Loose lips sink ships. Donald will send himself to prison.
6
GENERAL CLAPPER: “I worry frankly [about Trump’s] access to the nuclear codes.
In a fit of pique [anger], he decides to do something about Kim Jong-Un.
There’s actually very little to stop him.”
Aug 22, 2017: General James Clapper, former Director of National Intelligence, interviewed by CNN. Clapper is worried Trump’s unstable temperament will cause WWIII.
4
I hope he goes on saying what he really feels — to the grand jury.
9
Funniest headline outside of Borowitz or The Onion.
2
It sets me off to listen to tRUMP use language, threatening others, which clearly and specifically describes WHAT HE HIMSELF IS DOING -- his actions are not taken out of context -- his actions make my skin crawl and I hope I never am in his presence.
2
DT's perceptual tools are very like children who grow up in complex and dysfunctional families. The adults can't be trusted, so kids learn to read the room. Perhaps because he was rescued by (exiled to) military academy he identified military adults as trustworthy. All powerful men (like Dad) but rules are by standards, not nebulous extortions. It's still kill or be killed, but you can win by the rules
Now that he's been elected The Big Daddy of Them All & has worked with Generals (under his command), he feels he gets them (he's read the room) & now HE's running things.
There are 3 problems:
#1 DT could use financial/legal protections for corporations in bankruptcy to protect himself & family from the consequences of ignorance & lack of ethics. His 'corporation' is now us & we have no such protections.
#2 Although "adult children" may use other strategies (often as a temporary adaptation while they 'read the room' for a few months) when under stress they'll revert to a primary mode: tuning out adult input (untrustworthy) & trusting their gut as it's all they CAN trust. (Exceptions: family & win-only allies.)
The irony is there's no self-trust here. It's all defensive & reactive. Winning is Everything because losing is THE constant threat. And so immediate & global (to the sense of self) that planning is not an option. Nor is reason.
#3 Conflict & chaos are essential to his self image/comfort zone. He "loves to watch it". It allows him to read room. (And so it goes.)
3
He’s firing people and feeling he can suddenly be true to himself (which means the tweeting Trump we saw before was a not as bad as it can get). What he’s doing is self-aggrandizing. Self-aggrandizement can be a symptom. It seems like he may actually be headed for a breakdown. And the theory that this is part of a “nothing left to lose” mentality makes sense too.
Lots of people are mentioning the Russia investigation and I’m sure the subpoena of Trump Org documents are a big part of this panic. But also remember that Stormy Daniels appears on 60 Minutes this weekend. There is no way that won’t be embarrassing for him.
3
Was that photo taken after he was newly emboldened? He looks pretty stressed to me.
2
An "emboldened" Trump does not bode well for anyone. If Trump makes it through the next 3 years, and god forbid, manages to get elected for a second term, American as we know it shall cease to exist. American War by Omar El Akkad never looked so prescient.
2
Handlers, advisers, family, all have failed to get this presidency on track to formulate a coherent agenda that solve problems with running this country. Unable to focus on one issue at a time he indulges in a scattering impulse to react publicly and destroy any amount of progress made. Mueller's investigation no doubt has played a role in bending his mind. In doing so this could be a strategy to just watch, and wait for him to self destruct.
1
Let’s give Trump credit for being good at sending out tweets. I mean, think about it. It must take patience to pound out those tweets with his short, fat fingers.
1
Give it time. This arrogant fool, who always believes he knows better than anyone else, who doesn't bother to read, learn or understand the challenges before him, will shoot himself in both feet. Assuming he can find them.
9
Trump is exquisitely sensitive to public opinion, though he assesses this through a polarized lens. His anti-Mueller outburst is not just him venting. He is either:
1) throwing out (again) a trial balloon to assess the backlash he would face if he ends the Mueller investigation, or
2) trying to push others to end the investigation for him. He clearly desparately wants this, but he may feel trapped, with every path he has tried blocked in some way.
Of course, he may be doing some of both, testing to see if the blockades are still in place.
The first option seems more consistent with a newly emboldened Trump, but I haven't seen any reporting that clearly disproves option two. That would be good news, since his advisors in Congress and at Fox News have clearly failed to respond positively. An emphatic negative response to option one has not been so clear.
1
I do not believe Trump is newly emboldened. I think he is exhibiting extreme stress and pressure. Robert Mueller is really getting to him. All this lashing out and erratic behavior is a symptom of his frustrations with the ever-extending reach of the investigation. I think Trump is nearing his breaking point. There other outrageous acts and statements could be a form of distraction.
3
Stumble bum Trump is running amok and all that can be said to describe his behavior is:
"growing confidence"
"more relaxed"
"more at ease"
"newly emboldened" (Now there is a laugh.)
"to say what he feels and to ignore the cautions"
"grown more comfortable in the job"
"has finally broken loose" (An even bigger laugh.)
"feels he doesn’t need the expertise of"
"few friends the president will listen to"
"finding his stride and learning to navigate"
"has his own original style"
etc.
Do we need a president who must be continually psycho-analyzed.
We do NOT and neither does the country or the world at large for that matter.
One could also conclude, from all of the above descriptive terminology, that Trump has reached a point best described as having a Political Death Wish.
Or he simply has settled into a state of being totally divorced from reality.
Conclusion:
Trump is in over his big hairy head and we are in very big deep, dark, serious trouble.
6
Trusting no one else is a sign your instincts are wrong.
4
Please God, aka Mr.Mueller, do indict this corrupt man who pretends to be the President of this great country. Do bring him to trial if possible a public one so that he can for once be humiliated like he has humiliated everyone around him. Since we do not want this man to make money on the back of 2/3 of the American people who did not vote for him, just put him in jail or a straight jacket, anything to get rid of him, please.......
2
Growing confidence? I suggest he's doubled his Adderall doses.
1
Dunning Kruger Effect on steroid; then he hires a Fox "News' attorney, this is beyond ridiculous.
2
Emperor Donald the Dumb is a megalomaniac with no governor on his mouth or his thumbs. He wallows in "not being presidential" and thinks that insulting people, burning bridges and lying are all signs of strength.
We would not tolerate this kind of leadership in any institution in our nation in the past--not industry or business, not public service, not education, and not even the arts where outsized egos are rampant.
The American people have unleashed an enfant terrible in Trump. He is crashing and burning every American institution, and thinks that this shows what a good job he is doing. He cannot disappear fast enough for us to undo the damage he has already done in one year. It will be a generation before we recover--if at all.
4
There have been so many people fired from this administration, how could we not take the Comey firing in that context? That's what lawyers argue ... it wasn't obstruction, it was Trump trying to find the right leadership team. Tillerson called him a moron, and Comey was smug. Talking afterwards about firing Comey ... that was locker room talk.
Trump is very slippery or he would have been in jail a long time ago. Now it looks like anything crossing the line to potentially illegal is a personal favor without Trump's knowledge ... nothing he paid for. To those disgusted by the difficulties of nailing Trump on illegal activities, patience is needed.
There is always going to be a narrative out there of an innocent man being scrutinized, all his private meetings, business documents, cash flows scrutinized. How would we react if our own lives were so scrutinized? For some macho man trained by Roy Cohn to fight outside scrutiny, Trump's reaction may be understandable. One need not be guilty to fight, though most of would choose not to fight ... nothing to hide, most Americans say.
He claims to be where he is because of his fight. His instincts have led him to take big risks. Somehow all these years he has escaped the consequences when these risks did not pay off. He plays the horses, has lost many times, and continues to play. We all continue to watch in fascination, hoping for the spectacular fall.
2
Trump is going to destroy his family name and the republican party if MitchMcTurtle is not careful.
2
Clearly trump wants to be a dictator just like his buddy putin ergo no replacing of fired and resigned cabinet and adm.people.Without any checks and balances from the GOP controlled congress,they are allowing the destruction of our democracy which is treason.
1
“This could be the manifestation of growing confidence,” said Roger J. Stone Jr., one of the president’s oldest confidantes."
It is definitely a manifestation of Donald Trump's increasingly severe psychosis.
3
Trump is just reassured that his every blunder, vulgarity, lie or corrupt scheme, he has nothing on the Republican Party that will always have his back. what’s more convincing than listening to the barrage of accusations, witnesses, evidence, Republicans are all just like Nunes, a bunch of sycophants willing to tolerate every atrocity, every insult, every humiliation as long as they get a tax cut, smear everything Obama, and satisfy the depraved anti-American oligarchs like Mercer and the Kochs.
Will we hear anything about Ivanka or Melania, that’s too vulgar to print? Will we learn more about what Trump likes to do to attractive females? Or will he just give the nuclear codes to Putin?
1
Must we wait till he starts talking to the television?
He’s round the bend, folks. GOP, are are listening?
3
This article quotes Roger Stone without batting an eye. The Times is simply carrying the water for the most corrupt and criminal administration ever seen.
1
Right, Mr. King, the problem is that he hasn't been able to be himself. Now he's coming into his own, eh? What keen insight you display, and what geniuses you must represent to come to this conclusion.
Dunning–Kruger effect
A weak, cowardly individual - irrationally overconfident - surrounded by lackeys and sycophants trying to keep him half-sane, now runs amok in a degraded White House.
The world reels. Lilly-Livered elected Congressional Representatives sit on their hands, their Oaths to the Constitution in shambles.
People hold their breath.
How long, O Lord? How long?
Trump's most trusted advisor is leaving- Hope Hicks is what- 29 or so? No experience. Stephen Miller is in his twenties and is basically a contrarian rich kid as was Steve Bannon. The rest of them are sycophants and enablers, including Kelly who should know better. I guess it depends on what kind of "business" Trump thinks he is making the USA into. Looks like he is defaulting into his family tradition of criminal enterprises. Pitiful really.
4
“It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am."
Was that DT or MA?
Yes.
1
Newly emboldened = decompensating mental illness.
45 has even less control now that he knows what questions Mueller intends to ask him.
Trump's behavior is unlike anything we have seen from previous presidents. Indeed, it's unlike anything I've ever seen in a grown-up in a responsible position. To hear that he is now "comfortable" to rely on his "gut instincts" only make me terrified. Trump behaves like a schoolyard bully with no understanding or concern about the consequences of his behavior. He attacks important institutions in our democracy, insults public officials like a baby, and does little but bring shame to America. It's clearly up to the citizens of our country to resist this dangerous man.
3
So before he came out this week with his "true feelings" he was just being politically correct? He didn't mean it when he said crooked Hillary, pochcahontas, rocket man, both sides to Charlotte story, and on and on, and on? I have always been sure of Trumps "true feelings." And oh yea, one more thing - his "true inability" to lead this country.
2
"I alone..."
We were warned of the Dictator-In-Chief's intentions during the convention when he pledged that he (alone) could "fix" the nation. He only listens to himself (and Fox) and jettisons/pillories/defames anyone who dares to cross him with (gasp!) facts or sensible ideas and solutions.
Just counting the days until this reality show is canned...
1
The GOP is surrendering to its own worst people, values, and fears. They need to rebuild from the foundations, but first, the nation needs to defeat them decisively and shame their lying leaders.
3
When will our soon to be ex-President be impeached and removed from office? I can hardly wait.
2
Don't we get it yet? He THRIVES on dysfunction, dystopia, destruction. He cares ONLY about his own rotting bubble.
By sowing chaos through Trump ,Putin is getting just what he wanted from this Presidental election of ours.
2
Senator Graham is not the kind of person you could rely on to pick up a check at McDonalds even if he invited you.
1
No surprises here, Trump's approach to government is the same as he ran his businesses. Mismanagement and corruption reigns, then send the lawyers in to make others pay for the damage. Trump aspires to be a gangster but with his limited intellect and bone spurs he will never be anything more than a white collar criminal.
hm, those bone spurs ...
maybe we all fail to realize how much
they do torment him. or spur him on?
Yeah. Everyone signs a non-disclosure agreement so his wrong-doing will never be discussed. That is why he can claim he has never lost a laws suit. He refuses to go into a court of law where will perjure himself. He is likely do the same if called on by Robert Mueller.
Trump understands, after a year, that he can do the job of president better than anyone, unless he listens to those mealy-mouthed "experts" in his cabinet. Determined to accelerate the glorious victories of the Trump blitzkrieg, he is dumping the naysayers and implementing Operation Barbarossa against Mueller. Guess he didn't take history at Wharton.
2
Creating chaos is the number one goal of a narcissist, and Trump is the biggest narcissist in the U.S. He's comfortable in the job now because the Republicans in Congress have not acted to rein in his egregious breaches of policy, diplomacy, dignity, and law, and his constant disparagement and undermining of our intelligence community and law enforcement agencies. Once again, the Republicans in Congress are reducing the U.S. to the level of a failed nation/state.
The more Trump bloviates, the more it's clear that he is far less educated than he claims. Of course he's being used by the GOP congress. They are well aware of how ignorant he is. After the 2018 elections, they'll rue the day they didn't rid themselves of him sooner.
3
i do agree [and am probably not alone].
DJT is the entertainer on stage
while the real things happen behind the scenes.
and that's where most of the focus should be.
the same applies to other center-
and back-stages around the globe.
democracy, if it ever really existed, is at stake.
and if it hasn't existed, it's time we brought it about.
This reads like a lightly glossed press release from Trump's White House, and the gloss is favorable to Trump. I guess that Ms. Haberman has worked very hard to get the access that makes this sort of reporting possible, and I get that she would be extremely reluctant to give it up. But, really. Trump "vanquished" Gary Cohn? Was that really your word choice, Ms. Haberman? Among those you choose to comment on what your sources are telling your, Roger Stone and Peter King? Really, Roger Stone? And in your appeal to "the grayest of foreign policy beards," you turn to...Henry Kissinger?
It looks to this reader like you are being thoroughly played.
2
Wow, what a puff piece, Maggie. I'm disappointed. It sounds like you're just picking up PR from the WH. Trump has never doubted his opinion. He's incapable of that kind of self-reflection. He is clearing the decks because he is like a trapped predator laying the groundwork for an attack. He cannot answer Mueller's questions without implicating himself, and he's not going to do that. He has a plan, probably hatched with Roger Stone, and it isn't going to be pretty. He doesn't want any leakers around to derail him. Wake up, reporters on the WH beat.
3
"Trump has never doubted his opinion. "
No, Trump does not deliver opinions.
They may start out that way in his head, but they change rapidly enough that, when they come out of his mouth, they are undeniable truths and the devil take the dissenters.
The cornered rat: lashing out, looking for a bolt hole, no viciousness too low. He feels "comfortable" because he is as cocooned from reality as he was in New York. But Washington is not New York and he is not a private citizen, a status about which he is deeply confused, due to ignorance. He conflates the Presidency with celebrity because that is what he knows. He has no concept of public service, of being a public servant. His reality is television, not other people as human beings because all those relations are transactional, functional. He is the Hollow Man. And he is ours.
But like all Hollow Men, he doesn't know where he begins and where he ends. So he has no sense of boundary, transgression being his modus operandi. And he has gotten away with it his entire life. Until now.
We are a nation of laws. And sooner or later the long arm of the law will find him. That is what he fears, with all the primitive instinctual fear of the trapped rodent, hence the furious twisting and turning, the chaos making.
4
These days he does not even want to be in New York. You should check his election results here: They were brutal.
Folks underestimate the general timidity of a large population. Strongmen and dictators rise because people don't stand up to bullies. The silence from the GOP leadership is defacto approval. Make no mistake, Trump can become a full fledged dictator, and most people will just keep their heads down and hope to middle through.
4
There is no question the country is in a bad situation. The republican base will support trump regardless of how crazy, unhinged, unethical, or criminal he becomes; that means that republican members of congress will support him. To heck with the country; they don't want to put their reelection at risk.
The only solution that I see is for the democrats to take the house and senate in November 2018. That will put a brake on trump. But I don't know if the democrats can get it together; it would seem that with a madman running the federal government it would be easy for the opposition party to get some traction. I am doubtful. And if the democrats did nominate some good candidates, would the democratic electorate turnout to support them? I wonder.
My favorite pastime is reading history. I think that sometimes countries and people have a tremendous urge for destruction and even suicide. They think that extreme measures such as war and destruction are the solution to their problems. Of course, they are not but the war they seek brings on a cataclysm that resolves all issues. Maybe that is what this country needs. Let trump bring the country to its knees and create destruction on a massive scale, then sane people can rebuild.
Occam's razor = more likely Trump is newly desperate than newly emboldened.
If MSM stopped listening to psychobabble from sources with a vested interest in rationalizing for Trump (and, for their jobs) & more of what they observed, the reporting would be less tabloidy, less office politics (elevated to 'palace intrigue' by journos) & more facts.
Unfortunately, don't anticipate much from WH journos at this point. Send in the interns.
