization."
Our collective challenge is prevent the lies, obfuscations, abysmal and boorish behavior of the man currently holding the office of the presidency to become the new norm for the office at the end of his term. If it does, our democracy and global leadership role will be greatly diminished.
I hope the media and a sufficient number of our citizens are up to the challenge of relentlessly focusing on actual facts and actual consequences of this administration over the next four years. I can't say I'm optimistic, however, given the powerful effect of normalization of deviance.
Our collective challenge is prevent the lies, obfuscations, abysmal and boorish behavior of the man currently holding the office of the presidency to become the new norm for the office at the end of his term. If it does, our democracy and global leadership role will be greatly diminished.
I hope the media and a sufficient number of our citizens are up to the challenge of relentlessly focusing on actual facts and actual consequences of this administration over the next four years. I can't say I'm optimistic, however, given the powerful effect of normalization of deviance.
13
The problem that the press and the opposition face is very similar to that faced by a military commander attempting to defend against an oncoming assault where any "true" intelligence is concealed by huge amounts of "false" indications.
As Winston Churchill said in regards to the deception operations that preceded the D-Day invasion "In war-time, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies." So the Allies conducted operations that indicated the invasion would come in the Pas de Calais, Norway, the Bay of Biscay, etc. - anywhere but Normandy.
I do not ascribe to the White House any actual "plan" for this, but incoherence can have the same effect as well orchestrated deception.
So the press must take its time, separate fact from fiction, and most of all, even in this age of instant communication, remember that it is far, far more important to get it right than to get if first. And the public must apply that lost art of critical reasoning to separate out the facts from the alt-facts (lies).
Only then do we have the ability to actually have an influence on what happens in the next four years.
As Winston Churchill said in regards to the deception operations that preceded the D-Day invasion "In war-time, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies." So the Allies conducted operations that indicated the invasion would come in the Pas de Calais, Norway, the Bay of Biscay, etc. - anywhere but Normandy.
I do not ascribe to the White House any actual "plan" for this, but incoherence can have the same effect as well orchestrated deception.
So the press must take its time, separate fact from fiction, and most of all, even in this age of instant communication, remember that it is far, far more important to get it right than to get if first. And the public must apply that lost art of critical reasoning to separate out the facts from the alt-facts (lies).
Only then do we have the ability to actually have an influence on what happens in the next four years.
7
Because of Trump’s inability to express a complete, coherent thought, and his having no moral compass, we are inclined to act as if we don’t know what he will do, or what he can do in the face of various opposition forces. But, the fact is we are already seeing the trajectory of his administration, and it’s not pretty. The notion, as Douthat puts it, that “time will bring clarity” provides no consolation. The congressional Republicans, and most of the country, are acting like the proverbial frog put into a pan of cool water and then the burner is turned on. It blithely ignores the rising heat and is slowly cooked. Similarly, if we wait too long to make our opposition known, if we take a wait-and-see attitude until our country boils in a stew of economic hardship, war, and fascism then it will be too late and America as we know and love it will be cooked.
42
I'm sympathetic to the outrage that Trump's executive orders have prompted, but I fear that the big issues are being obfuscated by both Trump's minions and the press. International issues threaten and saying America First suggests an unwillingness to address them.
Climate change is number one. The threats of extreme weather, drought, floods and rising seas, are becoming more likely. We can argue what causes the change, but the costs are pretty significant and dwarf the economic impact of smart climate policy.
Inequality is number two. It was somewhat of an issue during the election, but has vanished in the flood of Trump excesses in the days after his win. Concentrations of wealth are bad for democracy. Rising inequality and declining opportunity threaten the foundations of our society and societies around the world. The rich and powerful must appreciate that Trump is distracting people while their assets and power increase.
There is also the distraction of migrations of people fleeing war and poverty. Our country was populated by similar migrations but most nations now want to erect barriers, if not actual walls, to the flow of people seeking better lives. Immigrants do destabilize, but so do failed states that make people try to leave. We will pay some price in the future for failing to respond.
Climate change is number one. The threats of extreme weather, drought, floods and rising seas, are becoming more likely. We can argue what causes the change, but the costs are pretty significant and dwarf the economic impact of smart climate policy.
Inequality is number two. It was somewhat of an issue during the election, but has vanished in the flood of Trump excesses in the days after his win. Concentrations of wealth are bad for democracy. Rising inequality and declining opportunity threaten the foundations of our society and societies around the world. The rich and powerful must appreciate that Trump is distracting people while their assets and power increase.
There is also the distraction of migrations of people fleeing war and poverty. Our country was populated by similar migrations but most nations now want to erect barriers, if not actual walls, to the flow of people seeking better lives. Immigrants do destabilize, but so do failed states that make people try to leave. We will pay some price in the future for failing to respond.
10
It appears to me that _all_ the bad press that the Trump administration has faced thus far has been fair an accurate. The headlines have generally been about unpopular actions taken by a president that has the support of a minority of citizens. It is not the responsibility of the press to create a narrative of reasonableness to the mess that has been created. That is the responsibility of the Trump administration. So far it has been a mess and most reporting is simply covering the mess.
49
Calling it by euphemisms such as "untruths, alternative facts, smoke-and-mirrors" or the oxymoronic "truthful hyperbole" sugarcoats Trump's actions. A fraud is a fraud. And, those who voted for Trump as well as everyone else who didn't are victims of his fraudulent behavior.
Trump's hucksterism and bending of facts while a private citizen was bad enough (e.g., lying as to the number of floors in his eponymous Tower, engaging in dubious ventures such as Trump University, not paying contractors by exerting whatever threats of influence he had, etc.). But, now that he's ascended to the most powerful position in the world, his perpetration of frauds will destabilize the very institution of the Presidency and risk harming the Republic. Trump must release his tax returns now to shine a bright light on his foreign alliances, his business acumen, and his wealth (the latter two of which he flaunted in order to qualify his getting elected because he promised the people that he could replicate his success in business in Washington). His Executive Order on immigration interestingly omitted countries where he conducts business. Trump cannot use the Presidency for his own personal advantage.
Trump's hucksterism and bending of facts while a private citizen was bad enough (e.g., lying as to the number of floors in his eponymous Tower, engaging in dubious ventures such as Trump University, not paying contractors by exerting whatever threats of influence he had, etc.). But, now that he's ascended to the most powerful position in the world, his perpetration of frauds will destabilize the very institution of the Presidency and risk harming the Republic. Trump must release his tax returns now to shine a bright light on his foreign alliances, his business acumen, and his wealth (the latter two of which he flaunted in order to qualify his getting elected because he promised the people that he could replicate his success in business in Washington). His Executive Order on immigration interestingly omitted countries where he conducts business. Trump cannot use the Presidency for his own personal advantage.
36
This administration's "keep 'em guessing" strategy was perhaps brilliant--in an unconventional way--during the campaign and at the moment as it gets started. But what is the reaction of an increasingly confused and weary public going to be when the first real-world challenge or two are mishandled...which is inevitable with any government?
How is playing footsie with Putin going to look in hindsight if he makes another move in Ukraine or Eastern Europe? How are hundreds of unfilled government positions going to look if the government fails to effectively respond to a major weather disaster? How is policy incoherence going to go down the first time the economy takes a dip or a major health insurance company bolts for the exit?
I don't think fog is going to cut it when effective organization and action are demanded by urgent circumstances.
How is playing footsie with Putin going to look in hindsight if he makes another move in Ukraine or Eastern Europe? How are hundreds of unfilled government positions going to look if the government fails to effectively respond to a major weather disaster? How is policy incoherence going to go down the first time the economy takes a dip or a major health insurance company bolts for the exit?
I don't think fog is going to cut it when effective organization and action are demanded by urgent circumstances.
16
Call it like it is - President Bannon.
Yes, he who said "OK!" to the KKK, and brought neo-nazis into the mainstream of American politics, who used his media empire for vitriol, suspect "news" stories and to ratchet up hate, erased the mention of Jews from the annual Holocaust Memorial is calling the shots.
None of this is normal. Trump seems to be psychologically unstable and the darkest forces in American life are taking advantage of this weakness to push a profoundly un-American agenda.
Yes, he who said "OK!" to the KKK, and brought neo-nazis into the mainstream of American politics, who used his media empire for vitriol, suspect "news" stories and to ratchet up hate, erased the mention of Jews from the annual Holocaust Memorial is calling the shots.
None of this is normal. Trump seems to be psychologically unstable and the darkest forces in American life are taking advantage of this weakness to push a profoundly un-American agenda.
49
That's precisely the problem, his lack of experience, lack of prudence, lack of reflection. He has provided a series of photo ops with his many signatures. The critical question is, when did he acquire the knowledge necessary for a judicious decision with respect to the many executive orders? He is a man who does not read, does not listen, is given to reflexive actions, with a propensity to making clearly false statements. How can we be sure he is doing right thing? The picture in this column shows a roomful of supposed "advisers". What is their purpose, if he doesn't listen to him, or is it that they just serve as an echo to his words. It isn't that he risks running aground, he has never taken off...or more correctly, he is excavating a burrow from which he may not reappear..
24
The Fog is swirling and thick but frightening outlines are beginning to take shape.
Bannon and Flynn are the Trump Whisperers and are fighting to prevent anyone from getting through to Trump without their consent or presence.
Before his Secretary of State is confirmed and presumably without consulting Tillerson, Trump has taken actions with enormous foreign policy consequences. And seemingly without study and with characteristic impulsiveness.
Trump's impulsive and unconstitutional immigration decision also reveals the conflicts of interest issues that will dog him until he deals effectively with them. Why not include Saudi Arabia in the Muslim ban? After all the majority of the 9/11 terrorists came from that country. Could it be that Trump has business there?
Trump's willingness to break promises and lie are already revealed. He had no secret plan to thwart ISIS. He will build the wall with American money, maybe to be recouped through accounting smoke and mirrors. His Cabinet positions show that he is not looking to to drain the swamp but only to fill the swamp with his rich allies.
The tweets and smirks are really just side shows.
The news media has a target rich environment. Trump is providing ample opportunity for news flashes and for careful analysis. The danger for the news media is to treat recklessness, impulsiveness and disregard for ethics and the rule of law as the new normal.
Bannon and Flynn are the Trump Whisperers and are fighting to prevent anyone from getting through to Trump without their consent or presence.