3
If Trump were a black man leading a country in Africa the headlines would scream: tyrant, madman, corrupt, shunned. His enablers would be power hungry weasels. The world press would demand overthrow. Every worldwide organization would be out to isolate him and there'd be a program to accept refugees from this country.
Sure he has rabid supporters because these are the folks who feel he is solving problems the way they would. Their end game is at the end of their nose.
The US economy over the last 10 years has been transformed to a world sourced economy where a growing segment of the customer base is outside of the country. The most successful companies are that because of their global footprint. Even Trump wealth comes from overseas. He sullies his brand in one country and starts again in a new country.
Stop trying to stop him through words. How would you take out an African dictator? That is the solution.
1
History is littered with dictators who isolated themselves from advisors, and the people. They all thought they knew "everything about everything". Here we have a man who has probably never even walked around the block who claims to be his own best counsel. We will find out how wrong he actually is.
2
Trump says what he really feels means he's entirely untethered from reality.
3
I remember a crisis with another republican president about 40+ years ago. That president had tried to undermine an investigation into an affair by firing everybody around him. Almost at the end he said, "I'm not a crook", but had to resign to avoid being impeached. The affair was Watergate, the firing was the "Saturday Night Massacre" and the president was Nixon. Although not a crisis as acute and big as Watergate, all the efforts from the clown in the White House almost copy Nixon's efforts to undermine this investigation. I hope the result is the same.
1
How refreshing to actually, for once, have a normal human being at the White House, and not a drone, like multiple previous occupants! This is what I voted for, and Mr. Trump so far has not disappointed. He is one of us, he can relate, he understands and sympathizes with an ordinary folk, and he has done so much of what he has promised, that it is truly gratifying and nothing short of amazing. God's speed, Mr. President!
1
"A dozen people close to Mr. Trump or the White House, including current and former aides and longtime friends, described him as newly emboldened to say what he really feels and to ignore the cautions of those around him."
So Trump has been playing Mr. Moderate Nice Guy to date?
1
Perhaps there’s room in the Psych Unit. You can sit at the same table.
Looking at this piece through foreign eyes.
O.k., he is starting to feel comfortable. In doing so though he has the leadership of Iran, Turkey and Cuba on edge (China long ago took the position of just bidding their time). He makes the Leader of North Korea look smart.
He is venting old arguments. Fine but could he have not done this from his Trump Tower in NYC instead of ascending to the Office of the United States of America to do so?
At this point I am hoping that he will try to fire Mr. Mueller. This has gone on long enough, and it appears that congressional checks and balances are not working. I am thinking particularly of the cabinet, judicial and agency appointees who were ratified by the Senate when they were, almost to a person incapable of doing their jobs.
In addition to the loss of trust by allies, chaos in the civil service, and damage to the environment at this crucial time, maybe it is time for a 'good constitutional' crisis to reset the country.
Nothing else seems to work.
2
Shades of Nixon in '73 and '74, without even Haldeman and Erlichman's "sage" advice.
4
Kissinger is a war criminal who enabled another unhinged president and thousands of American and Vietnamese died for it. He seems to like nothing more than aiding and abetting the violation of law and decency by a US President. Here he is again telling us how reasonable Trump is.WHY is the NYT engaging him at all? So he can act as if Trump's "original style...is conducive to bringing forward opportunities"? We've been here before when the press acted as if Kissinger were some diplomatic genius but now it's 40 years later, we've heard his lies on tape, yet the press is still going to his door step acting as if he were the sage of foreign policy and giving him the chance to normalize another criminal in the White House.
10
only yesterday i saw this chilling documentary
about daniel ellsberg & the pentagon papers.
it all came back, and the past was here again.
to think that mistakes of then are being repeated now ...
people willing to lie then, even more willing to lie now ...
so sad [and infuriating, too].
1
The headline, and theme, states that DJT is "newly emboldened." Have you been living under a rock, NYT? At every step of the campaign, and in virtually every tweet, DJT is on the attack. He has attacked federal judges, reporters, networks, fellow Republicans (i.e., Corker), Democrats (everybody), impoverished so-called S'hole countries, HRC, Comey, Mueller, McCabe, Rosenstein, Sessions, key democratic allies (Canada, Mexico, Australia, EU, UK), the mayor of London, African-American members of Congress, and the list goes on and on. Do not try to categorize/explain/normalize his conduct under the rubric of a "newly emboldened" attitude. The only two people he will not attack is Stormy and Vladimir, and that should be the focus of reporting.
6
would be “the beginning of the end” of the Trump presidency? Guffaw! Trump's Team spiking football and celebrating against third string. First is yet to come.....
2
Trump plays with a deflated football.
Pretty soon Trump will dispense with the need for a pilot in that plane from which he is making a solitary departure in the photo…. hopefully on his flight to North Korea.
2
This is very good news. The less restrained Trump is, the sooner his mad-man administration will end. As Senator Flake said last week ... we will need the time to restore the institutions of self government. The sooner we put this idiot in the rear view mirror ... the sooner we can return to civility, respectful problem solving and begin fostering this extraordinary new generation of young Americans.
4
Not sure Trump trusting his gut instinct is a good idea given it makes him increasingly look like a completely unhinged old coot on a toot. Is it not time for an MRI of his brain to determine if he is fit for office?
2
I fear what the great deflector will do the closer mueller gets, war with N Korea? And I seriously doubt the cretins in the gop will do anything to stop him that’s how desperate they are to hold onto power. Sick and very scary.
2
Emboldened? Seriously? (This is a media chorus of this week because Trump felt comfortable firing Tillerson on a whim).
If he cowers around powerful autocrats, and he is afraid to step out of his comfort zones, he is merely a coward behind a facade of a bully. And a dumb one at that who has no policy position on anything.
7
Give him his due. No one has more right to feel insecure, incompetent and ignorant than the blowhard Trump. What a little man.
6
I expect him to gnaw off a foot any day now ... like any feral, caged predator.
6
In truth, all the pharma exexs who enable the opiod epidemic can jump off a roof before they testify! One of Trump's ideas!
1
Well, if he's afraid to leave the White House, maybe that'll save taxpayer money in flying him hither and yon.
5
There is an awful stench in the air today here in New Hampshire. It smells like treason and seems to be coming from Manchester.
5
I don't think Trump is getting more confident....he's getting more paranoid and unhinged!
8
Trump is an evil cruel man. He should be in jail not our president. Why hasn’t he been removed from office? Even the corrupt Republican Party knows he is a despicable cad, criminal and traitor.
6
Trump being "emboldened" or having "the manifestations of growing confidence" can only be a good thing. He incriminates himself in his crimes against America, even with reasonable people around, so without them, he's just going to go deeper down the rabbit hole.
But that's not what worries me. What I stay awake thinking about at night is not Trump but the Republicans. With record numbers of them quietly leaving office rather than rock the boat, like Jeff Flake, we are left with only the most unscrupulous Trump enablers and apologists, like Ted Cruz, who, despite having his wife, father, and reputation maliciously slandered by Trump, now fawns at the feet of the Liar-in-Chief. It's sickening to the extreme. With toadies like this, it won't matter if Mueller has HD photos of Putin personally handing Trump vials of Novichok and a jump-drive full of stolen top-secret emails, they'll protect him. Yes, the Republican Party is dying. What's emerging from the ashes of the GOP is starting to look more like the rise of the Nazi Party in pre-WWII Germany.
8
Not qualified to be president...and furthermore anyone that voted for this joker ought to have their voting rights, driver’s license and ability to own a firearm revoked. Idiocy beyond the pale.
3
This is the Trump everyone knew before he became President. Like a bull in a china shop. He's never trusted anyone and I believe his paranoia is feeding this instinct even greater than before. Look for him to crack up this year and be forcibly removed from office.
3
So, our American Derrière is becoming "emboldened?" Let it rip. And let this be the ultimate object lesson for the American electorate. It's one thing to elect someone of your particular political liking. It's another to elect a crackpot. I think he's out and forgotten by end of 2018 latest, removed (finally!) by his own party.
4
The baboon is as good as out of office already. His criminal past and his total treasonous alliance with Russia is enough for we the public to see his soft underbelly. He doesn't stand a chance in a court of law. Good riddance!
4
If this article is correct, Mr. Trump feels he is the Smartest pewrson in the room, and "wishes to ignore the cautions of those around him." It sounds like the signal to those around him is to agree and say yes or be gone. This may work for awhile but for the long run. This man's decissions effect all Americans some more than others. To feel you don't want opposite views is beyond irresponsible.
He wants to lead the country like he led the Trump Organization. Somebody please inform him the stakes here are much Higher.
2
Among “pewsons” he’s definitely the smartest.
1
"Projecting strength, control and power, whether as a New York developer " ... with the attention span of a flea or as his own press agent with several aliases, the former Dean of Trump University can't even spell the word "unprecedented" nor does he seem to have any familiarity with adjectives that don't make up for his feelings of physical inadequacy. However, he is adamant about former President Obama's birth certificate, referring to it as "fraudulent" and is also adamant when it comes to his admiration of an adversarial dictator's "leadership". He also has a stockpile of a lot of freezer-burned steaks and vodka.
4
What most people fail to grasp is that Mueller is merely gathering and evaluating evidence to see if anything unequivocally points to the POTUS obstructing justice, laundering money or green-lighting the laundering of money, or, knowingly colluding with the Russians to influence the 2016 campaign. In the end, he may be tangentially involved or directly involved or completely uninvolved. It's a process. Trump's braggadocio is in some ways suspect but it is in no way dispositive. He is a blowhard and a showman and makes for a bad client. Other than that we don't know anything yet....(yeah right)
3
Trust them instincts, Donnie! They have generally ended up lining your pockets and leaving everyone else in bankruptcy court. You've headed us that way now. Them instincts are infallible - Trump U, Trump Airlines, Trump steaks, the casino and more. Money for you, disaster for everyone else. Only now you are gambling with our entire existence, trusting the instincts that trust Putin (he who just threatened nuclear attack) and Kim (he who has often threatened nuclear attack). You'll be in your gold shelter and we will be dead. We can (and should) do better than that but not until we restore democracy to the center of our government.
2
Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Trump is drunk with the power of the presidency and doesn't know what he doesn't know. It would be laughable if there wasn't so much at stake.
He ran his family business into the ground through several bankruptcies and is the self-proclaimed "King of Debt." He is running the country the same way and now just wants to proclaim that he is King.
He truly believes he is the smartest person in the room. Sen. Graham and other Republicans need to put their money where their mouths are. Is Congress a true and equal branch of government or is it not.
3
If trump, for some bizarre reason feels emboldened, this is the moment for congress to finally show some moxie and remove him by using the 25th amendment.Anyone looking at the last 400 plus days of this clown's actions would hardly call him timid so…emboldened??Time to rid ourselves of this toxic
mess before it's too late and that includes our whimpering GOP congress after they vote DJT out.
2
“the beginning of the end of the Trump presidency"
Congressmen need to stop their empty threat dire warnings if they don't intend to act on anything. There are no consequences and Trump has figured that out.
2
The fact that Trump believes that he can run America without help by his instincts alone will hasten his demise. Where does that leave the Koch brothers? Spinning in the wind? This article is good news.
3
Why is undermining any effort to curb climate change irrelevant to a discussion of the President's "instincts?"
1
Wait. He's been restrained up until now?
4
I have stopped caring long ago about how Trump really ‘feels’.
3
I'm sorry, only now he's saying what he really thinks?! What have the last 14 months been?
1
If the Trump presidency does end prematurely, it may be that in retrospect we find the beginning of the end was sometime in 2016.
POTUS has, to date, experienced nothing of consequence. He should feel "emboldened." When he starts a, perhaps, nuclear war will there then be consequence? When he sets aside the Constitution will there then be consequence? When he declares martial law will there then be consequence? When his nomination for CIA director presides over torture of American citizens who dare to disagree with him will there then be consequence? It is one thing to declare him a man of vacuous character, one who behaves badly. It's another to do something. And no one is doing anything. Mr Mueller may issue a report. But then will anyone do anything? This country, and the world are going to suffer for a very long time because of this president, his administration, and the reality that no one is doing anything to stop them.
2
It seems to me that Americans have been very patient with the impatience of our baby President. Someone has always excused his childish behavior, forgiven his temper tantrums, found something positive in every negative circumstance he has initiated. But patience is not endless. Life has surely taught him that.
3
Stand up, Congress. Your silence is the greatest variable in this coward's determination to fire Mr. Mueller.
mlouisemarkle
State College, PA
3
Golf and tweets. Tweets and golf: The leader of the free world at work.
5
"on North Korea, even the grayest of foreign policy beards have conceded that Mr. Trump might be able to accomplish something."
I don't think that's the case. At best, foreign policy wonks are trying to accept that nothing and no one is going to stop Trump from being provocative and unpredictable; and figure out how that can be effective.
1
I will feel hopeful only when a critical mass of Republicans in Congress have the guts to stand up to him publicly and in their official capacity -- not just in interviews with sympathetic media.
1
King Trump!?
More like Humpty Dumpty?Many of us said ,he will get worse,and he has.
Which will come first Mueller to rattle his throne or a public display he won’t forget.The French had a wagon to conduct Marie Of “let them eat cake “
Fame to her end ,but we’re much more civilized.
1
A prime example of the Dunning-Kruger effect. Coupled with narcissistic tendencies, it can't end well.
3
I always felt that from the beginning Trump never really wanted to be president. It seemed he wanted the publicity by running and that he could bow out from the fight for nomination saying the primaries and caucuses were fixed (remember his response to his loss in Wisconsin). In fact, he seemed to be making one crazy statement after another (all those Mexican immigrants being rapists and drug runners; Ted Cruz's father being involved in the JFK assassination) in hopes voters would finally tire of him.
And after he was nominated, he expected to be defeated and then he could have gone around claiming the election was rigged.
Perhaps now he is hoping that he will be forced out of office and then claim once again it was because the system was rigged against him. After all, he's already gotten through that tax cut that will probably benefit him as much as any other person so he doesn't have any real reason to stay in office.
1
Trump is more emboldened, or "confident," because he hasn't had to face any consequences for his actions. Ever, it appears. He can stiff his contractors, who can't afford the protracted legal battles to sue him. He can molest women because his followers either don't believe the women, or don't care. He can subvert democracy because Republicans in office (for the most part) are too lily-livered to hold him accountable. They know he's naked but keep complimenting him on his lovely invisible suit. Ick.
Just as a young psychopath often starts by maiming and killing small animals, then graduates to same with humans if not thwarted, Trump has tested the waters, found no one will stop him, and now he graduates to more serious levels of decimating democracy and thwarting logic and laws. He is unfettered by concerns of decency, protocol, logic, and truth. His freak flag flies full mast. Unless he's called out on these offenses, he will continue full speed ahead, wreaking havoc on his path to ultimate destruction.
All we can do is continue to protest, vote out the Republican traitors -- for that's what they are, if they're too afraid for their own fates that they cannot uphold their vows -- and hope we can impeach or indict SOON. The clock is ticking.
4
I suggest anyone seriously concerned about protecting Mueller and his investigation to write to Ryan, McConnell and your local Reps.
Tell them they must enact legislation to protect Mueller!
If Meuller for whatever reason is sitting on some indictments, now would be a good time to bring them forward.
2
Now is even a better time for Robert Mueller to keep his cards close, and keep his powder dry -- which is exactly what he's doing.
1
Interesting theory Ms. Haberman, but incomplete, as you haven't connected Trump's recent behavior to recent events, recent events about things Trump clearly cares about and drive his actions... in particular the unprecedented FAILURES at the voting booth. First, there was the historic loss in Alabama, which one could explain away by the character faults of the candidate...but this week's DEFEAT in Pennsylvania is more devastating, and a personal rebuttal for both Trump, who campaigned in PA-18 and Trump's policies which the campaign wrapped itself in. So, more plausibly he projects the blame for these extending pattern of unprecedented losses on his aids; and since its both unpleasant and proving to be unproductive to accept their expert advice, the narcissistic president is going to go follow the only advice he trusts, his own instincts, which faced with failure inspire him to lash out and blame others.
2
Nearly everything he says goes to prove consciousness of guilt, so all he's doing is handing Mueller more arrows to fire.
2
His nonsensical ravings late at night or early morning vent
his inner frustrations at not having the authority he
is used to marketing his brand around the planet. However,
as usual with someone with his level of self awareness, there is
little, if any, insight why so many people seem to want to make life
so hard for the poor guy...
What he fails to grasp is how, by not releasing his tax returns,
he opened himself up to continual distrust that he is/was
hiding lots of important connections that could/would
clarify his benign neglect of how putin conducts his state's
affairs, domestically and internationally.
It would be unnecessary for there to have been any Mueller
investigation if the country was fully aware and fully convinced
that his tax returns did not reveal his business was financed
in large part by laundered oligarch and other Russian mafia
money.
Without such clear assurance and transparency,
there is NO reason not to believe that a significant amount
of his financing, once his credit lines justifiably disappeared last
decade, came from the laundering of vast amounts of such
ill gotten gains from Russia.
He continues to block inspection of the data needed
to understand this critical national security issue, critical because
if, as appears likely, there is propping up by oligarchs
et al in the mafia rings running Russia's economy, then
he is nothing but a puppet and open to continual blackmail.
The situation he is in is his own fault.
1
Unfortunately Mr. Trump will continue in this manner because that is all he knows -it is who he is, and as Kissinger notes, he isn't going to change at his age. While the majority of people may be horrified at his actions, we need to keep in mind that between 40 and 50% of the population likes what they see. I find this more disturbing that Mr. Trump himself. What is it with many Americans that they are willing to accept someone who lies and maligns people in the most disgusting manner on a daily basis as their nation's representative? It is because a significant percentage of our population is also crass, uninformed and racist? That is not something I really like to think, but it may be true.
How anyone can welcome Trump, our "so-called" president being anymore unleashed and nonrestrictive is beyond me! What is it going to take for people to realize the man is incapable of rational, thoughtful responses to anyone or anything? I wouldn't trust him to take care of my pet, let alone a child or family member. Yet, people are willing to risk giving him the most powerful position of President of the United States and allowing him to terrorize the other branches of government with his bullying and abusive tactics, including the Judicial branch which is investigating whether he broke the law even getting elected. This is no longer a cliff hangar folks, he did and he is guilty. You don't clear the room to ask your FBI director to "let it go" that your National Security Director lied to the Feds. about Russian contacts. Speaking of lying, why has there been so many lies about Russian contacts, if he is NOT guilty. Why would he rewrite the reported rationale for a meeting in Trump Tower with Russian agents to supposedly be about adoptions? Why would it bother him that Sessions, his Attorney General had to recuse himself from all things Russia because he also lied about his Russian contacts? Then, he and Nunes invent conspiracy "evidence" from the White House to supposedly take back to the White House to inform them and Congress about, followed by a memo suggesting that the FBI was bias in putting out a FICA warrant on Carter Page. Now it is just getting ridiculous!
what is this article? what does it tell us? it feels like a total plant by the administration to portray some shift and settling into the presidency. Trump has never lacked confidence in his own opinions. NYT, please, news only, not gossipy spin.
1
Here's the take-aways from the "Newly Emboldened" liddle donnie: he's every bit as awful as we have been warning he is; the "adults" are not going to contain him; he is not going to "grow" into the job; his only real concern is protecting himself; and he is going to continue to damage our democracy and abuse the law to enrich himself and his cronies. Our only hope is that Mueller can find enough proof, quickly enough, to remove him from office before the damage is truly irreversible (which, in truth, it may already be - we won't know until he replaced by a believer in democracy and said believer tries to repair the damage).
When someone is weak and scared they become desperate.
He knows his time is short.
Nothing more than that. DJT simply wants to discredit anyone that has factual, provable information that is not in his best interest.
He is acting guilty!
2
In that image, it still sickens me to see that man next to that seal. Ugh. To the seal--endure. To the man--begone!
Lindsay Graham says firing Mueller would be "... the beginning of the end ... " What? The beginning of the end happened months and months ago. Graham's just toying with the American public, in an effort to make us think he's on our side.
And my rep, Kevin McCarthy, says nothing, and he doesn't have to say anything. He runs unopposed. No democratic opponent! A few years back, an independent businessman nobody ever heard of ran against McCarthy and won 23% of the vote!! And still, the Dems run no one against him. Like I said, McCarthy doesn't have to make any statement, express any opinion, or vote his conscience (if he has one) ... the Dems are keeping him in office.
25
Have you thought about running?
It looks like McCarthy will have a Democratic challenger in 2018. http://wendyreedforcongress.com/
So, when his Goldwater shows up to tell him it's time to retire, he's NOT going quietly? He's gonna Zuma us all? Don't expect the GOP to show the courage of the ANC!
6
In chaos there is opportunity. That seems to be Donald Trump's mantra. He continually creates chaos, disrupts the status quo, incites any group possible and any individual with a large reach into the population. While people become incensed, polarized and frenzied he happily rakes power and money to himself unobserved within the mounting passionate confusion.
1
I'm not sure what a medical professional would have to say about this "manifestation of growing confidence", but it certainly seems to be a manifestation of an irrational thought process.
Rather frightening actually.
9
"Ms. Hicks is leaving the White House in the coming days, a departure that has caused concern among his allies about how he will cope without her in the long term."
Can we step back for just a moment and contemplate this sentence? Hope Hicks is a former model, an English major from SMU and worked for Ivanka Trump on her fashion line. Now she may be the only thing between the American people and total chaos from Trump. If this were a movie, no one would believe it.
8
Trump has acted guilty since the probe began because, considering his character, he is guilty. He believes that if he fires Mueller the probe will end? Sounds like Trump thinking. Boy, what a surprise coming up for the orange one and what a wonderful realty TV episode.
4
It seems more like desperation trying to mask as boldness; or acting just to feel he is back in control as pressure mounts.
2
"Projecting strength, control and power, whether as a New York developer or domineering reality television host, has always been vital to Mr. Trump."
Personal verbal attacks, threats to pillars of our democracy and the frustrating reversal of proposed policies as well as constant staff changes do not project "strength, control and power." At the very least they indicate that the office is too big for the this erratic neophyte to hold. At the most, well it is something that is far too frightening to dwell on.
6
Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnel told Trump they have his back- as long as he keeps signing their legislation. That's the long and short end of it...
4
Not the whole story, though. Remember the immigration compromise bill Trump torpedoed. They fear him more than he fears them.
Then they should follow him right into an indictment for obstruction of justice.
1
"That self-confidence has led to a series of surprising comments and actions ... " Once again showing that confidence and competence are inversely related.
The President is *not* saying what he thinks or feels. He is saying what he believes will warp our perspective on an issue in order to fit his agenda and needs. It is a form of propaganda, nothing more.
3
When he took the oath of office, he had no idea what the job entailed. He still doesn't, but has discovered that no matter what he does, his base and his GOP enablers will stick with him.
Very liberating: he doesn't have to do the job of President; he can just go golfing two or three days a week, say whatever he wants on twitter, and sit down from time to time to sign an order concocted by his minions.
Even better--he can just stay in campaign mode for the next two and a half years, talking to his base at rallies and hearing their cheers.
1
Well, let him fire Mueller.
And then, let's see if we, the citizens of this country can be as courageous and active as the high-school students from Florida - and take to the streets (unless, of course the representatives we pay deign to do their job).
9
The evidence may show he is emboldened, but recent tweets show Donald is also becoming more insecure and threatened.
Despite the apparent dichotomy, those traits are not inconsistent. The closer the investigation gets, the more desperate he becomes. The nation is treading on mighty thin ice.
4
Why wouldn't Trump feel emboldened? The GOP clearly has not problem, institutionally, with his autocratic, deranged behavior. They clearly don't care what he does as long as they can use him to further their agenda to cut taxes, curtail health rights for women, advance legislation that threatens the poor, make the rich richer, etc. If a child is allowed to scream and thrown dinner plate to the ground at the dinner table, and his parents look the other way, what incentive is there for the kid to behave? Clearly, if there is to be a day of reckoning, it will be up to the Democrats, w/o any help from Republicans. And it will be up to American voters to facilitate that in November.
5
He certainly doesn't understand what a democracy is all about! He believes that HE is in charge. That's it. Just him. Doesn't seem to matter to him and most Republicans that he doesn't know ANYTHING. It's a very worrisome future we're facing -- someone without the knowledge to govern, whose only consideration is his own ego and his personal wealth. What have we come to? And when will there be Republicans to stand up to him? If and when he fires Mueller?
2
This article is like the reverse of the long-cherished hope and expectation that this president would "pivot" and suddenly act presidential (and responsibly). Now, we are being told that the president is pivoting to a more candid and confident assertion of his actual beliefs. I'm left wondering, when did this president ever withhold his opinions? The seemingly interminable months since his inauguration have witnessed one jaw dropping scandal, insult, or screed after the other. I don't see any change in Trump's manner, just a long, continuous slide into the abyss.
2
Newly emboldened and starting over?
Wait till tomorrow or the day after when he will stumble again big time. Every other week has consistently been "the worst ever", no reason that will change because Donald will never change.
"[A] president who ultimately trusts only his own instincts ...."
This is yet another in a long line of character traits revealing Trump's patent malignant narcissism. In his mind, he is not only the most important person on the planet, but he is entitled to have everything he wants. Anything -- like the truth, reality, facts -- that gets in the way of what he wants is inherently wrong in his world view. Therefore, anyone telling him that he can't say whatever he feels like saying is, in his mind, wrong.
There was only a matter of time until he stopped listening to sound legal advice.
1
Trump has been pushing out on his sphere of control since he got in, and the only thing that he has been pushed back on is the firing of Mueller. The Republicans in Congress are just me-toos.
Mr. Graham talks big but we should not kid ourselves. The first order of business, once the warheads start flying over the Pacific, will be to rush through another set of tax cuts.
Trusting his instincts led to how many bankruptcies??
7
Right.
But this time it will be the U.S. as a whole that pays the price, not just creditors foolish enough to lend him money - or the minority of voters who voted for him.
Icarus wings in this case made of gold... when will he be close enough to the sun for them to melt?
Maybe now, finally unbounded from any sense of constraint.
I certainly hope so.
'But the possibility that Mr. Trump would be emboldened enough to fire Mr. Mueller was raised on Sunday by Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
Such a move, Mr. Graham said on CNN, would be “the beginning of the end” of the Trump presidency.'
Let's hope so. But I see Graham et al just folding and making excuses.
POTUS is a loose cannon lacking in character but that is what this country knew when they elected him. Trumps flaws are known and he doesn't pretend to be who he is not. His actions are predictable. I do not follow Trump blindly -- I objectively like what he's accomplished that aligns with my viewpoints and I criticize his actions that I find distasteful or unwise.
When it comes to the "russia collusion" topic, I feel there is a lot more to be uncovered about Mueller, Comey, McCabe Rosenstein, Judge Rudy, Strzok, and a host of other players including Clinton and Obama. I'm saddened that nobody on the left cared one iota about the character assassination of Flynn but they are indignant over whats happened to McCabe.
2
How can you call it "the character assassination of Flynn"? On December 1, 2017 Michael Flynn plead guilty to a single felony count of "willfully and knowingly" making "false, fictitious and fraudulent statements" to the FBI. Perhaps you meant to say "character suicide"?
He's always said what he wants. His words don't concern me anymore. My attention is now on his enablers - the GOP - who sit there and protect him as he tweets from his gilded cage. As I remind all my friends - Trump is one man but there are 60 million people who voted for him. And today, even after all we've been through, there are still 35 million more who would vote for him again. That's what I try and wrap my head around on a daily basis. 35 million people think he's doing a good job. I just don't get it.
12
The only explanation is a bell curve.
But Barbara, there are MORE of us opposed to him.
We have to make noise, contact our Reps, Senators. I wrote to Paul Ryan this morning.
We have to protest, and VOTE!! If Trump fires Mueller we take to the streets. Peacefully of course!!
You probably don't watch Fox News. I make myself do it so I can understand better what 45's supporters hear from the faux news channel and website - my own "fairness doctrine."
Of all the seasoned foreign policy experts, shame on Henry Kissinger, quoted herein, for attempting to normalize the impulsive and uninformed "gut instinct" decision-making model of the ignorant Trump. I can only attribute this to his opportunistic desire to maintain some access to the White House. He should be embarrassed.
5
So Trump "now believes he has settled into the job"? From my vantage point, he still has no idea what the job even is. He's supposed to be a public servant. Can anyone point to a single sustained period when this man has put the country or its people ahead of his own interests?
It's hard to imagine how a president could put so much effort into attempts to divide the country for his own purposes, but the one area where Trump never seems to disappoint is when the topic is himself.
7
traditional politics has not been perfect...many wars and consequences
is it possible that this new approach-trumps' style- might work better ?
he was elected because he is not the same old stuff we have had before...especially with hilllary being at the helm..she has her own baggage to consider...and many did
i am hopeful this may open a door we have never tried
1
HE WAS NOT ELECTED BY THE POPULAR VOTE!
Hillary got almost 3 million more than he did. The Russians installed him.
President Trump is increasingly isolated and he's feeling the stress from the Mueller investigation. For a man who constantly craves attention, this is a development that will lead to more belligerent behavior. When/if the Republicans lose congressional seats in wave election due largely to Trump, it will be interesting to see how or whether he changes his behavior at all.
5
“The president has his own original style, and it’s unlikely to be changed at this stage of his life,” Henry Kissinger, the former secretary of state, said in an interview. “But it also is conducive to bringing forward opportunities......"
When I was younger I had a friend who drove very recklessly and at high speeds. I'd try to tell him it was dangerous, and he'd point out that he hadn't had any accidents.
I recall this when I see comments like Kissinger's; my friend got where he was going more quickly than those of us who were more cautious, and it is in just this way that "originals" like Trump may well manage to bring forward opportunities, as Kissinger said.
Ultimately, though, such singularly incompetent, uninformed & unprincipled characters will run us into a ditch, even if their disruptive presence creates one or two positive outcomes along the way.
The last I heard about my old risk-taking friend, he was being hounded by some rather shady people for debts he'd incurred in sports gambling. I've always wondered what happened.
1
He is embolden by what? Having his babysitters leave? Like a 6 year old if the nanny walks out of the room for a few minutes leaving open paint cans, kerosene and matches...
If you read the history of Watergate, trump is at the "wandering the White House yelling at the pictures" phase Nixon went through right before he resigned.
The three big differences are:
1. Nixon had SOME loyalty to the United States, our Constitutional system and out laws.
2. Nixon's crimes were not close to as serious as what trump faces.
3. Nixon did not have twitter.
2
Prior to his political life, this man's disastrous "instincts" landed him on the edge of financial ruin on more than one occasion. Only luck and money saved him from catastrophe. A proven loser as a businessman, he was reduced to becoming a shill, running a scam that consisted of slapping his name on every kind of kitschy product possible and mass marketing the brand by playing himself on a television program watched by millions of people with neither taste nor sense (y'know - most of America), all the while bloviating loudly about his artistry at "the deal". But now he's finally gotten himself into a situation where his "instincts" will be exposed for what they really are - whims. And the worse it gets, the more desperate and erratic he will become. The only question is whether Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell will be able grow spines in time to do what's right for America between now and the ultimate meltdown.
3
What he "really feels" is clearly panic. This is not the behavior of an innocent man, a man with nothing to hide.
4
The Democrats cried "collusion!" for too long. Mueller has produced no indictments related to collusion. Meanwhile, Mr. Andrew McCabe has been fired, and even Democrat Adam Schiff has conceded that Mr. McCabe's firing may have been justified. The facts, investigations, and results have started to side with President Trump.
His behavior may be odious, but we should not let that blind us to the trends. The left has abandoned reason in its criticism of the president, and the longer this trend continues, the more President Trump's cries of "witch hunt" will ring true and strengthen the resolve of his voters. Too much crying wolf very well could yield an additional four years of Trump.
Democrats should consider this now because President Kamala Harris is not the answer.
1
Trump has not changed. He has gotten his taxes cut. He has appointed his judges. Maybe he makes a deal with Kim,at least in the eyes of his supporters he is trying a different course from his predecessors. He like many Americans says whatever he needs to hear to keep saying the things he needs to hear. Trump is ours. He is as American as salesman,apple pie,and television reality shows. He is not Putin,Kim,or Macron We are now stuck with him until he is impeached,resigns, or finishes his term.
Don't blame me I did not vote for him,but voted for the other candidate. I will not be surprised if he fires Bobby three sticks and gets away with it.
This story is just about WH sides and friends of Trump expressing their personal opinion about how Donald Trump is currently feeling, is this news? I subscribe to the NYTimes not People Magazine and I expect some fact based news not this kind of useless stuff. Trump is pulling the country apart, we need to hear from the people affected by those actions not from his friends and aides about how he, Trump, is feeling.
2
"Says what he really feels"? Well, yes, he probably feels put upon. And extreme anger at Mr. Mueller's task. One might also impute anxiety about the potential reception of any findings. Trump apparently sees little distinction between fair means and foul in his own actions, and projects similar amorality onto those he sees as antagonists. If he considers the issue at all, he probably understands the Mueller inquiry is legitimate. "Really" hardly applies. Though I admire the Times, I doubt the headline.