Before his Secretary of State is confirmed and presumably without consulting Tillerson, Trump has taken actions with enormous foreign policy consequences. And seemingly without study and with characteristic impulsiveness.
Trump's impulsive and unconstitutional immigration decision also reveals the conflicts of interest issues that will dog him until he deals effectively with them. Why not include Saudi Arabia in the Muslim ban? After all the majority of the 9/11 terrorists came from that country. Could it be that Trump has business there?
Trump's willingness to break promises and lie are already revealed. He had no secret plan to thwart ISIS. He will build the wall with American money, maybe to be recouped through accounting smoke and mirrors. His Cabinet positions show that he is not looking to to drain the swamp but only to fill the swamp with his rich allies.
The tweets and smirks are really just side shows.
The news media has a target rich environment. Trump is providing ample opportunity for news flashes and for careful analysis. The danger for the news media is to treat recklessness, impulsiveness and disregard for ethics and the rule of law as the new normal.
47
Some of the fog isn't so thick. The picture accompanying the article shows "Trump's advisors and other members of the White House senior staff" being sworn in: 11 dark haired white men, 1 white haired white man, 4 women including 2 blondes, a brunette and one African American. Such a group may resemble the 1% or the Republican Party but it does not look like today's America.
14
Mr. Douthat, the fog will never lift from this president or his administration, and his party will have his back, right or wrong. The president's agenda seems to be a desire to reassure his rabid base that he intends to honor his campaign promises, even if they are unconstitutional, as in his ban of Muslims from seven countries, or a dishonest sales pitch to his supporters which was a subtle bait and switch as to who will pay for his border wall.
This president has no moral compass or sense of common decency. It's not only this president who's enveloped in a fog, it also includes the people who voted for him.
This president has no moral compass or sense of common decency. It's not only this president who's enveloped in a fog, it also includes the people who voted for him.
19
I marvel at the crisp, concise, incisive prediction of disaster and catastrophe that will be Donald Trump's gift to our nation.
"...this column’s warning is for the president and his advisers, some of whom clearly like the fog..." Mr. Douthat, this extends to the 62,985,105 souls to cast their ballots for him. The larger frame is that 55% of the eligible citizenry bothered to show up at the polls. This is who we are: detached and indifferent, uninformed and unformed, as citizens with a vested interest in the direction of our country and as a shattered egg of a nation distinguished by tribalism and niggardliness.
As is usual with fogs, sir, you can't see where you're going. You seemed, during the run-up to November 8th, to take great delight in taunting liberals, the left, those not in concert with the reactionary tide that seemed to be washing up against the Obama presidency. Now you wish to take credit for being a modern-day Cassandra, one whose prophesies are ignored by the people, the warning gone unheeded. Donald Trump is America's Trojan horse. He and his advisors and cabinet were freed by the forces of hate and resentment, dressed up as The White Man's Grievance.
You didn't give the lie to Mitch McConnell's "one-term president" or Joe Wilson's "you lie!" You didn't castigate the Tea Party, incubated in racist opposition to the black president. You were silent about Trump's birther smear of the (black) president.
So now you fear the fog that you helped to create?
"...this column’s warning is for the president and his advisers, some of whom clearly like the fog..." Mr. Douthat, this extends to the 62,985,105 souls to cast their ballots for him. The larger frame is that 55% of the eligible citizenry bothered to show up at the polls. This is who we are: detached and indifferent, uninformed and unformed, as citizens with a vested interest in the direction of our country and as a shattered egg of a nation distinguished by tribalism and niggardliness.
As is usual with fogs, sir, you can't see where you're going. You seemed, during the run-up to November 8th, to take great delight in taunting liberals, the left, those not in concert with the reactionary tide that seemed to be washing up against the Obama presidency. Now you wish to take credit for being a modern-day Cassandra, one whose prophesies are ignored by the people, the warning gone unheeded. Donald Trump is America's Trojan horse. He and his advisors and cabinet were freed by the forces of hate and resentment, dressed up as The White Man's Grievance.
You didn't give the lie to Mitch McConnell's "one-term president" or Joe Wilson's "you lie!" You didn't castigate the Tea Party, incubated in racist opposition to the black president. You were silent about Trump's birther smear of the (black) president.
So now you fear the fog that you helped to create?
151
The problem now is that Trump has the GOP grovel on an assortment of issues. Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell not longer object to building a wall even if it means spending taxpayer money since they know Mexico won't pay for it. Torture as a tool for appealing to the folks supporting Trump? No problem, just trust in "Mad Dog" Mattis to control this guy in the White House.
Given the fact that the media gave Trump almost unlimited time to cover every moment of his campaign, shouldn't the press feel a responsibility to restore a little sanity after this unbelievable week?
Given the fact that the media gave Trump almost unlimited time to cover every moment of his campaign, shouldn't the press feel a responsibility to restore a little sanity after this unbelievable week?
14
Stop wondering if Trump really wants to do all the crazy things he has said he wants to do.
He does.
He will do all of them and more. And the press isn't going to stop him by bickering with him over crowd sizes. You have to find something which is legal grounds for impeachment. It's not enough to publicize the latest Trump scandal. His part of the country isn't going to lose their confidence in him now if they haven't already.
Until then all you can do is faithfully document the very real carnage his policies will bring. In plain language. Keep the record.
And don't play the game Trump and Bannon want you to play.
He does.
He will do all of them and more. And the press isn't going to stop him by bickering with him over crowd sizes. You have to find something which is legal grounds for impeachment. It's not enough to publicize the latest Trump scandal. His part of the country isn't going to lose their confidence in him now if they haven't already.
Until then all you can do is faithfully document the very real carnage his policies will bring. In plain language. Keep the record.
And don't play the game Trump and Bannon want you to play.
31
Your point about Trump & the media is where we share common ground. I agree that the "MSM" is fashioning itself into the opposition, and that that will help Trump. On the other hand, when the person in the White House uses its power to subvert journalism and spread misinformation, just doing their job will give journalists that appearance to Mr. Trump's supporters.
This reminds me of something your colleague Mr. Cohen wrote last week, in making a cautious comparison of Mr. Trump with our experience of fascism: "Trump’s outrageous claims have a purpose: to destroy rational thought."
Mr. Trump campaigned not according to democratic premises, but according to business strategies. He didn't propose & debate policies; he advertised himself as a mascot for people's inchoate anger. He sold himself--his celebrity, his boasted ability to negotiate unspecified "deals," his anger at certain groups--rather than making proposals about what government could do to address real-world problems.
Now his business competitor is journalism. If he can battle them not on the field of rational argument, but on the field of clicks & "likes" and headlines--then he can win. He has bet that people would rather buy easy truths and self-righteous anger than engage their fellow human beings in thought and negotiation. He has bet that division sells better than democracy, and that people would rather shop for figureheads than control their own destiny. I am not optimistic.
This reminds me of something your colleague Mr. Cohen wrote last week, in making a cautious comparison of Mr. Trump with our experience of fascism: "Trump’s outrageous claims have a purpose: to destroy rational thought."
Mr. Trump campaigned not according to democratic premises, but according to business strategies. He didn't propose & debate policies; he advertised himself as a mascot for people's inchoate anger. He sold himself--his celebrity, his boasted ability to negotiate unspecified "deals," his anger at certain groups--rather than making proposals about what government could do to address real-world problems.
Now his business competitor is journalism. If he can battle them not on the field of rational argument, but on the field of clicks & "likes" and headlines--then he can win. He has bet that people would rather buy easy truths and self-righteous anger than engage their fellow human beings in thought and negotiation. He has bet that division sells better than democracy, and that people would rather shop for figureheads than control their own destiny. I am not optimistic.
18
Well said Martin. Very well said. Yet I remain optimistic, perhaps naively so.
The live-and-let-live folks I know (and am) - politically aware, if not active - are now called to action to defend the values of liberty and justice for all. Even for the morons who "know not what they do".
If truth is opposition, so be it. Bannon named the media "opposition" because it is he who is waging a war on America. In deed and in fact, truth is weapon to resist lies. There is a difference. Bannon knows it.
I am now called to defend my country and our future and I believe many like me will rise to resist.
The live-and-let-live folks I know (and am) - politically aware, if not active - are now called to action to defend the values of liberty and justice for all. Even for the morons who "know not what they do".
If truth is opposition, so be it. Bannon named the media "opposition" because it is he who is waging a war on America. In deed and in fact, truth is weapon to resist lies. There is a difference. Bannon knows it.
I am now called to defend my country and our future and I believe many like me will rise to resist.
1
You are inellectualizing a weak, stupid man who will, mark my words, bring down our democracy within two years. Start showing more courage in your writing. Your beloved Republican party is morphing into Nazism
136
Trump creates chaos for fun. He'll continue it and his sychophants, including Mattis, will continue to do his bidding. The Congress better make sure their act is together, right now, or this guy will take us down in record time.
19
Adding to the fog is the Congress - how assertive will it be in the face of a weak and divided Whitehouse - can the Republicans actually govern, can they shed the role of shrill critics with simplistic solutions and actually formulate policy that is workable? Will the tea party fade into the background or will they seize control?
10
Douthat mistakes a s**t storm for a light mist.
(Yes, I get the reference to the fog of war; he's at war with an imaginary enemy.)
(Yes, I get the reference to the fog of war; he's at war with an imaginary enemy.)
18
There is a lot of talk about bias where facts are concerned. But if you take a 2+2 fact, how is it a bias to see the result as 4? Can we say that 2 +2 = 8 in this case? Should we really be cautious about asserting that we are correct? Perhaps 2 +2= 6 in some cases. Some people think 2+2=10. There is supposed to be a middle ground here, they argue.. Perhaps 2+2=8. These must be alternative “facts”, but if you say them enough they somehow become real facts to many people.
4
Yeah, that alternative fact math adds up to anything else but four only for those who don't know simple math in the first place, or who operate on the same principles in order to justify their own cheating math. Facts don't matter to people whose self-interest is their sole motivation in life. And by the election results, there appear to be a great number of them - particularly in evangelical circles, wishful ignoramuses, and among the 1 percent and their minions.
" .... time will bring a certain clarity" Do you really need more time to judge this man?
Change without competency and compassion results in chaos and cruelty.
Is that clear enough?
Change without competency and compassion results in chaos and cruelty.
Is that clear enough?