One one of these days inevitably he’s going to think it a good idea to push a button he shouldn’t push.
"That self-confidence has led to a series of surprising comments and actions that have pushed the Trump presidency in an ever more tumultuous direction."
I for one am not the least bit surprised.
Boy, do I disagree with the analysis in this article. To me he seems ever more desperate. Soon he will commit some outrage that even the Congress won't be able to stomach.
2
We've seen this Trump giddiness before. And it had less to do with doing what he wanted than of saying what he wanted.
The first time was when he fired James Comey and then ripped the fig leaves off the reasons why, telling the world in so many words he did it to "take the pressure off the Russia thing." The second was when he gave his infamous "good people" speech after Charlottesville--telling the world what he really thought after his earlier statement decrying racial and religious hatred, one he'd read off a monitor with all the sincerity of a child being forced to apologize for something he'd do again in a heartbeat. Both times he seemed to be on a sugar high for breaking away from those who would "message" him and for returning to what his base adores--"telling it like it is."
Now, especially with the departure of Hope Hicks, he's back on that sugar-high of not being messaged, and even Sarah Sanders appears to be giving up, often saying essentially, "You'll have to ask him." And there's really nobody left to put an innocent spin on the worst of what comes out of his mouth.
Perhaps we can take some hope in that--in the likelihood he will continue his self-destructive rants that reveal his "corrupt intent," in the likelihood he will say things that will be hard even for House Republicans to sugarcoat. Granted he's still president and we're not, but the more he tells us what's in his shriveled little heart, the easier it may be bring that to an end.
2
Why wouldn't Trump feel confident? He's got both Houses of Congress and five Supreme Court Justices sitting in his back pocket for protection.
Then you add in the captive GOP news media network of Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and Breitbart and the "never-can-get-enough-of-Trump" cable news networks through which he dictates the entire daily news cycle.
He knows that the news media needs its daily Trump ratings "fix" in order to survive financially and he is more than happy to oblige them and provide them with an endless stream of profitable news and entertainment product.
It's the successful media formula he has used ever since his 1990's NYC "Page Six" tabloid days and perfected on a national level with his successful run on Comcast/NBC's "The Apprentice".
Trump acts and the rest of us react. In our celebrity-entertainment American culture, everything is going just the way he likes it and he knows it. That is why he is so confident.
1
Of all the articles I have read lately, this is the most terrifying. Not because it appears that Trump is more comfortable being Trump but because no one is checking his power.
2
When Hope leaves, abandon everything.
1
The Ancient Greeks had a word for Trump's behavior: Hubris. And never, in all those stories, did one whose hubris ruled fare well or last. And so, we wait.
2
One major issue is that a president or any world leader shouldn't make decisions based on what s/he feels, but rather on what s/he THINKS, and is ADVISED by competent staff and government employees.
1
He is a complete disaster - always has been from the start of his career. His business empire is a disaster and built on Russian dirty money. He will lead our country into the gutter, if we aren't already there. The GOP just lets him get away with it.
11
I'm afraid Manafort dirtied the GOP with Russian money and Paul and Mitch were happy to pitch it to Super PACs.
1
Oh boy, clearly Donald, at least, really is winning so much he's starting to get tired of it...
2
He's not 'emboldened.' He's a life-long bully, nothing more. But the people he bullies (Congress, for starters) have shrunk into invisible, ineffectual wimps.
11
If "filth" and "corruption" could be deemed colors, then I'd say that Trump is showing his true colors.
7
Does any sane person think he knows everything? It is perhaps even more important to have some understanding of what you DO NOT know, especially if you dislike reading and having a short attention span. God save us if this caricature of a president really relies on his moronic instincts.
10
All these FBI clowns are as corrupt as they come. Mueller is in the swamp now too. Comey and McGabe should both be in jail!
Trump may do things VERY differently, but exposing these corrupt SWAMP MONSTERS is a good thing.
I love the republicans trying to play both sides of the fence. Totally dishonest. They hate Trump as much as the democrats.
2
He is a very forward, flawed, and open-mouthed person. Its a big reason why he got elected. The only thing newsworthy is the unprecedented assault being waged on this administration by the establishment and their media lapdogs.
2
The man is an admitted liar, a bully, a man who pays off porn stars for their silence, and quite possibly heavily indebted to an unfriendly foreign power. This is the “leader” conservatives crave and support while he oversees the bulldozing of every regulatory measure intended to protect the American public? He’s feeling embolden because he’s about to dump his AG in order to be able to silence a real threat in this investigation, and he knows that the spineless wimps in the House and Senate won’t stop him. Let’s hope we survive 2.5 years more of this clown without a major conflict erupting.
7
Surely, the "gentleman" doth protest too much, methinks.
11
It does not seem that he needs to be emboldened. His statements in the past are consistent with his actions today. They fit the definition of an autocrat like his idols Duarte, Erdogan, and Putin.
Capital punishment for drug dealers!
Neo-Nazis and White Supremacists vs. Charlottesville protesters: There’s blame on both sides
Mexico: They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists
The Media: Fake news and the dishonest press. Lying press.
Justice: We’ll take away their guns and have due process later.
Economy: 4% and 5% growth. You’ll get tired of winning.
Foreign policy: Our allies are all wrong and cheating us but Russia has a strong leader
Health care: I’ll give you healthcare that is better and cheaper.
9
Do it, Trump! Fire Mueller and see your presidency come crashing down!
8
This Presidency is becoming more and more "Nixonian".... The uninhibited Paranoia and Narcissism are hallmarks of both of these men.... the late night bouts with their own demons..... except that this ones believes that any lie told three times becomes an alternative fact. Richard Nixon was traitor who also fired a federal special prosecutor.... remember that.
4
More and more? It's way past Nixonian. He's unhinged and not too bright, along with completely ignorant about democracy. Nixon was at least bright and understood how a democracy functions, i.e., he had respect for the judicial system. And back then we had respectable GOP representatives, so the legislative branch was respected, too.
1
I don't use the term Traitor lightly. Richard Nixon did a"backdoor offer" with the South Vietnamese to get them to slow boat negotiations with North until he was elected "because he would get a better deal with the North". At that time the US had total 22,000 dead.... when he was done we had 58.000..... What offer has Trump "backdoored" with Putin...he can't seem to say anything about him?.... even after he's conducted chemical warfare in Britain in public?
Oh oh my god, he's been holding back all this time!?!?!?
24
"No more mister nice guy"
“I see it more as a function of just, ‘O.K., I’ve taken a year to understand the different dynamics within a broad array of personalities,’ so now it’s all about putting together a team to go the distance for the next three years,” Mr. Meadows said.
I suppose no one is ever really totally prepared for the presidency, but Trump's supporters saying he has finally figured it out after a year on the job is not as admirable as they think.
10
I'm curious. Is what we are experiencing now setting the bar for our future expectations regarding public leadership and debate?
I fear we have been sliding down a long slope for the past several decades and will soon read the proverbial end of reason.
10
That total chaos hasn't followed in Trump's wake every day has nothing to do with his ability to lead or govern. It is only due to the measured control of others who are put into positions of having to deal with Trump's decisions and statements. Kissinger seems to think that Trump has a chance to actually accomplish some good in N. Korea. That may be but evidence suggests that the alternative is more likely. And who would choose to live their lives in such an unpredictable manner? Serving as POTUS is not a lark. One doesn't get to play trial and error when there's so much at stake.
I'm in the latter part of my life now and my life style choices reflect this. I take little chances with my investments, I'm careful about what I eat, and I am ever more cautious during physical activity. I am a micro-cosim of the nation. My own leadership of me is conservative, I take few chances. It must be this way. And I expect the president of my country to respect this.
7
It is pretty clear this man is feeling the heat of the investigation into his alleged criminal activities, treason and depravity. Mr. Mueller is closing in on him and he knows the truth will destroy him. He hasn't a functioning brain cell or a decent bone in his body.
Everything he utters or tweets is a lie, meant to obfuscate a fact, or a manipulation of some kind. He must be and will be removed. He will undoubtedly go down in history as someone who wasn't fairly elected, with an asterisk next to his name and banished to the trash heap of history. It is this fact, and this fact alone, he so desperately seeks to avoid and which haunts his every waking moment.
Let us learn from this disaster. Let us reclaim our country, save our democracy and give precedence to those things that matter: the truth, the Constitution, full disclosure and caring for others.
23
The pretender currently occupying the White House is being shielded by the GOP congress. No matter what Mueller uncovers, it will require congressional action to remove this creep from office. If it turns out that Trump and company are a wholly owned subsidiary of Russia, that he has clearly tried to obstruct justice in the investigations, that even 50% of the allegations against him and his greed-head family are true-- without a congress willing to act on that information he will continue to soil the office of the President. Come November 2018, we need to remove the GOP from office.
32
are you willing to reserve judgement until a truly independent investigator can uncover all of the secrets surrounding russia, clintons, obama, FBI, FISA judges. and yes, Trump.
1
Whatever you think Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton may have done, B.Oconnor, they do not hold political office. Trump and the GOP are in charge now.
Newly emboldened? No, this is not a man acting with courage or confidence in his own abilities. Trump is petrified, scared, would run away if he could. This is Trump reverting back to what works for him, running our country as he did his many organization - in total chaos. Chaos creates confusion and a good con man escapes out the back door unscathed in that confusion. Trump is not a leader of men, never was, isn't and never will be. He's not the guy who people are loyal to because he's that good a leader so he has to threaten them, bully them and force them to sign NDAs so he can threaten and bully them some more should they escape TrumpLandia. Trump today is the same guy marketing fraudulent schools, money laundering out of cash cow casinos, selling pseudo-Trump condos. He's a fraud. He knows it, majority of America knows it, the rest of world knows it. Trumpers don't. GOP knows it but they're willing to sell America down the river to keep their donors satisfied and shame shame on them for that. History will be as unkind to the GOP as they are to Trump - perhaps even more so for they know better, least most of them do.
22
I like articles that make slightly more sense when read from the bottom up. The same tired litany of Trump's character flaws from one or two unsavory "friends", and an old war criminal expressing catatonic disbelief but still game to back another psycho like Nixon. Hardly a rousing endorsement of Trump's sense of purpose, it reads like the dangerous unravelling of an out-of-control cuckoo. Mass shooters and psychopaths are also said to experience a sense of emboldened power before and after they commit heinous crimes.
7
This man-child is crazy. Period. He has done absolutely nothing in office except to make every effort to destroy our democratic system of government. He is a clear and present danger to our country. The GOP is digging its own grave by failing to check him and will pay dearly in the midterms. We will not let this spoiled rich huckster pull the wings off of our country. I am in my 70's, but I have never been more committed to working in every way possible to make sure he is out the door as soon as possible! Not for me, but for my children and grandchildren!
20
One of the most remarkable things about this "newly emboldened" president is how easily he admits that, as a judge of talent and character, he is an abject failure. This is someone who boasted when elected that he was going to hire the "very best people." This is the shrewd businessman who ostensibly runs a remarkably successful business empire.
And yet, every time he fires someone whom he appointed, he admits that his judgment was wrong in hiring the person in the first place--and the first place is almost always less than one year behind him. He admits that his own judgment was (and is) lousy. He was going to hire the best people, but soon after he realizes that he was wrong about who the best people were. He is, by his own grading standard, getting an F.
Now, since Trump's own character (and I denigrate that word by even applying it to him) is too weak ever to admit that he has made a mistake, he will doubtless blame it on someone else. (He's great at blaming.) Perhaps he'll blame it on bad advice, not realizing that to do so merely reveals our "shrewd businessman" as someone incapable of distinguishing good advice from bad advice.
Trump admits he's a failure. True, he was the last person on the planet to catch on, but at least he got there.
This wonderfully shrewd businessman (as we are told) is apparently such a poor judge of people that he keeps hiring people he subsequently (in less than a year)
8
"This is the shrewd businessman" I hope that is Sarcasm he was give and inherited over a billion dollars and has barely been able to increase with simple investment he would be in the top 100 richest but with his Shrewd Business Mind he is not even in the top 500, lottery winners have passed he in being a Shrewd Business Mind, he is the ultimate biggest loser.
1
What a great day it will be for America and the whole world when Trump fires Mueller.
2
So he can files the US for Bankruptcy and sell it right out to Russia. Come on we have a president that is a supposed Shrewd Businessman who's father handed him one of the top 100 largest fortunes in the world and he moved it to the low 700 largest fortunes lottery winners have smoked his in shrewd business plans
1
That is true! He will bring about his own demise, finally.
As if we hadn't already had enough of ugly greedy dishonest Trump, we're told he has now achieved enough success that he is moving on to "really" expressing his feelings?
Give us a break. It was ugly before. This is more than dangerous.
Vote!!!!
20
Don't count on Graham or Flake to protect anyone. They have emboldened Trump by voting for his "policies," pretending not to see that their votes were like crack to Trump. They have fed the unAmerican monster.
And Ryan and McConnell are two of the most hopeless, abject cowards the country has ever seen. Like a child, Trump keeps testing the waters of Republican outrage (who cares what the rest of the country thinks?) to see how far he can go, and yet he gets almost no response from the "Adults." A little outcry here and there, but nothing to keep Trump from burning the house down.
8
Emboldened, self-confident? Perhaps "unhinged" is the better word.
16
What we are witnessing is not self-confidence it is the arrogance and recklessness of pathological narcissism. This is what it looks like when someone is decompensating. They become more delusionally sure of themselves, they alone understand what is going on, their intuition and gut instincts are all that matter. Then add in Trump’s increasing vindictiveness, his lack of any sense of decorum or reasonable consideration of the consequences of his actions on others or on the standing of the country as a whole in the world. This is NOT self-confidence, it is compensatory arrogance, vengeance and possibly megalomania in response to the continuing threat of being exposed as a fraud, not always getting what he wants, of facing failure in a most public way. This is why Trump NEEDS those campaign style events; they salve the desperation and reinforce his delusional image of himself. This is very dangerous. All of Trump’s behavior is consistent with malignant narcissism.
14
Hypocrites. Walk a mile in his shoes and see what it feels like to be over-scrutinized with every step you take. There is a good chance that you will trip over your feet! It is precisely this - bringing the president down, what the vicious/biased media and its blindsight followers want to happen. In his acceptance speech, he declared fighting the establishment (corrupt as it is) and return the power to the people. In so doing, he is not only facing the resistance of the dominant political establishment, but also the prejudices of the same people he wants to empower. If you don't like the gift, the polite thing to do is to say thank you! If you don't like the gift don't indulge in smears - after all he is the president that you elected by majority. If you want him to succeed then don't tear him down, even if he is not perfect!
8
Trump is not corrupt from top to bottom, from youth to age? He's a nasty mean conman, with a history of bankrupties. He's not a good businessman. He's a bully. He's figured out the short road to hell: never give in to a positive or moral temptation.
"Evil, be thou my good"
You make excuses as if he was ever OK. He's not OK on any level. His corruption is bringing my country down, and his violence is just cowardice in disguise.
56
a.he was not elected by majority.
b. i would have to have no ethics, be nepotistic, be willing to lie easily, and be willing to tweet crazy things I see on Fox & Friends, in order to walk a mile in his shoes. No thanks.
19
I wish I could agree with you, but Trump has brought every bit of the trouble he is in upon himself. You did not mention the vast number of insults and put-downs that began his political rise, calling the previous President a liar and claiming that he was not born in this country, etc. He has brought this approbation upon himself and there is no excuse or justification for not realizing it. Your post is stunningly absent of any recognition that Trump is an anathma to all we Americans hold dear. "Vicious/biased media" oh please, when you have to report on a histrionic ignorant buffoon, it does sort of drag us all down, doesn't it. I cannot wait for November 6th . . .
17
Trump is now panicked his business "empire" will be revealed as a house of cards propped up by laundered Russian money.
16
Trump has only one policy initiative: to get rid of Mueller.
No matter what the fallout from firing Mueller, the truth about Trump's past and involvement with Russia coming to light will be far worse. Sadly, the cowardice and hypocrisy of the Republicans in Congress is unprecedented. Still, I have confidence the American people will triumph over this disgrace of a president (and a man) in due course.
9
Donald Trump has made satire an impossible trade. It may be that he is newly emboldened. Or, it might be that he is completely unhinged.
8
"Some worried aides ... say privately that Mr. Trump does not understand the job the way he believes he does...."
---------------------
One of the most chilling characteristics of ignorance is the inability to know that one is ignorant.
17
Trump, John Gotti all over again. Tell him how that story played out Rudy.
8
Trump and Duterte sound more and more the same every day. How embarrassing for both countries.
7
"Newly emboldened?" Misleading and inaccurate header. Should read: "On Verge of Mental Collapse/Breakdown, President Lashes Out".