47
What is this "poor old Sean Spicer" nonsense? It's true he is a pathetic figure. But he had a clear moral choice to make, and he's chosen to work for a demagogue. I might feel some sympathy for him after he resigns. Not yet.
137
After only one week of Trump, all I can think is God help our country.
32
It's time for each news outlet to create it's own twitter storm. Shout the truth out at full volume, cosnstantly and drown the nonsense coming from the new swamp.
21
But the fog is going to be terrific for corporations and the 1% who are going to have a fantastic four years. An erratic, disorganized and fractious government is just perfect for special interests looking to seed legislation with their own pet (and very lucrative) tax and regulatory concessions.
Lawyers and tax accountatns acting for the super-rich and the biggest corporations are going to take John Q. Public to the cleaners like never before.
Lawyers and tax accountatns acting for the super-rich and the biggest corporations are going to take John Q. Public to the cleaners like never before.
42
The fog will be around for as long as Trump is president. How can it lift, when it seems even President Trump has no idea what he is going to do from minute to minute?
21
Inauguration Day, January 20, 2017 -- henceforth to be referred to in history books and high school history classes as Rock Bottom Day and Bottom-of-the-Barrel Day, the day that Americans elected the worst and most unfit president of all time -- will likely be celebrated in the future as a joyous occasion ranking close behind Christmas and Thanksgiving.
And rightly so.
Because now, thanks to President Trump, Americans will never again be forced-- on election day-- to deal with the awesome, anxiety-provoking question of whether they have elected the worst president of all time.
Which will leave us free to ponder the other pressing question of whether there will ever be another president after him.
And rightly so.
Because now, thanks to President Trump, Americans will never again be forced-- on election day-- to deal with the awesome, anxiety-provoking question of whether they have elected the worst president of all time.
Which will leave us free to ponder the other pressing question of whether there will ever be another president after him.
53
So far, the MSM's response to the outrages of Trump's short reign has been measured and fact-based. What is happening in the White House is shocking. To say so is not interpretation; it is reporting, and it is essential.
123
"Poor Sean Spicer." Ross, please. Save your pity for the rest of us who believe in honest journalism and accurate reporting.
Nobody expected Trump to forget his campaign promises, but did they expect them to fulfill all of them all in the first week? As Monday passed to Tuesday and on to yesterday, all I could do was stare at photos of a man who seemed on the verge of mental collapse. Those eyes, but even worse the bags under them! The grins in all the most inappropriate places. The nonstop verbiage of complaint, whining, hostility, and aggression.
If I met Donald Trump on the street just wandering around, displaying the mien and behavior he's been exhibiting, I would call 911.
Today I read that his supporter were happy as clams. Or, at least, they seemed to be unless something really outrageous happens. All that action! all those frenzied Executive Actions (many not worth the paper they're written on). All accompanied by a posse of accommodating GOP congressmen and his own staff, led by Pence beaming beatifically.
But I do take comfort (even if cold) in your last paragraph, Ross, that your warning is now being sent to the Man and his team to be very, very careful, particularly of enemies seeking opportunity.
Not that he's reading your column right now. But still, if he could just break away his TV or android, he might well listen to the full version of "That's Life"--beyond the part about "riding high."
Nobody expected Trump to forget his campaign promises, but did they expect them to fulfill all of them all in the first week? As Monday passed to Tuesday and on to yesterday, all I could do was stare at photos of a man who seemed on the verge of mental collapse. Those eyes, but even worse the bags under them! The grins in all the most inappropriate places. The nonstop verbiage of complaint, whining, hostility, and aggression.
If I met Donald Trump on the street just wandering around, displaying the mien and behavior he's been exhibiting, I would call 911.
Today I read that his supporter were happy as clams. Or, at least, they seemed to be unless something really outrageous happens. All that action! all those frenzied Executive Actions (many not worth the paper they're written on). All accompanied by a posse of accommodating GOP congressmen and his own staff, led by Pence beaming beatifically.
But I do take comfort (even if cold) in your last paragraph, Ross, that your warning is now being sent to the Man and his team to be very, very careful, particularly of enemies seeking opportunity.
Not that he's reading your column right now. But still, if he could just break away his TV or android, he might well listen to the full version of "That's Life"--beyond the part about "riding high."
10
The "it's the press' fault" is getting really old. Heard it under Nixon and all Republican administrations going forward. Think it over the Republican leadership with all their power trying to portray themselves as victims of the press! Republican TV stations, press, web sites, twitter that cater to the Republican spin. Yet the Republicans are still trying to sell that they are the victims. This spin isn't working any more except among the Republicans who have become professional victims. Bannon telling the press to shut up leads to the obvious question is just who is this guy to think he can suppress freedom of the press? Drop it's the press' fault and let people decide what they want to read,listen to, watch and tweet. It is called the freedom of the press.
411
The more Trump obfuscates, the sketchier the doings he wants hidden.
The more grotesquely Trump behaves, the uglier the actions he redirects you from.
Trump can never be taken at face value. He lies so much, his words have no meaning from one moment to the next.
Trump uses Twitter as a PR tool. He will use it to quarrel with Alec Baldwin, Meryl Streep, "Hamilton," to deflect from something corrupt he is doing.
His riddles may never be fully understood, but the explanations lie under the surface.
Journalists are our best defense against the fog of Trump's war on reality.
The more grotesquely Trump behaves, the uglier the actions he redirects you from.
Trump can never be taken at face value. He lies so much, his words have no meaning from one moment to the next.
Trump uses Twitter as a PR tool. He will use it to quarrel with Alec Baldwin, Meryl Streep, "Hamilton," to deflect from something corrupt he is doing.
His riddles may never be fully understood, but the explanations lie under the surface.
Journalists are our best defense against the fog of Trump's war on reality.
15
Actually it can summed up in one word. Chaos.
15
"Trump is not a popular president, he has not actually built an electoral majority, his team is not particularly experienced". That's about it in a nutshell. Trump's move to abruptly close the borders from people trying to enter -or re-enter the country- if they are coming from seven mainly Muslim countries, was a precipitous move that has cruelly prevented some from returning to their families here in this country. It has kept out those who are important to our country as well. Scientists, Arabic interpreters, none were spared. Conspicuously missing from the list was Saudi Arabia. Oops Trump has business interests there. So despite Saudi Arabia with its adherence to Wahhabism (thought to be the source of global terrorism), they aren't on the list. Chaos at airports globally has ensued. One thing that is troubling to me is that closing borders can work both ways, it can keep people out, but it can also restrict people from leaving.
There is no way to predict or know what Trump will do. He is impetuous. No thought given to consequences for actions taken. There is no plan. Everything is off the cuff. Build a wall and charge high taxes for needed imports such as food, create debt and get inflation at the same time. Repeal the ACA devastate families and create havoc with the insurance companies. The list goes on. We have a president who does not understand how government functions and few seasoned cabinet nominees with government experience. Light cannot penetrate this fog.
There is no way to predict or know what Trump will do. He is impetuous. No thought given to consequences for actions taken. There is no plan. Everything is off the cuff. Build a wall and charge high taxes for needed imports such as food, create debt and get inflation at the same time. Repeal the ACA devastate families and create havoc with the insurance companies. The list goes on. We have a president who does not understand how government functions and few seasoned cabinet nominees with government experience. Light cannot penetrate this fog.
12
Trump quickly bleated to the effect that b ing registered to vote in two states was per se fraudulent. He did so without knowing that 2/3 of his brain fit that bill. Steve Bannon is registered in both FL & NY, and son in law Jared Kushner in NY & NJ. Evidently, the latter might also apply to favored child Ivanka, too.
"...which makes it more likely to run with the most shocking interpretations (muzzled bureaucrats! mass resignations!) of whatever the White House happens to be doing. At the same time, the Trump inner circle clearly intends to lean into this phenomenon, to encourage the press-as-opposition narrative, seeing mainstream-media mistakes as a way of shoring up its own base’s loyalty."
There is more than adequate solid evidence from leaked e-mails that bureaucrats were very much muzzled, that the Trump administration publicly backed away from. The "mass resignations" are largely in the State Department, and were FORCED by the Trump Administration, leaving embassies without ambassadors, and other positions at state not only unfilled, but with nobody even in line.
Why should the Trump administration even be interested in "shoring up its own base's loyalty?" After all, one of the few true things Orange Julius Caesar said in the campaign was "I could shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue and not lose supporters."
There are levers to government. The Republicans control them all. Why is it OK for the Trump Administration to try to run it without use of those levers?
"...which makes it more likely to run with the most shocking interpretations (muzzled bureaucrats! mass resignations!) of whatever the White House happens to be doing. At the same time, the Trump inner circle clearly intends to lean into this phenomenon, to encourage the press-as-opposition narrative, seeing mainstream-media mistakes as a way of shoring up its own base’s loyalty."
There is more than adequate solid evidence from leaked e-mails that bureaucrats were very much muzzled, that the Trump administration publicly backed away from. The "mass resignations" are largely in the State Department, and were FORCED by the Trump Administration, leaving embassies without ambassadors, and other positions at state not only unfilled, but with nobody even in line.
Why should the Trump administration even be interested in "shoring up its own base's loyalty?" After all, one of the few true things Orange Julius Caesar said in the campaign was "I could shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue and not lose supporters."
There are levers to government. The Republicans control them all. Why is it OK for the Trump Administration to try to run it without use of those levers?
6
Donnie's tactics will fail once he looses the initiative. This can happen in several ways, a natural disaster, a bold political move by a Democrat, a failure of the congress to provide cover, a move by a foreign power against us or an ally or a domestic attack which can't be hung on the usual suspects.
Most of the exec orders he has signed will be found to be illegal or unconstitutional. Lots of shock value but has there been any real lasting movement?
Outrageous, frustrating and embarrassing to be sure. A full employment program for liberal attorneys.
The backlash has to begin in the streets (it has), next organize, then drag the Dem party to a real progressive agenda and push it vigorously in 2018 and 2020. Clean up of this mess will take 6-8 years!
Most of the exec orders he has signed will be found to be illegal or unconstitutional. Lots of shock value but has there been any real lasting movement?
Outrageous, frustrating and embarrassing to be sure. A full employment program for liberal attorneys.
The backlash has to begin in the streets (it has), next organize, then drag the Dem party to a real progressive agenda and push it vigorously in 2018 and 2020. Clean up of this mess will take 6-8 years!