10
trump is a very dangerous sick malignant narcissist. the congress are a majority of alt right fascists, that love what he is doing, its their agenda and he is the one that looks like an idiot...they found their puppet.. the tea people started infiltrating a long time ago, into local seats, the congress, the senate and now the WH... it has to end... and trump is so clearly guilty.. ' thou who doth protest so much....' is guilty as he..
5
A “newly emboldened “ Trump is not a good thing for the country. His penchant for shooting from the hip is bound to put him on a collision course with just about everyone he comes in contact with. The man is unhinged and it is evident to anyone paying attention. The Republican Party owns the resulting damages.
15
Unfortunately, we all "own" the result in the sense that we're stuck with it -- that includes people like me who voted for Clinton and the tens of millions of people who didn't vote.
Leaders have debased currency, they have debased philosophies, they have even debased themselves. Trump is debasing the nation.
16
Alas, Trump...........nobody is listening to you anymore.......scream into the wind for all I care.......America is stronger than your childish tweets.
16
Dr. Kissinger is now senile, I presume? Trump is barreling toward a cabinet full of Fox News talking heads. The Republicans are still fiddling. Where's Paul Ryan this week, at the gym again? And, Lindsey Graham -- don't even bother telling us where your red line with Trump is drawn at the moment. You sir, are a traitor to decency and to the American people. You have thrown your career away in order to stay in favor with el Duce. I am still trying to figure out why that matters so much to you.
20
Trump has access to a vast number of intelligent, experienced, knowledgeable diplomats, economists, national security veterans, and who does he turn to for advice? A war criminal. Kissinger may be sinking into his dotage, but he's still a monster who was never made to answer for his crimes.
2
I imagine that Ryan, McConnell and other R 'leaders' were horrified by the rise of trump, but reticent to criticize him due to the power of trump's base to 'primary' R's who displeased them. The Tea Party 'primaried' Eric Cantor and drove Boehner out of the speakership. Once trump was elected the presence of Pence, Priebus and Spicer created the illusion that trump might be manageable, one the all time failures to judge character and personality. R leadership dreamed of the power of an all R government. To understand Paul Ryan and Rand Paul, take a look at the Ayn Rand philosophy [aynrand.org provides some quickly readable summaries]. Ayn Rand was opposed to institutions of all kinds, including government and religion. She believed that there are a handful of superior individuals in society and that we should let them have their way pursuing their own self interests, because we can catch the crumbs they drop along the way. Trickle down society, you might say. Paul Ryan and 'Rand' Paul -actually named for Ayn Rand- figure they are those 'John Galt' types ready to lead us from the horrors of government. In truth they do not have the vision, the leadership qualities, nor the backbone to do so.
12
And Ann Rand died destitute in a nursing home.
"Such a move, Mr. Graham said on CNN, would be “the beginning of the end” of the Trump presidency."
Graham is just playing with words for his own political reasons. We all know that if Mueller is fired the GOP will do nothing. We have all watched the GOP for years now and they care nothing for our country and most of them probably applaud what Trump is doing as President. I hold on to the hope that the Democrats will take over at least one chamber of the Congress to act as guardians of our country against being turned into a dictatorship. I also hold on to the hope that Mueller has taken steps that will keep the Russian investigation going even if he is fired. My final hope is that 2020 gets here quickly because this administration is a living nightmare.
17
Trump seems to be acting like a cornered animal for the first time lashing out directly at Special Counsel Robert Mueller, firing Rex Tillerson in an early morning tweet just after the Secretary of State had issued one of the administration's strongest condemnations of Russia and Vladimir Putin, seeming to stab in the back Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe 26 hours before his retirement in a mean-spirited attempt both to deprive him of his pension and to impugn his credibility supporting the testimony of James Comey. These are all mostly hostile destructive actions not just the usually cruel tweets, and they seem to portend an imminent showdown with the Special Counsel. With a complacent, compliant and feckless Republican-controlled Congress, Mr. Trump seems "emboldened" to the point of firing Mr. Mueller or those who control his investigation either Attorney general Jeff Sessions or his Deputy Rod Rosenstein. The "storm clouds" seem to be thickened and the warning flags of an impending Constitutional crisis are flying.
14
Perhaps what's being construed as an extra measure of outspokenness from Trump is actually a measure of exhaustion on the part of his staff, advisors and lawyers from lo these many months of trying to restrain him. How long can anyone sustain such an effort while simultaneously performing other full-time duties? Constantly monitoring a toddler in the terrible twos depletes one's energies.
My sincerest hope -- and I often believe this is the best we can wish for -- is that Trump's lack of restraint will be his undoing... but not our country's.
27
Trump's wee burst of tweets yesterday show how compromised his brain's ability is. He doesn't understand how McCabe could take notes using only his memory.
20
Following his own instincts led Trump to declare bankruptcy 4 times. He will drive the ship of state faster and faster until he smashes it. Then he will get out, walk away and leave others to deal with the destruction he left behind.
21
I think that the POTUS has just now figured out that he can get away with doing whatever he wants, without any negative consequences whatsoever.
9
It's getting to where there only seem to be three possibilities: a) this fool's loud stupidity gets him thrown out of office pretty quick; b) this fool's loud stupidity gets this country into big, big trouble; c) we get really, really lucky, and this fool's loud stupidity only creates a fat tangle of screwups that yet again, some lucky set of Democrats will get to go clean up.
I'd ask when the folks who voted for Trump are gonna learn, but I'm not sure when what passes for the Left in this country are gonna learn either. Still, I'm absolutely positive that the "no labels," crowd's all pretty much Republicans, so I don't count on them, either.
2
This President is doing all he can to become America’s first Dictator! Look at all of his actions and they all appear that this is happening. He refuses to say anything negative against Putin, or the leaders of China, and Turkey! He has said that he loves their type of leadership. If he get’s his way, he will remove the Congress & Supreme Court. If this dones’t shock the citizens of our country, then nothing he does will. Wake up America, it’s time to remove the republicans in Congress and replace them with democrats that will hold him in check.
5
Always remember that line from the Godfather: "women and children can be careless, but not men." Trump is becoming more and more careless---as an extreme narcissist, he does not view what he says or does and being careless, but, carelessness in any endeavour does not end well.
4
What looks like "the manifestation of growing confidence" looks more like a manic tear to me.
14
Exactly. They say "emboldened," I say "disordered."
And it's always worse after a trip.
Three words: no fly list.
I’m very concerned that if the time comes and the President has been found to have committed an impeachable offense where will his destructive impulse lead him. There is a time period where he is still in a position to do great damage, and he vindictively may.
7
Trump is said to be charming in person, when he wants to be liked, but he has only one mode for getting things done: bullying and throwing his weight around.
He knows no other way of dealing with opposition than to try to roll right over everyone who's in his way.
(1) He realizes the Mueller probe puts him in danger. (2) He's been here a year and no one in his party has said boo to him. (3) He's going to smash Mueller and the investigation now.
Republicans, where are you?!
6
The press should focus more on a Congress that is abandoning their constitutional oath. They have a responsibility to check and can even censure this President. This can't just be party loyalty, it must be fear and incompetence.
16
Advice does not matter. trump has committed treason and will lose everything he, his family and cohorts have. Had he not become president, none of it would have happened. Too bad for such a deserving group.
8
Retired Four Star General Barry R. McCaffrey tweeted:
"Reluctantly I have concluded that President Trump is a serious threat to US national security. He is refusing to protect vital US interests from active Russian attacks. It is apparent that he is for some unknown reason under the sway of Mr Putin."
This is going to devolve into all manner of name-calling, but far more consequential will be the facts in the matter.
There is evidence (and indictments) that Russians did interfere in the 2016 election.
Now we hear that Cambridge Analytica (CA) used Facebook data to try to influence people in the 2016 election. They also provided such information about people to a Russian company, Lukoil, that asked specifically for information about voters. Even CA people viewed that request as strange, but apparently acted on it anyway. The people in the Trump campaign that had connections to CA include Steve Bannon while he was head of the campaign.
So the more we learn, the dirtier it gets, and Trump looks more and more guilty. He keeps tweeting about the Steele Dossier, when his boy George Papadopoulos (GP) "spilled the beans" about hacked emails by way of Australian diplomats to the FBI which started the investigation into the Russia connection. GP prompted that investigation *BEFORE* the Steele Dossier was even prepared.
My prediction is that Trump, the serial scammer and liar, is not going to squeak out of this jam, but will be found to be a TRAITOR.
10
You're Next:
Trump has shown throughout his history, he has no loyalty to anyone and when he's done with someone, he will do whatever he can to destroy them.
When comes time Trump is threatened with impeachment, or if he loses the next election, he will not hesitate to act on his vindictive impulses against the latest entity that he perceives have betrayed him, and that's us.
Being the age he is, I suggest his impulse to destroy is stronger than his desire to wither in old age.
We just better pray, that when the time comes, there will be someone by his side that can wrestle that football away from him. Given the insanity of the friends at Fox that he is drafting for his new inner-circle, the likelihood of any one of them summoning enough courage is zero.
8
It is not Trump`s emboldening that matters, but the reluctance of the Press to treat Trump like the emerging dictator he really is, and the failure of the decent majority of this country to realize they are already falling in the abyss of dictatorship.
By treating Trump like an eccentric character, rather than like the malignant narcissist he is, the Press is failing in its duty to inform the public beyond the mere conveyance of the facts. By bending to Trump`s wishes in exchange for legislative favors. his Republican toadies in Congress are are effective allies of the emerging dictatorship.
The destruction of the American Republic is evident to any objective international observer, it seems, but not to the American Press and most of the American public. Sadly, Americans will find out that, In the end, denial didn`t help. The time to wake up is now.
8
I'm kind of a newspaper junkie and think that you are generally right about the press around the country accepting this behavior without a lot of comment.
But I have NEVER been so proud of institutions as I am of the New York Times and the Washington Post, both of which have been unrelenting in telling their audiences the truth about this despicable man. Never has the Post motto been more true -- "Democracy Dies in Darkeness."
1
This piece perfectly illustrates the dilemma for journalists covering this longtime con man. The rule should be "watch what he does, not what he says."
6
trump can never fail. trump can only be failed. if trump fails it's because he wasn't trump enough. for trump to succeed, he must trump
4
It isnt "self-confidence"- it is a nearly bottomless capacity for self-delusion and ignorance.
The GOP Congress is a massive enabling machine and stands responsible and should be removed so this does not happen again.
11
We have a man who has no moral compass, who believes women are play things to use whenever and however for his personal pleasure even when his own recorded voice betrays his claim of innocence. He is what we would abhor in a person and is an affront to decency and values. We have a man who engages in behavior which undermines his country and our democracy, who attacks and denigrates our first line of defense of our country and democracy. We have a man who chooses to benefit, praise, and embolden our enemy over his own country. We have a man who finds more worth in protecting the gun industry and lobby, than in protecting our children and our people from being massacred. We have a man that has made our free press his enemy by proposing laws to restrict their reporting. We have a man who is not respectful or tolerant of opposing viewpoints or opinions, labeling them in childish and schoolyard terms. We have a man who cares nothing about conflicts of interest ethics and who thinks he is above the law. We have a man who is busy tweeting out nonsense and attacks on people at 4 AM, while offering nothing of substance. We have a man who takes nepotism to new heights, to appoint the most unqualified people to positions of power, and to demand praise from them constantly. Who is this man who is an abomination to our way of life, to our values, to decency, and to our nation? This man is the President of the USA. We could not have picked a worse example ever in America.
12
It’s amazing that Tr to refuse to recognize that there was any Russian involvement in our presidential elections. The somewhat shady Russian Felix Slater said he was exagerating when he said something like “We’ll get our guy elected”.
Hopefully Trump will not be able to bully or buy his way out of the apparent corrupt mess that dominates our government.
5
GENERAL CLAPPER: “I worry frankly [about Trump’s] access to the nuclear codes.
In a fit of pique [anger], he decides to do something about Kim Jong-Un.
There’s actually very little to stop him.”
Aug 22, 2017: General James Clapper, former Director of National Intelligence, interviewed by CNN. Clapper is worried Trump’s unstable temperament will cause WWIII.
9
Emboldened or unhinged? I can’t wait to see the movie.
4
You might want to re-think the ending, before wishing to see that movie.
1
If the Republican party does not stand up to this madman then they have forfeited any and all reason for existence. Senators and Congressmen take an oath to the United States not whoever sits in the White House. We endured a close call with Nixon. Somehow, I think this one will be even closer.
5
What is most appalling is the Republican hypocrisy when it comes to all things Trump. Even Sean Hannity can be found on tape criticizing President Obama for the same exact things he now praises Trump. I really hope all Americans that think their one vote doesn't matter wake up and realize how important it is to vote.
11
Kissinger is quoted as saying that the Fake President has "his own original style." Since that style is based on lies and more lies, it is difficult to see how his meeting with the leader of North Korea is likely to end well for us.
3
As long as Republicans control both houses of Congress, Trump will proceed with his destruction of America's norms and mores unimpeded. Lindsay Graham's warnings to Little Lord Fauntleroy are wasted breath with zero chance the Senator will ever act on his threats. The Republicans jealousy and lust for power is second only to their leader's.
4
If he keeps this up, Trump's "self-confidence" will propel him into a mental institution or jail. Right now it appears to be a race between insanity -- asking your staff to sign NDAs borders on derangement -- or obstruction of justice. Either one is grounds for removal of this monstrosity from the Oval Office.
4
Seems like Trump could use this column to blame everyone else for past failures, after all he was just following advice given by his advisors. ( Which is nonsense of course)
1
TRUMP'S Outbursts are like storm clouds passing over a desert island? What a perfect image to describe Trump's mind--dry, barren and totally unoccupied. With logical, rational, carefully formulated thoughts, that is. It brings to mind what Meg Ryan wrote in her book, What I Saw at the Revolution, when she described Reagan's mind as a barren landscape, with no intellectual curiosity whatsoever. It may be just a matter of time until Trump crosses the red line and, as promised, Lindsay Graham will initiate impeachment proceedings. Trump, with his extraordinarily high number of lawsuits--3,500+, is accustomed to bringing everything grinding to a halt if he can't have his way. He applies his magical, grandiose, infantile thinking, that results in his spewing threats that not only damage severely this most unstable of presidencies, but weaken the US in the sight of the world, friend and foe alike. In short, Trump represents the greatest clear and present threat to Homeland Security. We can only hope we don't feel the incineration from NOO KYUH LER bombs when we're wiped out by WW III. I do not exaggerate. Schools across the country engage in periodical emergency safety drills, both for a nuclear attack and active shooters in the building. Those of us who remember living under the terror of the atom bomb now stand by helpless, as our children and grandchildren live through a terror orders of magnitude greater than in the 50s. Trump = Public Menace #1.
3
We elected the worst possible version of an unfit President.
Now he feels "comfortable" in the world's most popular job? Yikes. Double yikes.
We're watching our democracy and government be destroyed before our eyes, with GOP aid and complicity. Time to retire that corrupt party.
13
Trump comfortably on his own, a "genius" as President? The professions have smart warnings for that: "Physician, heal thyself." And "a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client." God bless America, because we're going to need it from here on out.
9
Trump is following the Putin playbook. It's a playbook that is taking hold in Syria, Israel, Poland, Austria, China, Hungary...
How ironic that in the next world war it will be Germany and Japan that will be called on to save us all.
10
It's as if George Costanza has been elected President -- every utterance and every instinct is wrong.
Trump, if you feel like firing Mueller, don't. Do the opposite. Opposite Donald sounds like a good idea.
Wanna invade Korea? Bomb Iran? Take away the pension of a hardworking federal employee? Poke a prosecutor in the eye? Don't. Just don't.
138
George Costanza would have been a better choice.
3
Perhaps the worst part of Trump as George is how it translates into his work -- he's great at pretending he's doing work, but terrible at every job he does.
Since he's supposed to be working for US and he's the worst employee we've ever had, shouldn't it be easier to fire him?
4
Trump going Costanza?!
I like it!!!
Emboldened? I think this is a more hysterical, cowardly maneuver of this chief of lies. The more this obnoxious person's buttons are pushed, the more he moves towards impeachment.
6
So the markets didn’t collapse when Gary Cohn left. North Korea hasn’t yet started a war on the Korean Peninsula. In these and other areas, the worst-case scenario hasn’t materialized. So Trump feels emboldened to rely on his own instincts.
But here’s the thing that should keep us awake at night: someday the worst case will happen. Who will he rely on then?
7
No hurry, Mr Mueller. Trump perjures himself on Twitter every day in the court of public opinion
6
Emboldened no, what we are witnessing is Trump's psychological unraveling like a cheap sweater. His inner anger and anxiety are escalating and he is locking himself in a cage of his own making. Trump will either implode or explode it really doesn't matter which. What matters is that we get rid of him.
In my opinion we are now witnessing the beginning of the end game. There is a part of me that hopes Trump will fire Mueller creating the constitutional crises that will force Republicans to force him out of office. The other more rational part of me wants to see the Mueller investigation reach its end so that we will have all the facts about his ignorant corrupt man. Either way we will finally be rid of him and can begin to repair some of the damage that he has done to our democracy.
8
"Says what he feels..." That's because he doesn't think at all.
11
It's not "self-confidence". It's arrogance and self -entitlement. He's a bully who has nothing with which to work as far as intelligence, education, skills and factual information so he resorts to childish tantrums. He's also never been held accountable for his prior bad acts so he thinks he's immune to the law. His co-conspirators on the right might prove him right again. The law definitely applies unevenly in this world of corruption.
10
Keep talkin' Don
Keep tweeting. Keep on making statements that will be used against you to show, among other things, consciousness of guilt.
Who thought keeping your mouth shut could be so hard.
6
Trump has absolutely horrible "instincts," as evidenced by the wreckage left throughout his "business" career. The more he relies on his instincts in this setting, the quicker his downfall.
7
,Apprentice President
Season 1: work to hook viewers with crazy antics, repeated cliff hangers, and sacrificial firings;
Season 2: no more work -- just put on the show.
Just like the Kardashians, people will tune in even if they hate you.
Because everyone loves to watch a Trainwreck.
5
It is so confidence-inspiring to learn that our country is being governed by the amygdala of a sociopath. November cannot come soon enough.
8
“This could be the manifestation of growing confidence,” said Roger J. Stone Jr., one of the president’s oldest confidantes.
More likely this is a manifestation of advancing mental disease. Calligula also became more confident as he slid into madness.
15
As a person with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Trump finds it impossible to tolerate criticism or questioning due to his fragile narcissistic ego, and like a narcissist he cannot empathize with or put himself into anyone else's shoes to understand the world from a different viewpoint. He rants and raves and overshares because he trusts only his gut instincts, and he has no filter.
14
Why do I feel like we are living in the “Wizard of Oz”? Rather than follow the Yellow Brick Road in search of the Wizard. We are assaulted by the Tweets of the Day from our Wizard (don’t ever expect him to deliver bad news face to face). So starts the topic of the day.
Now that he is developing more confidence maybe we need a refresher course on who we elected: http://www.newsweek.com/2016/08/12/donald-trumps-business-failures-elect...
4
Sadly he is slowly discovering the job is not what it was cracked up to be. As oppressive and punitive as this country is, he doesn't have free reign. Term limits, only eight years max--while all his rivals who are head of pathetic second rate countries can do things he only wishes were possible. He can talk big, but the humiliation of it all must sting terribly.
7
Trump is on a self destructive, delusional, rampage. He's got severe personality disorder issues and we expect little from him in the way of self control. What is inexcusable is the Republicans, who are in a stupor, and who are ignoring the whole unfolding nightmare! Do we have to stage a national protest in the streets to demand that Trump be stopped?! If so, it will happen. Count on it.
9
What Ms. Haberman calls "self-confidence," I would term "deranged." It is the behavior of an out-of-control toddler who has no regard for the rules of behavior that apply to the precious keepsakes he is wrecking.Or it's simply desperation: Trump has nothing left to lose, so he is going for broke. He's done that before.
9
That he has nothing left to lose is worrisome. If that, indeed, is the case and knowing he is incapable of empathy.......what does that mean for the rest of us?
4
The man has been a fraud and loser all his life. Born with a golden spoon in his mouth, he has lied and cheated unabashedly to the top. He will become increasingly unhinged as Mueller, an expert in sniffing out and prosecuting white-collar crimes and enterprises from Wall Street to organized crime, is zeroing in on the Trump business empire. An empire deeply connected to Russian mob money and corrupt Russian oligarchs. The same people who floated him a financial lifeline when he was sinking in a sea of debt. They say the truth will set you free, bt in Mr. Trump's case, it will imprison him. Hopefully for ten to twenty.
9
Right now Donald Trump has a flashing neon sign over his head screaming "GUILTY"! Everything he does and everything he says confirms his guilt. What is so dangerous is that he is becoming the president with nothing to lose.
11
Wanna bet that if Trump fires Mueller that the Republicans fall in line? Lindsey Graham says he won't....Haha!
6
Oh yes, please, Mr. President -- please do express and act upon your true, despicable instincts. In short, yes, please do "just be yourself." If you don't get us all blown up first -- admittedly a big "if" -- this is the quickest and surest route to the impeachment you so richly deserve.
4
Let's get rid of Peter King, trump's foil. New York, you're better than this.
7
Well, why wouldn't he? Isn't that what got him elected?? Doesn't this kind of behavior give him headlines, which is what he really wants? Won't this embolden those who voted for him to vote for him again??? That's right, to get him re-elected!!! Those of us who find him abhorrent, undignified, un-fit, etc, (and I am one of them) are putting all their eggs in one basket...Mueller. The fact of the matter is that the Democratic Party should put more emphasis on how he can be defeated in 2020 because if the economy is still doing well and wages are increasing (yes, as a result of Obama and Yellin)he will be re-elected!!! Who does the Democratic Party have??? Sanders? Kennedy? Harris? Brown? Warren? I don't think so...It's time for the Democratic party to let go of the past (Clinton and Obama) and look to the future. You can start with the working middle class by asking them what they want!!!
3
“This could be the manifestation of growing confidence,” said Roger J. Stone Jr., one of the president’s oldest confidantes.
No, no, no…..far from it. This is an abuse of Presidential power and a slap to our democracy and Nation by a total incompetent narcissist posing as President.
5
Newly emboldened or further unhinged?
5
Maggie's got to keep the door cracked, and flattery gets you anywhere with this monster. It's the only thing he lives for.
1
His behavior is indistinguishable from that of a sociopath who relishes personal pleasure-seeking and pain avoidance to the harm of others and society at large.
7
Seriously??? When, exactly, has he not ? Anyone that thinks he's been on the leash has NOT been paying attention. And, you ain't seen nothing yet. The Emperor is strolling nude down Pennsylvania Ave, the only thing left to shed is his "hair". It's " Campaign " Donald all the time, for his Base, that's all he's GOP. Just saying.
3
That's all he's GOT. Obviously. Too much coffee.
go ahead, Mr. President fire Mueller, make my day.
Two questions:
Does anyone care to guess how long Trump has been in bed with and beholden to Putin and the Russian Mob?
A) 10 years
B) 12 years
C) 20 years
How long more will you as a nation be humiliated by this demagogue?
Clearly the time has come.
9
It’s up to the American voter to defend her democracy.
The traitorous GOP will not protect.
Solution, VOTE. VOTE despite the republican gerrymandering.
VOTE despite the republicans voter suppression “laws” making it harder to excercise OUR constitutional right to VOTE.
VOTE despite all the billionions of dollars the Mercer’s and Koch brothers will throw at these republicans during the midterm election cycle.
VOTE, and register someone else to.
VOTE, and help some one get to the polls.
VOTE, and campaign for a democracy loving candidate.
VOTE this November.
8
Emboldened? This guys is the true madman at the controls, so used to just saying 'You're fired' or 'I'll sue'', that he's just continuing his old ways.
He's still the lying, bully, adulterer, cheat that he's always been. His treasonous money-laundering is just now being recognized. He's the showman that creates great turmoil and chaos so we, as good little puppets, do not 'follow the money', we follow whatever he says. He thinks he'll wear us out. His lies will seep into our brains; with Fox News help and all the Republican billionaires super-PACs.
We're scared of our economic standing. The common American's been falling for decades. He says he'll be the savior. Millions believe because they're self-interested, not really into this 'America' thing. Too many of the 'other' in that group.
Greed is in each and every one of us, and that is why Trump is President: the rich don't care about the poor, and the poor don't care how they get out of their hole (and supporting an angry, bullying, liar to get their is just fine).
3
Emboldened, enschmoldened. He's a three-year-old who didn't get his way by stamping his feet, so now he's on the floor kicking and screaming.
3
"Projecting strength, control and power ... has always been vital to Mr. Trump."
Except that he's not projecting that at all. His tweets are getting childishly repetitive, and I'm sick to death of his insulting everybody all the time.
James Comey is not my favorite person, but he's got a decent career of service behind him—more than you can say for Trump! And firing McCabe two days before his retirement was ugly beyond belief.
I've never gotten this angry about politics before. We need to get this guy OUT of here before he sends this nation even farther down the tubes. Republicans, COME ON! Stop this jerk from destroying everything decent, truthful, thoughtful, honorable, and democratic about this nation!
342
Don't bother pleading with the Republicans to do anything. They have shown their stripes for all to see. Hold on to your hat, because the road is about to get very rocky indeed.
8
Stop trying to normalize this! The situation is insane. Trump is unhinged, arrogant, and impulsive. These are not signs of growing confidence, they are symptoms of an erratic man, deeply over his head, who is so narcissistic, sadistic, and pathological that he cannot be guided, nor show any restraint relative to the position he has found himself in.
This situation is sickening. I'm tired of feeling like an abused spouse, never knowing what might "set him off". This is not how a healthy nation and healthy democracy operates. Trump must be removed from office as soon as humanly possible.
6
Trump has always said what he really feels. What we are now witnessing is a psychologically fragile individual, who is likely guilty of money laundering, tax evasion, and consorting with foreign and domestic sex workers. His biggest fear is that his entire sleazy existence is about to be revealed.
8
Trump now feels "confident enough" that he "he does not need the expertise of others" who actually might know something about the world outside of Trump Tower, Mar a Lago, and the intimate circle of "friends" with whom he feel comfortable? All knowledge looms with spotless clarity to him through his panoptic telescope form the fifteenth floor of Trump Tower? No need to even read daily briefs anymore--just get the gist off of cable TV? And that idiot Mark Meadows sees it as "settling into the job" after a year of learning his way around? That takes the cake! Sounds more like a Junior High adolescent to me.
3
Trump is right. Why would anyone be submissive when someone essentially wants to rape one's businesses, family and reputation after overwhelming winning an election to serve his country? Let Mueller investigate you.
1
I would be happy to do so because I do not commit treason!
"Newly emboldened" = he is off the rails.
2
Time to impeach. This President is clearly unstable and not fit for the job!!!
4
Wow, just what the country needed, an unplugged potus. Ahhhh, now I can sleep better at night.
3
Many people (his supporters, for instance) forget that his "wealth" was amassed almost entirely through corruption of every sort. This guy is a HOODLUM and a GANGSTER.
His wealth is ill-gotten and he is beholden to Mafia types on at least 2 continents. Could you ever have imagined John Gotti as President? Well, that's what we've got, folks. Let's call a spade a spade.
8
Trump is a desperate.
Mueller has boxed him into a corner. Trump isn't emboldened he's just getting more aggressive and deciding to go for broke.
A spur of the moment decision top meet with DPNK.
Vicious mean spirited firing of McCabe.
Rexit
Cohn out
Shots at Comey.
He decided to go for broke........that's exactly how he's going to end up!!
5
What are you afraid of, Mr. President ?
(Not my president.)
4
"Newly emboldened"....why does a respected news outlet like the NYT continue to attach reasonable words to a person who is clearly unhinged, unstable, and focused entirely on himself?
I can say my cat was "newly emboldened" by the presence of a few birds in the yard today, too....
4
I don't know why EVERYONE continues to analyze and parse Trump's behavior. It CONTINUES to be the same. He blusters like a " bull in a china shop". He lies, he obfuscates. He continues to be disinterested in our country, he tears down our traditions. Politicians and many journalists talk/write about all things Trump in the context of the way things USED TO BE. Our context has changed 100%. We need to stop treating all this like he is simply doing things differently. This is an insecure, narcissistic, mean-spirited, no-nothing who never should have gotten this far. No need for even-handedness and politeness here.
6
"says what he feels" Yes, he should. And this is in stark contrast to our last president, who seemed to think lying was perfectly fine.
1
"Newly emboldened?" More like an autocrat who doesn't think that the rule of law applies to him. Or like a journalist who wants to preserve access to the White House.
5
Why does Trump continue to engage in conduct that, under the circumstances, including the Mueller investigation, most of us see as self-destructive both personally and to his presidency?
The easy answer is Trump sees himself as personally invincible.
But it's not just hubris at play.
Trump sees something else - he sees, with few exceptions, Republican leadership in the Senate and House unwilling to be a Constitutional check against executive branch excesses, who instead have been willing to stand by and let him say or do whatever he wants, no matter the consequences to our democracy, the rule of law, or the dignity of our country and the office of the president.
4
Decades of observed behavior should have made Trump the least viable candidate, with incoherence present in every interview. Multiple cautionary lines presented themselves, including racist commentary, misogyny, highly questionable financial transactions and contacts--to say nothing of the chaos directly observable on twitter and in public.. and yet the GOP dismisses these lines as meaningless in the realm of the bigger picture. Taxes and healthcare have been reduced. The military budget has increased. Donors are happy. They have gotten their standard bearing issues. Now is the time to act to stop this madness.
2
I didn't think Trump had any problems saying what he feels. I'm more worried now that he seems more emboldened to act on those feelings.
He's welcome to his feelings and his opinions, but I will never understand the constant need for the gloating or the sadistic cruelty that seems to be an inherent part of his nature.
3
I am really tired of the Peter Baker/Maggie Haberman coverage of Trump as if this were a normal administration. This is not normal. Phrases like "newly emboldened," or "more confident" should be analyzed not in the context of how he is evolving in his role, but rather as a reflection of the wholesale destruction of the office of the President and our democratic values by someone who is a threat to our national security. Reporting on the reality of Trump, based on facts, is not biased. This bland style of reporting does not convey the actual situation we are facing. You don't have to editorialize, but neither do you need to legitimize.
8
I disagree with the idea that he is "newly emboldened".
He is the same as he has been all along.
He feels above the law and better than everyone else.
Unfortunately, in the cocoon he grew up in and has been in during his adult life, nobody ever put him in his place.
4
If this is true, that the real Trump is now being unleashed, then we are moving from watching the car hurtling down the highway at 85mph to watching it lose traction and begin to spin and slide towards the concrete barriers ahead.
4
The beginning of the end of this man's presidency began in January 2017. It became clear within days that America had mad a terrible mistake. Now we're just waiting to see how high the damage mounts before we correct our error.
5
As trump pulls further away from experienced, reasonable advisors, he moves closer to trumpian autocracy, viewing the world through his own warped 'virtual reality' goggles. Since the Republican leadership has chosen to remain silently acquiescent, Mueller may be the only person capable of bringing this madhouse to an end.
4
Lately, Maggie Haberman has been given to making overwhelmingly "underwhelming" statements: Since when did Donald Trump NOT say what he "really felt?" The only difference I see is, he's just being quicker (and meaner) with his Tweeting-fingers in getting his "feelings" out.
4
There is 0 mention in this article and the president himself about how this “perceived” chaos is affecting the people in this country. The actual people that count on a president to be a stable leader.
Who cares what he thinks. I care most about this country and the people in it. This is just more evidence that our politicians have very little regard for the people. This is not democracy.
5
Hasn't there been an open door into Trump's mind? He didn't appear to accept restraints on his impulses to release his rage, r to incorporate any advice - altho he allowed ( and allows) various spokespeople to sometimes take the lead in channeling his rants; and then to use them to issue denials about the meaning of his words - or his responsibility for their original statements.
( I wanted to use the phrase " what is unfortunate" -- inane - almost everything he does is unfortunate)
He is making even the media look as if he has become the supreme editor of his verbiage. He uses common language - where there is really no doubt as to his meaning -- but to a legalistic response when cornered: he didn't say exactly that: E.g. - He didn't say with specificity that Mueller should be fired, when and by whom, but there would be no doubt in any reasonably up to date listener's mind what he means. It's like listening to a savvy gangster ordering a hit: he avoids spelling out the details which make an incontrovertible connection. He takes outrageous positions, assuming that his power and use of legal might will cow or defeat opponents on a host of technicalities. He also has delivered to Republicans their Holy Grail of tax cuts at any cost, and they are willing to overlook anything else for this taste of power.
3
There’s another very strange element to Trump’s decision process, he strings his advisors along then gets in front of a microphone and not only disregards their advice, he sticks a finger in their eyes as an act of defiance.
I’m certain a psychiatrist could examine Trump’s upbringing and his relationship with father and help the President sort this out.
25
Trump's instincts led him into multiple bankruptcies, scams, and illicit relationships.
Conservative moralists have endlessly harangued us all on the supposed importance of virtue - yet nonetheless continue to support Trump, perhaps the least virtuous person in America.