7
Perhaps Trump & Co do not intend to govern or lead (in the sense of moving coherently in a discernable direction) but to rule. In that case, fog and even chaos can be their allies. If the goal is power and "winning" then what is most important is to move much faster than any potential rival, to keep potential adversaries permanently off balance, to keep critics wondering (as here) what is real and what is fog. The United States is a large, dominant nation with an overwhelmingly powerful military and an economy that carry hegemonic weight in the world. The ruling power of such an entity may move unpredictably with relatively little danger to itself as everyone else just trying to keep out of its way. Trump may be mad or he may just play at being mad, or maybe some of both. Either way, we are in for a long period of difficulty and maybe a world of pain.
6
Douthat’s column Jan. 1 showed that he is misguided about the facts and issues. He stated that liberalism is “wrong about the world but pretty good at fearmongering and vote targeting.”
Liberals have long promoted opportunity for racial groups, ethnic groups, women, all gender orientations, and those who lack economic opportunity. That’s because they’re vote targeting? That’s an insult and a Rove/Luntz type lie.
Does it not occur to Douthat that promoting economic growth for all is a good investment and the right thing to do? Does Douthat object to K Street lobbyists promoting the interests of the already well-off?
LBJ was clear that by expanding voting rights and economic opportunity he was SACRIFICING majority votes. How does Douthat state the opposite? Meanwhile Nixon and Reagan pandered, quietly endorsing racism.
Research shows that well-run safety net actions are good investments. They promote opportunity, education, employment, responsible living, family support, and even reduced family size. All the opposite of chronic welfare.
By 1970 we had growing economic opportunity and a GROWING black middle class. It was Reaganomics that shut down prosperity. It was Nixon who expanded the war and its costs. It was Nixon’s policies that produced the inflation of the 1970s. It was Nixon and Reagan who initiated the current class war and the massive shift of income and assets to the top.
It was Tricky Dick, the GOP, and conservative media who used fearmongering to gain power.
Liberals have long promoted opportunity for racial groups, ethnic groups, women, all gender orientations, and those who lack economic opportunity. That’s because they’re vote targeting? That’s an insult and a Rove/Luntz type lie.
Does it not occur to Douthat that promoting economic growth for all is a good investment and the right thing to do? Does Douthat object to K Street lobbyists promoting the interests of the already well-off?
LBJ was clear that by expanding voting rights and economic opportunity he was SACRIFICING majority votes. How does Douthat state the opposite? Meanwhile Nixon and Reagan pandered, quietly endorsing racism.
Research shows that well-run safety net actions are good investments. They promote opportunity, education, employment, responsible living, family support, and even reduced family size. All the opposite of chronic welfare.
By 1970 we had growing economic opportunity and a GROWING black middle class. It was Reaganomics that shut down prosperity. It was Nixon who expanded the war and its costs. It was Nixon’s policies that produced the inflation of the 1970s. It was Nixon and Reagan who initiated the current class war and the massive shift of income and assets to the top.
It was Tricky Dick, the GOP, and conservative media who used fearmongering to gain power.
13
How his administration is operating in this first full week seems like a hyperbole of how his business acquisitions are reported to have been run. First, a flurry of helter skelter activity, missteps, and unforeseen obstacles and unintended consequences, then real disarray and chaos as he loses interest in the deal just past and focuses on the next deal.
Unfortunately for us, and for the country, there are all those in the administration retinue who sniff the blood of a power vacuum and shark into the waters for their own agenda. So we can sense that we go from one fog to dozens if not hundreds with mini fiefdoms abounding.
Let's give thanks to what got us here. Or not.
Unfortunately for us, and for the country, there are all those in the administration retinue who sniff the blood of a power vacuum and shark into the waters for their own agenda. So we can sense that we go from one fog to dozens if not hundreds with mini fiefdoms abounding.
Let's give thanks to what got us here. Or not.
3
I think clarity is arriving: it is becoming clearer that this is the Bannon-Trump presidency, with both of them clearly bent on destroying as many existing elites and institutions as they can.
Bannon has a clear strategy: to build a fiercely nationalist alliance of extremist forces at home and throughout Europe: to ally authoritarians from Putin to Le Pen, Farage to Trump, and destroy the institutions that have maintained relative peace and tolerance since 1945. Within the US, this involves disenfranchising as many of those unsympathetic to Trump as possible.
All this is consistent with Trump's own instincts, though it seems vanishingly unlikely that Trump has thought through the implications as clearly as Bannon has.
Regardless, given their druthers, we are headed for something between authoritarianism and true fascism, unless we can prevent it. And we can be equally confident we'll get no help whatsoever from the utterly feckless Republicans in Congress, who will be given much of what they have long desired; nor from the authoritarian Trumpist Republican base which aims to keep them in line by whatever means necessary.
Bannon has a clear strategy: to build a fiercely nationalist alliance of extremist forces at home and throughout Europe: to ally authoritarians from Putin to Le Pen, Farage to Trump, and destroy the institutions that have maintained relative peace and tolerance since 1945. Within the US, this involves disenfranchising as many of those unsympathetic to Trump as possible.
All this is consistent with Trump's own instincts, though it seems vanishingly unlikely that Trump has thought through the implications as clearly as Bannon has.
Regardless, given their druthers, we are headed for something between authoritarianism and true fascism, unless we can prevent it. And we can be equally confident we'll get no help whatsoever from the utterly feckless Republicans in Congress, who will be given much of what they have long desired; nor from the authoritarian Trumpist Republican base which aims to keep them in line by whatever means necessary.
17
I don't think that he is in any way qualified to do the job he has somehow found himself in, but I would suggest to Mr. Trump that if he really wants to show the majority of Americans who did not vote for him that he honestly wants to do the job for the right reasons, he needs to do two things: First, show us his tax returns. Prove that he pays his fair share, like we do, that he's actually worth what he says he is, that he has no financial ties to Russia, and that he has given to charity what he says he has. That would be a great start.
Second, if he must keep Kellyanne Conway on the payroll, keep her in the background. As a Trump spokesperson, she is woefully inadequate in presenting her boss as a caring, empathetic person, and presents herself as a confrontational sycophant, where she should be a calming influence on the American people. Between Trump, Conway, Preibus, and Bannon, we are being assaulted every day by the sometimes defensive explanations as these folks try to justify the administration's hurry-up, no huddle offense. It's mind blowing, and listening to Ms. Conway twist the facts (or the alternative facts) makes me particular angry.
Second, if he must keep Kellyanne Conway on the payroll, keep her in the background. As a Trump spokesperson, she is woefully inadequate in presenting her boss as a caring, empathetic person, and presents herself as a confrontational sycophant, where she should be a calming influence on the American people. Between Trump, Conway, Preibus, and Bannon, we are being assaulted every day by the sometimes defensive explanations as these folks try to justify the administration's hurry-up, no huddle offense. It's mind blowing, and listening to Ms. Conway twist the facts (or the alternative facts) makes me particular angry.
16
From feel the Bern to feel the Burn. The kleptocratic-corporate exceptionalism/anti government-of-the-people meme was "seeded" by Saint Reagan 36 years ago whose conflagration has continued pretty much unabated ever since: under Bush I (in the guise of the faux moniker compassionate conservatism); under the neo-liberalism/bear any burden JFK-ism of Clinton; heavily boosted by Bush/Cheney II (torturer in chief); sadly resuscitated under Obama after the 2008 economic train wreck and now put on steroids by Trump and his billionaire/uber-conservative minions.
And all done in the hopes of erasing the last vestiges of the New Deal (Social Security, Medicare, unions etc.) and smashing to bits any hope of FDR's 'Second Bill of Rights' that implored “true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence." Yes - from feel the Bern to feel the Burn.
And all done in the hopes of erasing the last vestiges of the New Deal (Social Security, Medicare, unions etc.) and smashing to bits any hope of FDR's 'Second Bill of Rights' that implored “true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence." Yes - from feel the Bern to feel the Burn.
7
Every working person who supported Reagan after he fired all the air traffic controllers enabled exactly what ails them now.
1
Never Forget About Trump's Voters. They are also responsible.
Trump has only done what he told us all that he was going to do. If some of his actions have had unintended consequences, that is no excuse for him or his supporters. That likelihood was repeatedly predicted by numerous authoritative commentators, e.g. all living National Security Advisors to former Republican Presidents. Still, enough of our fellow citizens voted for him to give him a victory in the Electoral College.
Throughout the 2015-’16 campaign, Donald J. Trump obviously and consistently displayed
• A willful ignorance of facts,
• Racism and externalizing of blame for personal failure, and
• An ever present callousness to his fellow human beings.
To vote for this man was to act in support of all three of these faults. The current fashion is to sympathize and empathize with the Trump voter. It is easy to sympathize with the man, woman, or couple who struggle paycheck to paycheck, have done so for decades and have little hope for relief. However, there was never any reasonable hope that their votes for Trump would help their economic or security prospects. Candidate Trump was amazingly consistent and obvious. Their irresponsible votes have damaged the financial prospects and personal security of all US citizens not just their own.
Trump has only done what he told us all that he was going to do. If some of his actions have had unintended consequences, that is no excuse for him or his supporters. That likelihood was repeatedly predicted by numerous authoritative commentators, e.g. all living National Security Advisors to former Republican Presidents. Still, enough of our fellow citizens voted for him to give him a victory in the Electoral College.
Throughout the 2015-’16 campaign, Donald J. Trump obviously and consistently displayed
• A willful ignorance of facts,
• Racism and externalizing of blame for personal failure, and
• An ever present callousness to his fellow human beings.
To vote for this man was to act in support of all three of these faults. The current fashion is to sympathize and empathize with the Trump voter. It is easy to sympathize with the man, woman, or couple who struggle paycheck to paycheck, have done so for decades and have little hope for relief. However, there was never any reasonable hope that their votes for Trump would help their economic or security prospects. Candidate Trump was amazingly consistent and obvious. Their irresponsible votes have damaged the financial prospects and personal security of all US citizens not just their own.
32
You are right. Any fool can run for office. It takes a lot of fools to put them in office.
Good comment! However, it's a myth (fake news) that Trump's supporters were impoverished, and out of work from shut down factories.
Trump voters had above median incomes.
That's one fact I wish would become common knowledge...
Trump voters had above median incomes.
That's one fact I wish would become common knowledge...
2
"Second: The establishment press, as I warned last week, is being pressured to lead the resistance to Trumpism, which makes it more likely to run with the most shocking interpretations (muzzled bureaucrats! mass resignations!) of whatever the White House happens to be doing."
The press is merely asked to actually report the facts, and stop finding euphemisms for Trump, when Trump himself does not even seem all that concerned about soft-selling his positions. That's probably because a soft sell is not really part of a demagogue's skill set.
It was only months ago when there were still conservatives willing to speak honestly about Trump. That actually included Douthat. But now it seems like Douthat is slowly edging closer to Trump, like the rest of the Republicans.
The press is merely asked to actually report the facts, and stop finding euphemisms for Trump, when Trump himself does not even seem all that concerned about soft-selling his positions. That's probably because a soft sell is not really part of a demagogue's skill set.
It was only months ago when there were still conservatives willing to speak honestly about Trump. That actually included Douthat. But now it seems like Douthat is slowly edging closer to Trump, like the rest of the Republicans.
19
One strategic mistake made by the "administration" and that was Bannon coming out of his secretive and mysterious backstage non-presence, as if this first week could let him declare victory. He is supposed to be a brilliant strategist but personal anger and outsize ego may be his undoing.
Puffed up and feeling powerful, actually all of them, including
Nicki Haley, were triumphant this week. But one pretty good indicator of failure in a new management is to alarm, and make sweeping changes, with little foresight. Legal challenges are up and running also! (Consider California hiring Eric Holder to protect their interests, far ahead of everyone).
One factor that cuts through the "fog" is insider leaks. Not always, but having people on the inside can at least give press a heads-up.
Trump and Bannon can't crush the major players in the press.
They are jealous of the successes of the press, and Bannon, by gleefully chastising the mainstream press, the "opposition", was way ahead of himself.
Even on our jittery Northwest local news outlets the headlines declared our "Sanctuary Cities" will hold fast, followed by reports of the judges stay on Trump's immigration.
Fast paced continual shock and awe is not only exhausting for the liberal press, it's exhausting for both conservatives and liberals--there's plenty to offend and scare all of us, from the farmers who will lose migrant workers to the NIH, EPA, NOAA, NASA, etc.--all having their jobs threatened.
Puffed up and feeling powerful, actually all of them, including
Nicki Haley, were triumphant this week. But one pretty good indicator of failure in a new management is to alarm, and make sweeping changes, with little foresight. Legal challenges are up and running also! (Consider California hiring Eric Holder to protect their interests, far ahead of everyone).
One factor that cuts through the "fog" is insider leaks. Not always, but having people on the inside can at least give press a heads-up.
Trump and Bannon can't crush the major players in the press.
They are jealous of the successes of the press, and Bannon, by gleefully chastising the mainstream press, the "opposition", was way ahead of himself.
Even on our jittery Northwest local news outlets the headlines declared our "Sanctuary Cities" will hold fast, followed by reports of the judges stay on Trump's immigration.
Fast paced continual shock and awe is not only exhausting for the liberal press, it's exhausting for both conservatives and liberals--there's plenty to offend and scare all of us, from the farmers who will lose migrant workers to the NIH, EPA, NOAA, NASA, etc.--all having their jobs threatened.
16
It is time to look at Article II of the Constitution. It is time for Congress to remove Trump from office because he is psychologically unable to discharge the duties of his office.
My forebears came to this country from a country where, as recently 1972, imperial government troops fired on and killed peaceful protestors. Where, as recently as 1975, citizens neither charged with nor convicted of any crime were jailed by the imperial government and where, less than two centuries ago, the imperial government, then the wealthiest in the world, allowed millions to starve to death. That this happened in the country whence came my forebears is down mostly to the fact that the imperial government hated, feared and actively discriminated against the people of their country because of their religion.
Why are we doing this?
My forebears came to this country from a country where, as recently 1972, imperial government troops fired on and killed peaceful protestors. Where, as recently as 1975, citizens neither charged with nor convicted of any crime were jailed by the imperial government and where, less than two centuries ago, the imperial government, then the wealthiest in the world, allowed millions to starve to death. That this happened in the country whence came my forebears is down mostly to the fact that the imperial government hated, feared and actively discriminated against the people of their country because of their religion.
Why are we doing this?
16
At best, it's amusing to watch Mr. Douthat bend himself into pretzels trying to put a positive spin on the new administration. Case in point is his distinction between the President's impulsive tweets and actual policy-making, and his advocating a "let's wait and see" approach until the "fog" clears.
Even granting that there may be a difference between the President's tweet of the day and the actual policies that shake out weeks or months later, it is untenable for the President of the United States to continue to issue proclamations and executive orders without any apparent preparation or foresight, concern for legality, or awareness of the real-world impacts around the world of his actions. I believe that the country (and the world) can not afford a President with such a mentality for very long.
Even granting that there may be a difference between the President's tweet of the day and the actual policies that shake out weeks or months later, it is untenable for the President of the United States to continue to issue proclamations and executive orders without any apparent preparation or foresight, concern for legality, or awareness of the real-world impacts around the world of his actions. I believe that the country (and the world) can not afford a President with such a mentality for very long.
41
Week One of the trump "presidency" has drawn to a close, and what do we see so far? To all appearances the man has declared a religious war on Muslims as well as refugees in general, fleeing atrocious circumstances in their own countries, and on Holocaust Remembrance weekend no less.
Then we have VP Pence, who restated determination to control women at all costs. Yes, that pesky idea that women should have rights over their own bodies, or equal pay for equal work, or freedom from rape culture must come to heel! The National Parks employees have been upbraided for their concerns about trump's approach to saving the earth from our rapacious greed. Shall I go on?
Trump is delusional. His most ardent supporters are easily controlled by trump's talent to instill fear of the Other; they now share his delusion. No, I will not sit back and "see how it all works out." I've watched the man for 19 months now, and he's only getting worse. Resist misogyny, racism, bigotry, and the destruction of our environment! Resist trump!
Then we have VP Pence, who restated determination to control women at all costs. Yes, that pesky idea that women should have rights over their own bodies, or equal pay for equal work, or freedom from rape culture must come to heel! The National Parks employees have been upbraided for their concerns about trump's approach to saving the earth from our rapacious greed. Shall I go on?
Trump is delusional. His most ardent supporters are easily controlled by trump's talent to instill fear of the Other; they now share his delusion. No, I will not sit back and "see how it all works out." I've watched the man for 19 months now, and he's only getting worse. Resist misogyny, racism, bigotry, and the destruction of our environment! Resist trump!
59
The whole mob of religious twits trying to provoke God to reveal itself to ratify their delusions are genuinely sick people.
1
But "figuring where what’s “abnormal” is obviously “alarming” and where it makes more sense to wait and see" requires, according to Kellyanne Conway, that one understands what's in Trump's "heart" (or some other internal organ, more on that later).
It is this internal organ metaphor that is going to empower the many competing centers of power in this administration - each power center will have their own interpretation of Trump's internal but conveniently hidden functions and so see themselves acting with the man-child's blessing.
The nation's problem is this man-child's frontal cortex has been all along wired to his anus.
It is this internal organ metaphor that is going to empower the many competing centers of power in this administration - each power center will have their own interpretation of Trump's internal but conveniently hidden functions and so see themselves acting with the man-child's blessing.
The nation's problem is this man-child's frontal cortex has been all along wired to his anus.
19
Let's think back -- Republican policies underBush included invading Iraq (no cost and to be greeted with flowers), promoting torture as a national policy, and tax cuts combined with cost increases (an unfunded Medicare Part D). They left us with a severely damaged economy, two costly wars with no end in sight, and a loss of respect around the world.
Then during the Obama administration they attempted to stop everything being done by the Democrats while voicing ridiculous policy suggestions, like repealing Obamacare, figuring these suggestions would sound good to their base while they had no chance of being put into practice. The louder and more insistent they were the more support they got. Through behavior modification they indavertantly turned themselves into believers of these absurdities, and felt emboldened by FOX etc. to keep shouting to their echo chamber.
Uninformed listeners dared not question this barrage of proposals -- nobody else seemed to question them (so long as they did not read or listen to anything other than what was found in the echo chamber). NOW these proposals are being touted by those in power.
Since Mr. Douthat did not dare oppose his base before, he now has to claim this Fog of Trump is something new, due to Trump (and a silly press), with no blame for himself and other Republicans who cowered from their Tea Party faction and who became immune to the insanity of their proposals.
How do we get out of this predicament? Tell us, please.
Then during the Obama administration they attempted to stop everything being done by the Democrats while voicing ridiculous policy suggestions, like repealing Obamacare, figuring these suggestions would sound good to their base while they had no chance of being put into practice. The louder and more insistent they were the more support they got. Through behavior modification they indavertantly turned themselves into believers of these absurdities, and felt emboldened by FOX etc. to keep shouting to their echo chamber.
Uninformed listeners dared not question this barrage of proposals -- nobody else seemed to question them (so long as they did not read or listen to anything other than what was found in the echo chamber). NOW these proposals are being touted by those in power.
Since Mr. Douthat did not dare oppose his base before, he now has to claim this Fog of Trump is something new, due to Trump (and a silly press), with no blame for himself and other Republicans who cowered from their Tea Party faction and who became immune to the insanity of their proposals.
How do we get out of this predicament? Tell us, please.
79
OMG, we as a nation must tremble and wait while the president of the United States plays with his new powers. One of his biographers has said Trump thrives in turmoil. At a time when we need to help stabilize the world, we have a new President who likes to play with his truth without the real facts. Doesn't matter if it's a lie because being truthful isn't important in Trumps world as long as he likes it.
1
Ross, in fact, Trump did win an electoral college majority, if not a popular vote majority. I agree he does not seem focused and that his lack of verbal support for the Baltic countries against Russian aggression is disturbing. As far as print media being superior, I have my doubts. The New York Times has evolved into an Organ of the Democrat Party. The last Republican they endorsed for the Presidency was Dwight Eisenhower. That means they endorsed Carter and Dukakis over superior Republicans candidates. Under Obama, the growth in nominal GDP over the last year was a paltry 1.6%. Trump has promised economic growth. Why not give him more than one week to see whether he can deliver.
4
Man does not live by bread alone. The obsession by many with "economic growth" is obscene, especially given the fact that the president is not Superman and is often subject to events beyond his control.