He's not even a good businessman - which is why American banks refused to lend him money after a time, and why he was forced to depend on the most corrupt European bank and cash infusions from Russian oligarchs.
Trump's instincts are those a man perpetually seeking out harsh correction. If only NBC, FOX, family, foolish investors, and the NY tabloids had not enabled him for as long as they did, and he had been allowed to crash and burn, as he so justly deserved.
52
5 bankruptcies out of 500 companies. Romney wishes he had that record. For an entrepreneur, that's an amazing record.
500 companies - you mean like the LLC that was set up to hide the identity of the payment to Stormy Daniels?
When Roger Stone says, “This could be the manifestation of growing confidence,” he obviously means, in the sense of “confidence man” or “growing con,” as in Don the Con.
14
You mean that as an insult, but the lovable con is a staple of American popular culture. But nobody loves a deadbeat.
"Newly emboldened" is not exactly what I would say. I think many agree with me. However, I would like to really know what is so abhorrent to Trump to cause him to do this. It can't just be prostitutes, or money laundering, or cheating on his wife, etc. It has to pale compared to that. It has to be a really dirty or nasty secret. Why else risk all, and I do mean all, to keep Mueller from finding out his secret? What is Trump guilty of? What indeed.
35
He may well be owned lock, stock and barrel by the Russians and his business records will reveal this. It's also a reason not to release your tax returns. At this stage, even if that's the case, I'm honestly not sure whether his supporters would flee his side or that the Republicans in Congress would do anything. Treason no longer appears to be an actionable offense.
6
Some day somebody will produce an opera about Trump -- Opera Buffa or opéra bouffe -- think Hoffman's Barbe Bleue, or Strauss' Salome.
Trump fulfills the greek hallmark of tragedy: "Whom the gods would destroy, they first drive mad," ... but so stupidly that no tragedy can be found in it; only the fitting demise of a thoroughly awful man.
13
https://youtu.be/Hz7SfkhJe74
To me this is overanalysis. Too many journalists seem obsessed with finding a "new angle" and diving into the tea leaves as if they're actually going to tell us something new and valuable about Trump and his behavior. I just don't see any real change in him one way or the other, and I don't think I buy the argument. Was he less "emboldened" when he fired Comey? Or when he called on the Russians to dig further into Clinton's emails? He's the same foolish clown with the giant ego, the big mouth who cares only about himself and how he "looks".
520
I have to respect the opinion of anyone with an online moniker based on a Captain Beefheart album. Well played.
1
Tiresome interpretations are tiresome to read. This assessment has the ring of truth!
1
Black Earth, red state. What happened Captain Beefheart?
It's very obvious that Trump has something very serious to hide or he wouldn't be trying so hard to discredit anyone that has to do with the Mueller investigation. Trump knows what he's done in the past and his financial connection to Russia. Pretty soon the public will also know and there wil be no hiding from the truth.
18
Poor guy. It's so easy to attack and fire people by tweet! He totally lacks any shred of self-confidence, and is becoming more unhinged as time goes by... while the majority of us watch in horror.
15
"Ignoring the advice of aides over how to deal with the special counsel was the decision of a president who ultimately trusts only his own instincts."
My impression is that this describes the citizenry just as well, being swayed by "ultimately [trusting] only [their] own instincts." Trump may be more a symptom of our times than a catalyst of it.
6
I rarely agree with anything Trey Gowdy says. However, he has been fairly strong on the Mueller investigation, and recently gave Trump some good advice: "If you're innocent, act like it."
Here are a few ways Trump could act that would suggest, for once, that he is "innocent": (1) Agree to meet with the Special Counsel, and do so under oath; (2) Assist the investigation by quickly and comprehensively producing all documents; (3) Disclose all business records and relationships under investigation; (4) Commit not to pardon transgressors, even if they are family members; (5) Stop threatening and criticizing people who serve the U.S.'s interests, including those assisting in the investigation; and (6) Release your tax returns!
Falling short on these matters will not convey "innocence;" they will strongly suggest guilt.
472
It might be that the very last thing Trump wants is for this investigation to go away. If it did, it might force him to acknowledge that he has no plan, idea, or intention, to address any of the myriad challenges we face.
1
You're kidding, right?
Ha ha ha ha.... you don't really think Trump could or would do any of this, do you?
Trump's behavior screams "blatant crook" like a $3 bill.
2
I fear that the headline of this article may already be somewhat outdated. This president is rapidly moving from SAYING what he feels to DOING what he feels. The staff firings of the past few weeks supports that assertion. The ad hoc decision to meet with North Koreans, the spur of the moment action on tariffs and the new blistering language on Bob Mueller shows he has moved into another gear.
Looking at this from Trump's perspective, one has to assume he has concluded "Why not?" He has been lying to everyone for the last 15 months and experienced no repercussions from sycophants in Congress, so it may be time to execute without fear of any consequences. Regardless of what he says or feels, this is dangerous territory and every level of government should begin preparing for this.
353
More likely he has been lying to everyone for the past 65 years.
It's just that his lies have become far more consequential now that he's been "elected" president.
3
Shooting people in the middle of Fifth Avenue without repercussion. He tested the waters; Congress did nothing, so why not?
2
He has been lying for over 40 years and has gotten away with it. He thinks this is normal.
The notion that Trump has grown more comfortable in the job and no longer needs the "adults" to manage him reminds me of the bi-polar patient who is able to function well enough on his meds that he now feels no need to continue taking the meds because he is functioning so well. (I am absolutely NOT trying to insult those who may be bi-polar by equating them with Trump.)
12
If for the president, feeling more comfortable in his presidency means he rarely leaves the White House and only goes where he feels he’ll get a positive welcome, well, that pretty much says it all.
18
Ceaucescu, Saddam Hussein and Colonel Gaddafi probably depended on rent-a-crowds, too. The hated autocrats cannot press the flesh with the masses in any sincere way.
"They say privately that Mr. Trump does not understand the job the way he believes he does ..." Does Trump understand ANYTHING the way he believes he does?
9
"They say privately that Mr. Trump does not understand the job the way he believes he does...."
That's the understatement of the millennium!
Those of us with children and grandchildren wonder whether the America they will inherit is going to survive Trump's vast ignorance in any recognizable form or if it will descend into a chaos unimaginable a few decades ago.
482
Trump thought being president he could perform marriages!!!!!
2
I don’t know what will he left. The presidency has already lost its respect and value that it once held universally.
Who the heck would want to be president after this? What a joke our nation has become.
For the first time in my life I am truly grateful, thanks only due to this current perilous administration, that I don’t have children of grandchildren to worry about.
3
Your children grandchildren will be find-they will eventually recognize it was just their parents who were hysterically full of hyperbole!
This new hubris is his insecurity metastasized -- it just frees him from self-doubt worsened by contrary advice from those around him whom he perceives as 'managing' him.
It does not mean that he is free of enormous self-doubt and insecurity. It just means that he is less reminded of it from the outside (which is key for narcissists, since they are incapable of introspection; they seek affirmation from the outside).
This 'new' phase is simply a magnification of his own insecurity -- and of his incompetence. It is dangerous for us all, but pride also comes before the fall.
This Icarus has wings even more flimsy than the original character. After a few jumps off of a soap box without significant injury, he thinks he's ready to head for the cliff.
17
He's on a mission of self destruction. The Mueller probe is headed towards the purse strings of this tyrant: what we'll eventually find out is that his style of money management borders on corruption(s) and albeit there may be no collusion, he was trying like the devil to develope some.
10
What sane person, with a modicum of self-respect, would continue to work for a boss that publicly humiliates them and constantly insults them via social media?
11
In short, Trump is no less longer even pretending to be sane. Wonderful.
11
It will be a pay to view pleasure watching Tray Gowdy grill Trump the way he grilled Clinton for nine hours.
2
Trump finally understands what he needs to do to complete the con. Before in his self-imposed bubble in Trump Tower, he knew who and what to expect after 30 years of perfecting the 'Trump Brand'.
Yeah, Washington DC was a stretch but he has the situation figured out now. Time to Trump! The White House is now Trump Tower redux (What a dump he said) and he has gotten rid of those that do not serve him and his agenda.
Trump is succeeding in bringing everyone down to his level. Crude, mean and a grifter, Trump is a sleazy narcissist who has bullied the presidency into a mere platform for his daily show.
All he knows is that he's got the power of the office now. And he has finally figured out how to bend those powers to his will and want. Service to country were never part of the plan.
10
People have been predicting the end of the Trump presidency for a long time. For many of us it is over already, and we wait, dreading how exactly it will end. I knew the Nixon presidency was over as soon as he said "I am not a crook" but it didn't actually end until months later.
8
I believe Donald Trump has more confidence and assurance than he did a year ago for one simple reason: it's gradually dawned on him that no matter how destructive, misguided and dangerous his words and deeds, there is literally nothing he can do or say that would make the Republican-controlled Congress hold him to account or try to stop him. And that includes his unilaterally firing Special Counsel Mueller and anyone else he believes threatens his presidency. That's coming any day, now believe me.
681
The November elections can and will stop him, and he knows that his Waterloo is coming, believe me, he knows !!!! When the Democrats take control of both houses, hopefully they have the courage to make America great, and put an end to the political corruption, because the American People are demanding nothing less already !!!!!!!!!! Political corruption is the plague on America.....Of the People, By the People, For the People.......
3
No. They will stop him. They have too much to lose. In hindsight, already lost come the mid-term elections.
Despite what Thomas Jefferson said, it's good to be king of America.
As DJT stated on July 16, 2016 when accepting his party's nomination for President, he said, "Nobody knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it."
Apparently, he now feels that he has had sufficient "experience" since his inauguration that he alone can make decisions and issue statements that fly in the face of reality, show the level of his incompetence, and underscore his authoritarian tendencies. There should be no surprise now.
His routine attacks on representatives of intelligence institutions, vengeful and malicious dismissal of his own Cabinet appointees, open admiration for dictators, and nonsensical tweets about "hoaxes" and "witch hunts" are ample evidence of the narcissistic tendencies that undergird his thinking.
The most dangerous aspect of his "unleashed" approach to governing is that the majority of the members of his own party either are silent or even approve of his irrationality. The 30-40% of the population who consistently support him apparently cannot or will not see the warning signs of his overt grab for authoritarian rule, preferring to believe the alternative facts/propaganda that are pushed on Fox News, Sinclair, and other right-wing media outlets.
The only way to rid ourselves of this most dangerous pathway toward totalitarianism is for the 60-70% of the public who disapprove of his performance is to vote to terminate DJT's ability to do so on November 6th by ending the GOP's control of Congress. It can't come soon enough!
10
His claim as to being able to 'fix' the system was one of Trump's few moments of honesty - too bad people didn't realize he meant the term in the sense of 'rig,' 'tamper,' or 'fraudulently influence' the system. Of that I have no doubt he was speaking truth.
2
Every time this man opens his mouth he proves that he is not a politician or diplomat and when you're running a country you need to be both.
Also in business it may be okay to malign the truth because it's buyer be ware, but in government or diplomacy that should never happen.
Every time Trump speaks he violates all the rules because he's making them up as he goes along and this leaves to much uncertainty for our legislators and allies to deal with.
The Congress needs to act now to oust him now, as the country is going down hill fast and it won't be long before we're back in the stone age.
5
I truly believe this man thinks he is the boss, and the country is his to do with what he pleases. We are on a collision course. The time has come for the remaining two branches to step up and do something to rein him in before he take us down a path we can no longer escape.
He is setting dangerous precedent. And by allowing him to act upon his every whim we are only doing irreparable harm to the county, the constitution, and every citizen who calls the United States home.
The congress has to face the fact they have a loose cannon in charge, and the cannot continue to look the other way in order to move their own agenda forward. It is time to put the common good ahead of the party. Time to stop letting this foolishness to fester. Time to do what you were ALL elected to do and put the good of the people ahead of your own selfish interests. There is still time, but it is running out quickly.
Please, do what is right and challenge this man and stop the damage. A real challenge, not just a lame attempt to convince the public you care, when you are only looking out for yourselves.
9
The Liar in Chief is self defensive not so much as an attack against Robert Mueller as he is concealing major evidence.
There is no way that the Denier in Chief did NOT know of the foul play of his minions. I suspect that more likely he was directing them.
Remember that the guy went bankrupt four times trying to play the system to his advantage. Also he has a long record of stiffing his contractors and was sued many times in the process.
Trump’s moodiness and varying reactions to Mueller’s initiatives on the issues speak volumes and do not deny his ignorance or lack of participation in the issues under investigation. As stated in a related NYT article on Mueller’s Indictment in February: “And the charges against the Russians are not the end of the investigation by Mr. Mueller, nor do they mean that there were no contacts or cooperation that may eventually spell legal trouble for people in the president’s orbit.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/17/us/politics/trump-russia.html?hp&...®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news
My belief is that Robert. Mueller’s future Indictments will be monumental against and consequential to Trump.
Robert. Mueller: Continue to move ahead in your work … the world is waiting with anticipation.
7
What a spectacle at just how fast the so-called “successful businessman” in the oval office is proving terribly unfit for the job, and how spineless and feckless a group of cowards McConnell, Ryan and the rest of the GOP are in refusing to come to terms with this reality. It’s a shameful national embarrassment now on full display for all the world to see.
8
Newly emboldened?
The Inauguration crowd. The attacks on the CIA, FBI and other intelligence agencies. Accusing Obama of ordering wiretaps of Trump and his campaign. Asking Comey to let the "Flynn thing" go. Firing Comey. The two week spectacle last July/August with Spicer, Scaramucci and Priebus. Bannon. The Michael Wolff book "Fire and Fury." The Charlottesville ordeal. Omarosa. Hope Hicks admitting to lying for her boss. Kushner and his security clearances. The security clearances of the staff in general. Rob Porter. The list goes on.
If this is the stuff that emboldens Trump, then I would love to know what humbles him.
He has been playing this true to character from day one. This is how he sees his role in his own personal melodrama.
23
True. And as a result the villains here are the Republican representatives and senators who swore to uphold the Constitution. In of itself, it is only words on a sheet of paper, worthless unless the principles described therein are protected by those elected to serve the People. We can thank Mitch McConnell in particular for the wholesale destruction of our land. But all the Republicans who sit by idly and allow the president to trample on our values are complicit up to their red-tied necks. Ugh.
14
We need to stop entertaining intellectual curiosity items about this guy and hold him to account for doing everything from obstructing investigations to enriching himself by refusing to divest interests. His henchmen keep trying to normalize the abnormality of his behavior. Nothing about his time in office has been normal and nothing about him has changed. He is grossly incompetent and proves it daily. He is using the office to enrich himself and his spawn, and proves it daily.
11
It's time to impeach. He wants to be an autocrat but that's not in the Constitution.
1
“This could be the manifestation of growing confidence,” said Roger J. Stone Jr.
Nice try.
But .. if Stone is referring to the very obvious fact that the serial bankrupt named DJT is a Confidence Man, par excellence, then this is correct.
Don the Con, Carnival Huckster and Shameless Tax Cheat (where are those returns anyway ?) .... increasingly, blatantly, and bizarrely ramping up efforts to deflect attention away form his own malfeasance and incompetence by lying (about just about everything), disparaging (just about anyone), and bamboozling the sad, noisy, low -information base (who are a clear minority of the population).
On yes, in these ways he is indeed "growing".
9
Trump may be more confident but most of us are scared stiff at what this willfully and woefully ignorant narcissist will do.
His words and actions over the past 14 months have been deceitful and divisive. His disdain for law is evident.
If he had had a successful track record in business, we might be able reasonably to wait for the brilliance to shine forth while he found his footing.
But he is showing why he had to file 6 bankruptcies. Poor selection of aides, impetuousness, lack of preparation and due diligence meant that he had to have a cadre of lawyers to clean up his messes.
Nothing has changed.
15
Why do we have to wait until November? Isn't the government working for us - aren't we in charge? Why can't we just fire them all now?
10
Here's the Alice-in-Trumpland logic of the President and his pusillanimous defenders in the Republican party, unwilling to criticize or hold him to account.
Re the attacks on FBI official Andrew McCabe, a Republican, with a Democratic wife:
(1) Only Republican officials should be allowed to investigate a Republican, so they will not be biased against him/her;
(2) only Republicans should investigate a Democrat, so that they will not be biased in favor of the investigation's target.
9
Trump is what happens when people don't vote. Trump is the result of angry people voting (he did a good job of stirring that anger) and others being complacent. If nothing else, Trump has shown us the value of our vote, and why we should use it.
14
I agree but remember he very much lost the popular vote. Please register to vote and encourage everyone you know to do so! I only hope the USA will survive this poor excuse for a "strongman wannabe".