We should be thankful that, under Obama, we did not suffer another economic meltdown and, the recovery, while historically mediocre, continues unabated for almost 8 years and counting.
It's debatable, given what we know now, whether Carter and Dukakis were inferior candidates, and the Times, like many publications, is entitled to support the candidate of one party for as long as they choose, and there are also numerous publications that always supported Republicans, until the past election.
We should be thankful that, under Obama, we did not suffer another economic meltdown and, the recovery, while historically mediocre, continues unabated for almost 8 years and counting.
It's debatable, given what we know now, whether Carter and Dukakis were inferior candidates, and the Times, like many publications, is entitled to support the candidate of one party for as long as they choose, and there are also numerous publications that always supported Republicans, until the past election.
8
Oh, I forgot: There is no such entity as the "Democrat" Party.
There is a Democratic Party. I believe the term "Democrat" Party was coined by Rush Limbaugh, and is an early example of an alternative fact, a/k/a a falsehood, becoming part of the mainstream discourse when repeated often enough.
There is a Democratic Party. I believe the term "Democrat" Party was coined by Rush Limbaugh, and is an early example of an alternative fact, a/k/a a falsehood, becoming part of the mainstream discourse when repeated often enough.
14
Why? - Because, for one thing, it took him all of a week to deliver a diplomatic (or un-diplomatic) & trade war against a great friend, our neighbor, our 2nd largest customer ... A policy guarantee to lead to MORE instability in Mexico, not less, & MORE illegal immigration, not less.
13
You write, "The establishment press, as I warned last week, is being pressured to lead the resistance to Trumpism, which makes it more likely to run with the most shocking interpretations (muzzled bureaucrats! mass resignations!) of whatever the White House happens to be doing." The fact of the matter is that Donald Trump is a climate change denier, as is Scott Pruitt and Myron Ebell. The fact of the matter is that previous Republican administrations and Republican controlled Congresses have sought to suppress science in the public interest, in some cases quite successfully; in 1996 Congress bullied the CDC into ceasing studies on gun violence, which has badly crippled our understanding of this phenomenon. The George W. Bush administration suppressed at least one EPA report on climate change, and Trump advisers have discussed defunding NASA's earth science programs. If one believes that the free exchange of scientific ideas is critical to contemporary society, and particularly if one is concerned about climate change, there is every reason to oppose the Trump administration's attempts to muzzle scientists from day one.
522
People wonder why scientists and university professors are predominantly liberal, this is why.
3
The instability emanating from the Alt-White House is worse than we could have imagined, and we thought it would be chaos. We’re now looking at chaos in the rear-view mirror, and barreling into the dark at warp speed.
Every day sees the president doubling down on yet another absurd narcissistic delusion. His spokes-viper Kellyanne Conway is being laughed off the stage as she describes in exquisite detail the regal garments being sported by this obviously naked buffoon. Bannon tells the press to shut up. Sean Spicer stands before reporters and looks as though he’s going to cry because they’re being mean to him.
But could there be a silver lining to this dark cloud? Most of what the president wants will require Congressional approval, and Congressional Republicans are being squeezed between a desire to remain in office and the need to kowtow to an idiot president who demands loyalty or else. It couldn’t happen to a more deserving bunch of amoral hacks, but it’s also possible that self-preservation may kick in, and they might take action.
Women are marching. Reporters are smirking. Putin is smiling. Ultimately, they may have to break ranks with the president. As the house of cards collapses, the public will feel a renewed sense of hope, and rally to the cause. As the president melts down, impeachment will surely follow. Now if we could just get rid of Pence….
Well, a guy can dream, can’t he?
Every day sees the president doubling down on yet another absurd narcissistic delusion. His spokes-viper Kellyanne Conway is being laughed off the stage as she describes in exquisite detail the regal garments being sported by this obviously naked buffoon. Bannon tells the press to shut up. Sean Spicer stands before reporters and looks as though he’s going to cry because they’re being mean to him.
But could there be a silver lining to this dark cloud? Most of what the president wants will require Congressional approval, and Congressional Republicans are being squeezed between a desire to remain in office and the need to kowtow to an idiot president who demands loyalty or else. It couldn’t happen to a more deserving bunch of amoral hacks, but it’s also possible that self-preservation may kick in, and they might take action.
Women are marching. Reporters are smirking. Putin is smiling. Ultimately, they may have to break ranks with the president. As the house of cards collapses, the public will feel a renewed sense of hope, and rally to the cause. As the president melts down, impeachment will surely follow. Now if we could just get rid of Pence….
Well, a guy can dream, can’t he?
218
During the campaign when Mr. Trump never seemed likely to win, if I thought of it at all, I never suspected that Trump would govern by group.
This overly confident but insecure man seems incapable of doing anything alone. Again during the campaign, we knew that Steve Bannon was the man behind the scenes much like the Wizard of Oz or the man creating the false reality of the Truman show.
Actually what we have now is the Truman show with Truman being the American public as well as the media.
Nobody elected Steve Bannon, Jared Kushner, or any other of the tight inner circle of ideologues. Steve Bannon, the leader, is smart as hell and scary as hell. He has a vision which he is implemented through the willing dependence of trump's id.
Of course every president gets to pick his advisers, but the fog of Trump is being masterminded totally by Bannon. Isn't it just a bit creepy to have an anarchist and dreamer of a world of competing nation states arising in some sort of Manichaean New World order?
No wonder the Trump administration is blanketed in fog as thick as the pea soup enveloping Cape Cod in August.
This fog is purposeful, opaque, and as relentless as The often hidden agendas of team Trump. The only way to deal with fog is to wait it out.
Forging ahead and futilely claiming to see what lies ahead is what team Trump wants you to do. Driving in fog is as dangerous as expecting transparency from those who don't know the meaning of the word.
This overly confident but insecure man seems incapable of doing anything alone. Again during the campaign, we knew that Steve Bannon was the man behind the scenes much like the Wizard of Oz or the man creating the false reality of the Truman show.
Actually what we have now is the Truman show with Truman being the American public as well as the media.
Nobody elected Steve Bannon, Jared Kushner, or any other of the tight inner circle of ideologues. Steve Bannon, the leader, is smart as hell and scary as hell. He has a vision which he is implemented through the willing dependence of trump's id.
Of course every president gets to pick his advisers, but the fog of Trump is being masterminded totally by Bannon. Isn't it just a bit creepy to have an anarchist and dreamer of a world of competing nation states arising in some sort of Manichaean New World order?
No wonder the Trump administration is blanketed in fog as thick as the pea soup enveloping Cape Cod in August.
This fog is purposeful, opaque, and as relentless as The often hidden agendas of team Trump. The only way to deal with fog is to wait it out.
Forging ahead and futilely claiming to see what lies ahead is what team Trump wants you to do. Driving in fog is as dangerous as expecting transparency from those who don't know the meaning of the word.
174
You make excellent points. However, "The only way to deal with fog is to wait it out." is problematic. Waiting for the fog to lift, when it does and you don't like what you see, it's too late.
I believe everything that comes out of this new administration should be challenged, based on this "fog" condition. And for each "everything" to be continually challenged and not be dropped or forgotten as new issues go in and out of the fog. An example: Who is talking about his conflicts of business interests? Maybe somebody, but I ain't hearing it cause of all the other "news."
I believe everything that comes out of this new administration should be challenged, based on this "fog" condition. And for each "everything" to be continually challenged and not be dropped or forgotten as new issues go in and out of the fog. An example: Who is talking about his conflicts of business interests? Maybe somebody, but I ain't hearing it cause of all the other "news."
4
The establishment press is already labeled as leading the resistance to Trump. That serves Steve Bannon well. I don't know how the press, or establishment politicians or other establishment policy and opinion actors might deal with that. I hope better than the establishment press could cope with Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, whose tactics are starting to look a bit familiar.
53
The Press has a simple and mandated responsibility. To tell the truth, every day, without intimidation. If that suggests resistance, then so be it. This is not your usual push and pull between competing political philosophies. This is now a country with an executive branch filled with ignorant haters and clever pitchmen. Trump, Bannon and crew are traitors to all things American. Oh, and a President who starts working at 9:00 am after he gets his very important TV time. Really?
So, "Media", "Press", "Journalists of Principle" - just do your jobs. Report the facts - as horrible and unbelievable as they are.
So, "Media", "Press", "Journalists of Principle" - just do your jobs. Report the facts - as horrible and unbelievable as they are.
3
I get it, Mr. Douthat. We should all just chill out and wait and see what happens. Sorry, but when we've got a President who's as impulsive, truculent and temperamental as this one, waiting to see whether he'll back off and listen to reason is simply not a plausible option. At this point all of us are Muslim refugees enroute to America. Will he let us in or won't he, and what do we do if he won't and we have no other country to return to (thanks for the invite, Mr. Trudeau: lots of us may take you up on it before too long)? Really, there's far too much at stake here, especially given the fact that His Highness is now willing to issue executive orders without regard for legality or for those other two pesky branches of government. When a man now equipped with our nuclear codes wonders aloud why we just can't use the WMDs we've already stockpiled it's not in the interests of any rational American to sit back and hand him a honeymoon period. And whatever good will might have once been in the air is already gone with his decision to befoul that air with his pipelines.
423
Those pipelines: what American company will start to produce pipelines when they are a product of the past? And even if they do, they'll have them made by robots (who have no citizenship) and, when it's all over, no new jobs, but lots of CO2 have been created. Trump's dynasty will fail because it will be suffocated by his noxious fumes.
1
And its not like we've got politicians in the Senate and House or Judiciary that have any guts. They'll all stand idly by waiting to see which way the wind blows and covering their butts. It seems like the best we can hope for is a swift crash of the economy. Then the people that run this country, the 1% CEO's will rein in their little puppet politicians in and tell them to dump the Con Don.
2
There is a rumor that Erik Prince, Betsy Devos' brother,, is quietly advising Trump behind the scenes. It would be good to find out whether this is true or not because it would help explain some of the seemingly dark purposes behind his actions.
2
It's really not complicated. The destruction has begun, and it is getting worse. Every day there is something new and monstrous.
The honest part of the press has been moderate, and the alternative to facts is fiction and lies. There is no such thing as an alternative to the truth that is in any way useful outside entertainment. We are not living on a set where production values are all paramount. Our addiction to marketing and free stuff has made us slaves to illusion.
Just because people want fiction instead of truth doesn't make it OK. In fact, reality is bound to obtrude itself in quite a variety of mostly negative ways. The enablers can continue to detail and hurt people who are different, criminalize poverty, look the other way while their victims sicken and die, and pretend climate change is fiction, but no amount of lies will undo the harm. Sea level rise and extreme weather have a way of getting people's attention.
The honest part of the press has been moderate, and the alternative to facts is fiction and lies. There is no such thing as an alternative to the truth that is in any way useful outside entertainment. We are not living on a set where production values are all paramount. Our addiction to marketing and free stuff has made us slaves to illusion.
Just because people want fiction instead of truth doesn't make it OK. In fact, reality is bound to obtrude itself in quite a variety of mostly negative ways. The enablers can continue to detail and hurt people who are different, criminalize poverty, look the other way while their victims sicken and die, and pretend climate change is fiction, but no amount of lies will undo the harm. Sea level rise and extreme weather have a way of getting people's attention.
237
I think you give Trump far to much credit for actually having an agenda. He is a mental ill individual and a crass showman with a very thin skin. All that really matters to him is the show. He has no idea how to manage a large bureaucratic organization like the Federal Government or even how to issue orders to such an organization as amply demonstrated by the ill conceived and illegal ban on Muslims from selected countries.
444
Bannon does seem to have an agenda, whether Trump realizes it or not.
6
It's entirely possible that he wants a Trump brand crusade. Because what he's trying to do is start a religious war because he thinks he can win.
85
Let's stop calling the religious right wing nuts Christians. They are not Christians. They are cristofascists trying to foist their nightmares on our Constitutionally secular nation. I don't care if they want to bay at the moon, but stay out of my life.
11
There is no point in giving advice to Trump or his entourage and to pretend that somehow Trump will stop being Trump anytime soon. He promised he will do crazy stuff during the campaign and intends to show his base he meant what he said (even if in some cases he himself does not remember or pretends not to remember what he said). This administration is heading for an unprecedented wreck unless enough Republicans come to their senses and realize they cannot let Trump be Trump. His antics guarantee solid Democratic opposition so not many Republicans in the Senate are needed to slow down the descent into madness.
246
Trump makes his decisions in his gut, not his brain.
1
We all have lives. An hour spent trying to understand what is next or what just past is an hour I will never get back. I think that I will just jot down random thoughts about the future ("There are no facts about the future") and put them into an envelope to be referred to when the future is the past-like a lottery ticket bought when Powerball is 400mil.
I care about climate. It seems certain that Trump-Tillerson-Putin-Erdogan-Perry are conspiring to kill the Paris Agreement and renewables because they are a threat to companies whose wealth is monetized in oil. If renewables win and carbon burning is limited to less that proven reserves, then ExxonMobil will loose value especially if the Saudis decide to pump at a low price so that all their crude gets sold. So I predict an attack on Saudis (and low oil prices) under the guise of attacking extremism. But thinking about the exact nature of the criminal activity that will flow from Trump's Band of Deplorables is a waste of precious time. No one will believe my scenario even if prescient. So, I jot it down, put it in an envelop and stick it away in my bombshelter (another chit has something about N. Korea in it) and I get on with my life instead of watching the dumpster fire.
Another: Trump's juggling with knives is designed to take attention away from expansive kleptocratic moves that we will all disbelieve when they take place because Trump appeared too disorganized to pull it off. Into the envelope-back to life.
I care about climate. It seems certain that Trump-Tillerson-Putin-Erdogan-Perry are conspiring to kill the Paris Agreement and renewables because they are a threat to companies whose wealth is monetized in oil. If renewables win and carbon burning is limited to less that proven reserves, then ExxonMobil will loose value especially if the Saudis decide to pump at a low price so that all their crude gets sold. So I predict an attack on Saudis (and low oil prices) under the guise of attacking extremism. But thinking about the exact nature of the criminal activity that will flow from Trump's Band of Deplorables is a waste of precious time. No one will believe my scenario even if prescient. So, I jot it down, put it in an envelop and stick it away in my bombshelter (another chit has something about N. Korea in it) and I get on with my life instead of watching the dumpster fire.
Another: Trump's juggling with knives is designed to take attention away from expansive kleptocratic moves that we will all disbelieve when they take place because Trump appeared too disorganized to pull it off. Into the envelope-back to life.
186
Well put. I agree about the timewasting, but not entirely about the legerdemain. The Saudis, despite their active contributions to 9/11 and other terrorism, are exempt from the latest. Ah, the attics and basements of our minds!
58
There is no good reason to preclude a return of capital to investors component to a planned phaseout of petroleum combustion.
2
All of this reading and watching and being angry can't be good for us. My daughter, a librarian, said on election day that she would just have to read books for four years. Not a bad idea.
2
trump never runs out of lies about his opponents, their motives and their actions, or about things that cut him down to size such as his loss of the popular vote and the size of crowds at his inauguration.
But we had better take seriously what he says he has in mind for his malevolent administration, and that includes threats to media freedom. He may not have a constitutional leg to stand on but there are plenty of ways he can mute the medis - unfounded but expensive lawsuits, intimidation of reporters, selective revocation of press credentials, lots of mis- and dis-information.
I totally expect that if and when our juvenile delinquent of a president involves us in another foreign adventure, maybe even involving nuclear weapons, he will fabricate the reasons and we won't have media that could raise even a whimper. There are of course precedents in our recent history, but this is our most propaganda-savvy administration. Goebbels would be smiling approvingly if he were in a place he could look down from.
But we had better take seriously what he says he has in mind for his malevolent administration, and that includes threats to media freedom. He may not have a constitutional leg to stand on but there are plenty of ways he can mute the medis - unfounded but expensive lawsuits, intimidation of reporters, selective revocation of press credentials, lots of mis- and dis-information.
I totally expect that if and when our juvenile delinquent of a president involves us in another foreign adventure, maybe even involving nuclear weapons, he will fabricate the reasons and we won't have media that could raise even a whimper. There are of course precedents in our recent history, but this is our most propaganda-savvy administration. Goebbels would be smiling approvingly if he were in a place he could look down from.
258
The right wing doesn't understand the Constitution well enough to be constrained by it.
3
Trump sees no diversity in human motivation. You are either motivated as he is or you are a freak.
2
Given the dubious legality of these Executive Orders, we will sooner discover if we really are a nation of laws. Resist!
479
We are a nation squabbling over interpretation of laws in courts presided over by politically-appointed judges.
3
First, this administration has fewer centers of gravity than it has centers of levity. It’s taken as a joke, which renders moot any serious discussion of who’s on whose ideological page. Instead, there’s a Who’s on First quality to the president’s pronouncements, in which lack of understanding combines with metaphysical certitude to create something akin to an Abbot and Costello routine rather than projecting presidential wisdom.
Second, the press is not being “pressured” to lead the resistance. They’re covering the comments and absurd situations that the president is creating. Merely sticking to the facts is enough to brand the press as enemies. So unless the press takes Mr. Bannon’s advice and shuts up, they can only be viewed as part of the resistance.
Third, spouting random, self-contradictory and spontaneous “ideas” does not an ideology make. The seeming abnormality doesn’t arise merely from breaking the bipartisan mold. It’s because the underlying thought process is incongruent with any logical view of the world. It rarely makes sense, and when it does, it’s an accident, not a glimpse into a complex mind that occasionally surprises us with its brilliance.
The president’s mind is all fog. The Titanic could sail through it at top speed with a blindfolded helmsman, and it would hit nothing solid. And it’s not comforting to know that the president is standing on the bow, declaring that he’s king of the world.
Second, the press is not being “pressured” to lead the resistance. They’re covering the comments and absurd situations that the president is creating. Merely sticking to the facts is enough to brand the press as enemies. So unless the press takes Mr. Bannon’s advice and shuts up, they can only be viewed as part of the resistance.
Third, spouting random, self-contradictory and spontaneous “ideas” does not an ideology make. The seeming abnormality doesn’t arise merely from breaking the bipartisan mold. It’s because the underlying thought process is incongruent with any logical view of the world. It rarely makes sense, and when it does, it’s an accident, not a glimpse into a complex mind that occasionally surprises us with its brilliance.
The president’s mind is all fog. The Titanic could sail through it at top speed with a blindfolded helmsman, and it would hit nothing solid. And it’s not comforting to know that the president is standing on the bow, declaring that he’s king of the world.
825
Dear Gemli,
Thank You! You have no idea how much your insightful and illuminating writing sustain us as we make our way thorough these dark times.
Thank You! You have no idea how much your insightful and illuminating writing sustain us as we make our way thorough these dark times.
9
The joke wears thin when it gets to the point the vindictive clown can blow up the planet with the world's readiest nuclear arsenal.
12
The Trumptanic.
4
This is what Ross Douthat warned the press against in his last column:
"A kind of hysterical oppositionalism, a mirroring of Trump’s own tabloid style and disregard for truth."
It seems to me that over the course of the past week the press has been scrupulous in its regard for the truth. Of course, this has put it at odds with an administration that bases policy on "alternate facts." It's pointless at this point to run down the list of things that Donald Trump has lied about over the course of a mere seven days, or the ways in which his presidency doesn't seem to be abnormal, but by every historical measure is abnormal.
In what appeared to be a late-night interview after a few too many cocktails, Stephen Bannon angrily declared the press irrelevant--despite the fact that his boss enjoys historically low approval ratings and subscriptions to newspapers like this one are surging.
The press is reporting what this president is doing. If that contributes to "the climate of hysteria," the buck stops at the White House.
"A kind of hysterical oppositionalism, a mirroring of Trump’s own tabloid style and disregard for truth."
It seems to me that over the course of the past week the press has been scrupulous in its regard for the truth. Of course, this has put it at odds with an administration that bases policy on "alternate facts." It's pointless at this point to run down the list of things that Donald Trump has lied about over the course of a mere seven days, or the ways in which his presidency doesn't seem to be abnormal, but by every historical measure is abnormal.
In what appeared to be a late-night interview after a few too many cocktails, Stephen Bannon angrily declared the press irrelevant--despite the fact that his boss enjoys historically low approval ratings and subscriptions to newspapers like this one are surging.
The press is reporting what this president is doing. If that contributes to "the climate of hysteria," the buck stops at the White House.
669
Respect is earned. I never saw anything to respect in Donald Trump.
10
What is actually happening is that the malignant narcissist in the Oval Office refuses to recognize that the system includes checks and balances. He believes himself omnipotent, with accountability only for others. He expects the media to act as his public relations arm, ignoring any factual information that makes him look bad, whether because of his own weaknesses or actual facts. He has surrounded himself with people (so far) willing to play along either because of their own ego or a total lack of conscience. I just read that green card holders have been detained, handcuffed, and had their social media presence reviewed.
And no one is stopping him.
How far is he going to go?
He will go as far as we allow him to, becoming a fascist dictator willing to bomb us all back to the dark ages rather than face the reality that he is a mentally ill, and has absolutely no business in any position of public power.
And no one is stopping him.
How far is he going to go?
He will go as far as we allow him to, becoming a fascist dictator willing to bomb us all back to the dark ages rather than face the reality that he is a mentally ill, and has absolutely no business in any position of public power.
873
Obviously there are no checks and a balances to psychopaths in the US.
1
This is the first week. Even the Sec of State is not yet confirmed.
Confusion? Multiple centers jockeying for power in the first week before the big players are even in the game? Sure.
It may be that the Trump Administration will be characterized by this, but it can't be proved by the first week, with major offices empty.
Confusion? Multiple centers jockeying for power in the first week before the big players are even in the game? Sure.
It may be that the Trump Administration will be characterized by this, but it can't be proved by the first week, with major offices empty.
28
Has it occurred to you that "major offices empty'" is a problem of Trump's own making? Sec of State not confirmed. If Tillerson's smart he'll walk away from this train wreck of an administration.
6
I don't expect any of Trump's cabinet nominees to re-center their own lives on Washington, DC.
2
This is so much better than another Clinton administration, right Mark?
I mean, entertainment value alone makes it must-see TV. Better a man in the job than any woman - I speak just about entertainment now because when you root for Trump that is the only redeeming measure to his "presidency" - entertainment.
Are you not entertained?
I mean, entertainment value alone makes it must-see TV. Better a man in the job than any woman - I speak just about entertainment now because when you root for Trump that is the only redeeming measure to his "presidency" - entertainment.
Are you not entertained?
5
Trumpism is less like an ideological cocktail and more like a Molotov cocktail.
483
"The establishment press, as I warned last week, is being pressured to lead the resistance to Trumpism..."
Somebody has to show some courage, Mr. Douthat. Somebody has to lead the resistance. From Schumer to McConnell to Ryan, who is showing the courage to stand up to this madman, this madness?
Somebody has to step into the void so it might as well be the press, especially countering the alternative facts of Trump/Conway/Bannon/Reince/Kushner.
Somebody has to lead the charge against Trump?
Somebody has to show some courage, Mr. Douthat. Somebody has to lead the resistance. From Schumer to McConnell to Ryan, who is showing the courage to stand up to this madman, this madness?
Somebody has to step into the void so it might as well be the press, especially countering the alternative facts of Trump/Conway/Bannon/Reince/Kushner.
Somebody has to lead the charge against Trump?
905
The people who elected Trump overwhelmingly approve of his actions. He is doing what he promised to do. I know this concept is unknown to liberals but Conservatives love it. Trump knows liberals will not agree with his decisions and he could care less. Just like Obama and his supporters could have cared less when he shoved his radical social agendas down our throats. Now you know how it feels.
Courage? Sorry, I don't buy it. I don't see what the establishment press or those who write for it have put on the line by constantly ginning up scenarios of worry, doom and danger with everything that Trump does. Their salaries are safe thanks to the very large market that they have found for offering this kind of product.
In caligo veritas.
I commented on today’s editorial, basically castigating the MSM for precisely what Ross claims has been their charge by liberals: to lead the resistance (read “assault”) against Trump. It’s certainly not their job to do that but to inform us of facts and “news” on a basis SOMEWHAT more balanced than James T. Callender and William Randolph Hearst would applaud. But, then, it’s not like our nation hasn’t had its fair share of ideologically interested punditry masquerading as “news” and “analysis” since our earliest days.
I sounded the righteous note, but, as always, I’m not sure how effective it will be in this choir.
The intelligent pundit, rather than obsessing over fog and complaining that Trump isn’t articulating every detail of his plans succinctly, should go to school on what Steve Bannon REALLY believes. Try to understand his real convictions, his motivations, and paint a picture of the America that HE has. Trump will cut deals, do end-runs, co-opt the disaffected on BOTH sides of the aisle, but with every action we’ll see a little more of Bannon’s America emerge. Painting then interpreting that picture TRULY is what effective punditry in the Age of Trump is all about.
In the end, even the fogs of Edwardian London dissipated and people walked in the sun. We will, too. But one should consider that enveloped in fog is when it’s MOST advantageous to adjust one’s trousers, and to consider seriously what one REALLY believes.
I commented on today’s editorial, basically castigating the MSM for precisely what Ross claims has been their charge by liberals: to lead the resistance (read “assault”) against Trump. It’s certainly not their job to do that but to inform us of facts and “news” on a basis SOMEWHAT more balanced than James T. Callender and William Randolph Hearst would applaud. But, then, it’s not like our nation hasn’t had its fair share of ideologically interested punditry masquerading as “news” and “analysis” since our earliest days.
I sounded the righteous note, but, as always, I’m not sure how effective it will be in this choir.
The intelligent pundit, rather than obsessing over fog and complaining that Trump isn’t articulating every detail of his plans succinctly, should go to school on what Steve Bannon REALLY believes. Try to understand his real convictions, his motivations, and paint a picture of the America that HE has. Trump will cut deals, do end-runs, co-opt the disaffected on BOTH sides of the aisle, but with every action we’ll see a little more of Bannon’s America emerge. Painting then interpreting that picture TRULY is what effective punditry in the Age of Trump is all about.
In the end, even the fogs of Edwardian London dissipated and people walked in the sun. We will, too. But one should consider that enveloped in fog is when it’s MOST advantageous to adjust one’s trousers, and to consider seriously what one REALLY believes.
38
I seldom agree with Richard Luettgen's posts, but here he is cogent: the country may have celebrated the Inauguration of Trump, but we have as rulers Bannon and Pence. We would be advised to understand their convictions, motivations and programs before we find them enacted and we live (or die) in a country that none of us, or very few, really wanted or can abide.
6
"Bannon's America" = Dante's Inferno
6
More specious justifications from a third rate propagandist.
11
"The ship be sinking."
Micheal Ray Richardson, New York Knicks, circa 1980.
I do not expect Trump's inner circle to heed the intelligent advise of Ross. To do so would imply that said individuals actually have a coherent plan or policy, and not the insipid slogan of "America First".
I a praying for a bare minimum of competency to guide us forward for the next 3 years and 51 weeks, allowing our nation to escape a major military engagement and a financial meltdown.
Micheal Ray Richardson, New York Knicks, circa 1980.
I do not expect Trump's inner circle to heed the intelligent advise of Ross. To do so would imply that said individuals actually have a coherent plan or policy, and not the insipid slogan of "America First".
I a praying for a bare minimum of competency to guide us forward for the next 3 years and 51 weeks, allowing our nation to escape a major military engagement and a financial meltdown.
380
I think Trump's first week actions are easy to understand. He's putting on a show for the people who voted for him, since he has to keep his base intact, having lost everyone else. But there's no substance.
So of course there's a mad rush to issue executive "orders" on all the hot button issues, but that doesn't mean money will be spent to make things happen. And he declares himself in favor of torture (fleshing out his performance as a tough guy), knowing full well that Mattis won't support it and that he has given Mattis discretion and it won't be implemented, so he gets to have it both ways. The same with reiterating that Mexico will pay for the wall. It won't happen and he knows it, but it helps him with his base if he says it. He's just following the script that has worked for him so far.
What I don't understand is why anyone takes seriously anything said by Trump. This is the same guy we saw running for office. He'll say anything and everything for media advantage, and he'll scapegoat bystanders to make himself look good. He may actually believe in some policies, but you'll never know from listening to him.
There are only two things that we know he genuinely wants: 1) make himself and his cronies richer, and 2) appease Putin by reducing or lifting sanctions. The rest is just a show.
So of course there's a mad rush to issue executive "orders" on all the hot button issues, but that doesn't mean money will be spent to make things happen. And he declares himself in favor of torture (fleshing out his performance as a tough guy), knowing full well that Mattis won't support it and that he has given Mattis discretion and it won't be implemented, so he gets to have it both ways. The same with reiterating that Mexico will pay for the wall. It won't happen and he knows it, but it helps him with his base if he says it. He's just following the script that has worked for him so far.
What I don't understand is why anyone takes seriously anything said by Trump. This is the same guy we saw running for office. He'll say anything and everything for media advantage, and he'll scapegoat bystanders to make himself look good. He may actually believe in some policies, but you'll never know from listening to him.
There are only two things that we know he genuinely wants: 1) make himself and his cronies richer, and 2) appease Putin by reducing or lifting sanctions. The rest is just a show.
10
Mr. President, it appears that your first week in office did not go as you, or anyone else had planned. You have lost face, and your ratings are tanking. There is one move, however, that you can make to stanch the bleeding and hit the reset button.
Nominate Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.
Your detractors will be forced to take a step back, and forced to admit in the media that you have made a remarkably reasonable choice. Even the Times will praise it. The dishonest media won't come out and say that it makes you a reasonable, responsible commander in chief, but hey, baby steps here.
You will get a chance to bully that pesky Congress, and rub their noses in the fact that they should have done their Constitutional duty months ago (patriot that you are, of course.) And not to worry, at least one of those old ladies will die or retire in the next four years, and you can push through whoever you want.
Also, Republicans like Garland (that's why Obama nominated him) and he'll sail through the hearings without much fuss.
Winning Big League! Looking Presidential!
Nominate Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.
Your detractors will be forced to take a step back, and forced to admit in the media that you have made a remarkably reasonable choice. Even the Times will praise it. The dishonest media won't come out and say that it makes you a reasonable, responsible commander in chief, but hey, baby steps here.
You will get a chance to bully that pesky Congress, and rub their noses in the fact that they should have done their Constitutional duty months ago (patriot that you are, of course.) And not to worry, at least one of those old ladies will die or retire in the next four years, and you can push through whoever you want.
Also, Republicans like Garland (that's why Obama nominated him) and he'll sail through the hearings without much fuss.
Winning Big League! Looking Presidential!
9