1
This isn't about revenge or lashing out against Trump. That's the game he wants to play. This is about hopefully finding out, at last, what has been happening in this country. Now I am not naive enough to think that there is some objective, agreed upon, accepted "truth" that will meet all the needs of all the factions. If one believes in some "deep state" conspiracy or wants to continue arguing about Benghazi or Pres Obama's citizenship, I don't think there is anything anyone could say at this point to change that person's mind. IBut as a country I think we have to try... And I just want to add that I think the title of this piece is kind of funny. It seems to suggest that somehow Trump has had a muzzle or some kind of regulator on himself up to this point and is only now "emboldened." Maybe that's a euphemism for "increasingly unhinged."
4
Why is Fox News allowed to tell blatant lies without consequence? Many people actually believe what they are being told. They do not know history except for popular elementary school curriculum myths. They do to realize they are being manipulated. It is terrifying. Most news shows always have the "other side " opinion piece. The nasty lies that trump repeats like a mantra till they become believed by followers is scary. His policies will hurt his most vehement defenders and they seem clueless.
2
We're observing, what I believe to be, the desperate reactions of a cornered narcissist (a disorder; not an insult). When narcissists (who live in their own disordered version of reality and by their own rules) are backed into a corner due to pending exposure of their duplicitous behavior, they often act out even more than usual as they bounce from one manipulative tactic to another attempting to maintain their fantasy of being perfect, omnipotent and in control.
The point is, this president's behavior is not normal. And it's time we stop trying to fit it into any semblance of normality. That's like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Thus, we will continue to be force fed our daily dose of chaos and drama and crassness and challenges to our principles, values, and democracy until the side in charge takes their collective heads out of the sand, places country over politics, and invokes the 25th amendment.
8
This is very bad news. Trump unchained?
Dear voters: If we make it (a big IF) to the November midterms, there must be an overwhelming vote for Democrats so that the elections cannot be fixed, changed, manipulated, stolen. Not only to stymie Trump's last two years. But it has to be unambiguous, extremely clear with careful poll watching. It has to be definitive that the country is rejecting Trump.
It's our only hope.
9
The world must be wary of Trump as a now unrestrained loose cannon.
History demonstrates the diversionary qualities of a 'good war' to take the heat off of a regime's shortcomings or lack of popularity.
This is why I shall not be surprised whether Trump declares war in any number of possible arenas, simply to suit his purpose of becoming a wartime leader à la Churchill.....
3
The fact that he needed to be so closely controlled by staff in the White House tells you all you need to know about his poor judgment, lack of knowledge, and inability to understand complex issues. And with this oversight apparently on the wane, we can only hope that his self-destructive nature will accelerate his departure.
7
The patients have taken over the asylum and are not afraid to burn it down in order to get what their way. Trump's 95% (ers) are more proud and supportive of him now than they were in 2016. Far Right candidates running for the Senate and Congress are emboldened by Trump's lack of decency and disregard for the, actual, American values that made it respected around the world. Gutter language, gutter tactics, gutter persona is the new normal for the Far Right cell of the GOP. It is a cancer that is eating away at the Party and killing the nation. The pendulum has swung too far and broken off.
7
Trump is emboldened and feeling more comfortable because he sees the weak response by the British, to the brazen assasination attempt ordered by Putin, as confirmation that he too can can get away with murder. I hope the voters come to understand what the Republicans have enabled and abetted with their silence and tacit approval of what is happening. Sorry Lindsay Graham your words ring hollow and are far too little far too late.
Dismantling our government and destroying the social contract between those governed by consent and the government is purely the fault of and also the apparent goal of the Republicans. We need another party and re-establishment of majority rule with protections for the minority. Right now we are governed by the choices of the minority with total disregard for wishes of the majority. Democrats at all three levels, President, Senate and Congress won the majority of votes by total but are in the minority.
Consign the Republicans to the scrap heap and let us find a way to free ourselves of this two party system.
6
The same confidence and instincts that have led to 6 bankruptcies and 4 marriages (so far). Losers play it straight, he knows. Winners do whatever they have to, and get away with it, he knows. What do the rest of us know? We're finding out every day. As is Mueller. Times up.
11
You have to appreciate the spin coming from Trump aides and Republican representatives. What appears to everyone as some combination of chaos and unplanned restructuring is actually just Trump feeling comfortable in the job. Forgive me for not feeling quite so comfortable. To say Trump doesn't understand the job as well as he thinks he does is a gross understatement. His instincts only ever applied to reality TV and real estate development. Even then, Trump wasn't particularly good at either.
I think we can safely suggest there's a little more to being President than insulting political critics and rambling nonsense to sign wielding mobs. As the White House exodus continues, the President isn't so much trusting his instincts as finding himself abandoned to them. New advisers aren't going to change the source of the problem. We have an over-confident ignoramus in the White House that doesn't listen to anyone more intelligent than himself. Eventually, intelligent people stop trying to tell him anything.
I find the situation far from comforting.
13
I don't think Trump is emboldened. He is just becoming incapable of restreint because Mueller is zooming on him. Differently put he is more and more gripped with bouts of paranoia. I'm quite frankly convinced now that he is guilty of something. I would not be surprised if he makes serious moves to stop Mueller because he is getting desperate.
613
It has occurred to me that perhaps he would prefer to be impeached rather than have Mueller published his findings??
1
'Newly emboldened, Trump...' has never been bold and brave enough to tell Putin what he really feels beyond envious admiration and affection.
3
He's guilty of money laundering for the Russian oligarchs, and he's also in debt to them. This time he can't use bankruptcy to walk away because he's dealing with Russian mobsters. He must be terrified.
I imagine the assassination attempt in England really scares him.
1
"described (Trump) as newly emboldened to say what he really feels and to ignore the cautions of those around him"
What a great frame of mind to bring into the upcoming meeting with Kim Jong-un.
Anyone remember how to spell "Duck and Cover"?
198
To Max Dither:
Unfortunately, I not only know how to spell "duck and cover" but I vividly remember the routine drills we had in elementary school. The major difference was we were practicing to protect us from nuclear attacks by our Communist enemies .
Then again, maybe there isn't that much difference, except now we are not fighting against outside enemies, our danger comes from within our own government. Duck and cover everyone, and get this man out of the presidency ASAP.
1
The silence of the Republicans in Congress graphically underlines their overwhelming greed for power, their support for the 1% like the Koch's and the Mercer's and their total disregard for the every day US citizens' interests. How outrageous does this have to get before the voters who support this psychologically impaired so called president open their eyes? You are witnessing the greatest example of democracy failing in US history. What is it that makes these voters such willing dupes? Please let us hear from some psychologists and psychiatrists to get a handle on exactly what is happening. Please answer this post.
9
I feel like we’re asking all the wrong questions here.
Why does Donald Trump suddenly feel like he has nothing to lose now? What happened this past week that makes him convinced that he either can’t win... or can’t lose?
Why are Republicans acting like the 2018 midterms don’t matter? Yes, there is some talk from centrist Republicans on moderate media about “The Blue Wave”, but in general, the GOP acts like it just does not care. Why are they also acting like they can’t win... or maybe can’t lose?
What does the White House know that we don’t? Most importantly, is that connected to the re-election of Vladimir Putin this week?
12
Let him stride forward, chin tilted upward, a devil may care smirk upon his shining face. Let him fire everyone who doesn't reflect his magnificence back to him.
How long is that going to last considering he can't fire the American people? They still have the power as they are beginning to realize.
His days are numbered now, his demise hastened by every confident step he takes.
I do, though, have the sneaking suspicion, when all is said and done, Trump will walk away from it all, go home, wherever that will be, look in the mirror and see his magnificence reflected back to him, same as it ever was.
9
As Trump becomes more "confident", it appears that most of the people around him and certainly anyone paying attention to his hyperbolic and mendacious tweets is less confident that this president is capable of doing his job, particularly if relying only on his craven and desperate instincts.
257
Anything you tweet can and will be used against you in a court of law.
6
Then we'll be spending the next six to nine months arguing whether it was him who actually sent the tweet....remember Cohn enforced the deny, deny, deny mantra.
1
I believe there are republicans in congress who absolutely hate Trump, and I believe they are sharpening their daggers, ready to pounce as soon as Donald shows his back.
2
I believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and Unicorns.
When you are an American citizen and the President of the United States presents you as a threat to the United States with his "newly emboldened" tweets is the President threatening these people? Do citizens deserve police protection from the President's wrath? If this wrath results in violence against any of these people is the President culpable? No one is allowed to scream fire in a crowded theater so is the President allowed to target citizens for doing their job and potentially set them up as targets for violence? This President has a history of encouraging violence against people ("punch him in the nose") and inciting people to act violently. Has the President gone beyond free speech to openly threatening citizens and do we owe citizens protection from the President's newly emboldened behavior?
5
Sure hope Mr. Graham is right, that if the abusive demeanor of a runaway president, suspected of graft, ends in firing Mr Mueller, it may be the demise of Trump's despotic presidency. When a bully (a coward in disguise) feels too confident he has full control of all branches of government (by cowing and insulting everybody and firing them at will), the current disarray will only get worse, the trust in our institutions will falter, and the rule of law trampled by muzzling a free press, essential in any democracy worth it's name. This ugly beast must be stopped, and justice restored. That's why protecting the job of Mueller is so important. So, republicans, do your job, legislate, and protect the constitution by harnessing the abuse of power being unleashed by a dangerous, highly ignorant and arrogant demagogue in the Oval Office.
4
At least the power he holds cannot corrupt him any further. Right? Right?
2
Trump has always ‘said what he really feels and ignored any cautions,’ because he can, and since it suits his one and only tactic toward getting what he wants. He is truly the spoiled little brat who grew up to be the spoiled big brat, and he has carried his life lessons from his terrible twos all the way to present day. Break something, complain bitterly about how it someone else’s fault, have staff clean it up, and finally claim credit for doing so, resolving the problem of his own creation. He exhibits the same pattern of behavior, again and again.
Even now as we wrestle with the implications of the likely pending Mueller dismissal, he is doing it again, or at least he is trying. He created this crisis through his own lack of integrity and failure to adhere to any standard of ethical conduct, and of course is dealing with it the same way he has successfully managed crisis his entire life: blame someone else, throw a little gratuitous bullying in for good measure, have his goons take care of it, and finally claim he has fixed the problem as only he can, producing “a great day for Democracy.”
He doesn’t need advisors bothering him with “warnings about the consequences of his actions, and mostly control his public behavior.” That goes directly against what has always worked for him, it goes against his basic big-brat con. He makes a mess, obfuscates the evidence of doing so, and then loudly claims credit for any return, the ‘bounce,’ back to normalcy; this is his M.O.
6
Deeper and deeper he doth descend...
6
Trump has always been what you describe as bold and what I'd describe as reckless and vindictive and calculating. The man has no personal filter between brain and mouth. He is currently employing the chaos strategy which has worked for him in the past. Create such tremendous divergences that one can barely follow all the threads. I think he's amoral but I now don't think he's stupid. He is, however, stranded in patterns that have worked for him before. No matter what happens I don't believe there will be peace at the end of his reign. I think the Trump-ettes will create havoc if he indicted and they have shown themselves capable of violence. If he fires Mueller many of us will march and complain but I truly believe we are powerless at this point. The Republican congress wants their perks, their rules, their amendments, and to continue sucking the country dry and then finding the next lucrative thing while we, depleted as we are with the new deficit, will pay their health insurance while we can't pay for our own. By the time the Trump-ettes discover they have been taken (and will not want to admit it because it is Hillary's fault) it will be too late.
13
At the end of the day this is a country of laws and no one is above the law, including Trump.
2
I wish you were right, but Trump has already committed sedition. He invited Russia to hack Hillary in front of the American public. He has sexually assaulted women, he acknowledges with pride lying to foreign governments....nothing has happened even those these are illegal acts. As long as the Republicans own congress nothing will happen and even if the Dems get it back he will go free.
2
Maybe this is good. When he reaches the outer edges of his instincts there will be basis for impeachment.
360
Not before he gets a chance to try his 'fireworks' : nuclear weapons which whose use he so wants to render banal.....
2
There already are bases for impeachment, but the Rs in Congress are too weak and compliant.
4
All Congress has to do is ask him a few questions under oath and they will have far more reasons to impeach him that they did Clinton. The reason they don't impeach him is that they are hoping they can proceed with their Dominionist agenda.
1
"Newly emboldened?" Was he being reticent before? No, he's just getting louder and more obnoxious which is what anyone should expect after the EC put a Reality TV personality (who failed to win a coveted award) into the White House to pretend to run the country.
566
+1. Does anyone actually read these headlines before throwing them up there? He has been bold and uncontrolled by his advisors from day one. How do we know this? From reading this paper. It's what you've been reporting all along. And then there's this sentence: "...self-confidence has led to a series of surprising comments and actions..." You could have written that sentence on any day of Trump's presidency. The press is getting lazier and the the country is suffering for it.
3
Actually, the voting public put him in the Presidency. The Electoral College is part of the predetermined rules of the election. Unless you are advocating changing the election rules after the votes are in to suit your idea of who should have won.
1
What if the disparity between the popular vote and the electoral vote was 30 million instead of 3 million? What if this disparity favored Hilliary Clinton? Should we, and you, just suck it in?
2
Emboldened? Trump has verbal dysentery. Surely, Trump has met the threshold for evidence of obstruction of justice by now? In addition to the firing of Comey and McCabe, every one of his tweets is evidence of obstruction. Perhaps Mr. Mueller already has sealed indictments for Trump?
When Robert Mueller indicts publicly, it will be as ex-CIA chief John O. Brennan says,
"When the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption becomes known, you will take your rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history. You may scapegoat Andy McCabe, but you will not destroy America...America will triumph over you.
8
Why isn’t Pres Trump’s Twitter account suspended as a nasty bully? Doesn’t Twitter have policies about such things?
10
What he really, really feels. Probably not.
4
He is a crude, stupid and vulgar person. He is the 3rd grade loser desperate for attention. He cares for himself only, his phony (Russian-propped up) "fortune", getting his name plastered on 3rd World buildings, and ignoring our laws with the approval of the GOP-controlled Congress. He is an infestation.
22
And go! The man can't control himself and will be his own end. The country will suffer much more before he's gone but he will be gone and most likely by his own cluelessness--an errant tweet, a new affair (we haven't talked about Stormy all weekend, Melania must be enjoying the reprieve), a wild presser--something will crack and he will fall of the wall.
4
It's clear that appeals to patriotism fall on deaf ears in the GOP, so let's try self-interest instead.
An unbridled Trump will sink the Republican brand for generations. Wake up, GOP. Wake up, Congress.
10
After Nixon, the headlines were- Is the Republican Party dead?
6 years afterward, Reagan and Bush were elected/coronated for 12 years.
A majority of America likes top down capitalism, frequent war, and truly dislikes its minorities, let us agree.
3
Does the term “loose cannon” come to mind?
2
Why would anyone be surprised by Trump’s behavior? This is how he operated in his business dealings for years. He thinks he knows more than anyone else. And, remember, his mentor was Roy Cohn.
9
The walls are closing in. The criminal white collar narcissist's modus operandi is that their actions will get uglier and uglier as their avenues of escape narrow. But, they won't give up. They are relentless. We have only just begun.
It plays out everyday in Federal courtrooms across the country with these sociopaths. It's only over when they are completely wrestled down and pinned to the ground. But most white collar criminal narcissist's don't have the ability to try and fire their prosecutors. They don't have the pardon power. Most importantly, they don't have a complicit jury like the Republican congress.
Vote in November. It is the only answer.
8
Yes speak your mind. This brings to mind the “Tower Of Babel”
2
Trump's arrogance, continued lies, inability to work with anyone other than clowns or sycophants, and his escalating threats belie his fleeting sense that the large footprint of truth, integrity and justice is encroaching and will soon prevail. Should be the case that you and your blind evangelical base heed the words of John - " John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Doubt it will do much for you - truth has never existed in your world.
11
Really, now he’s emboldened?
So what was it when he defended white supremacists in Charlottesville, backed Roy Moore, praised Bill O’Reilly upon learning that he and Fox paid out millions to settle sexual harassment claims, and his lying on a daily basis?
I guess it’s healthy for him to finally express how he really feels.
15
The NY Times along with all media are left to cover this "corner drunk", ie the harassing wino Trump on the corner you want to avoid but sometimes can't or the boss suffering from "managerial psychosis" that you have to deal with.
I don't envy you in this position.
I believe in the equality theory of life ie for every bad you get you will get a good.
Maybe your next assignment will be to cover a budding Lincoln.
4
Keep going, Mister POTUS. Keep developing that arrogant “self-confidence” your minions think you are developing. Keep trusting only your instincts; they worked so well on your businesses, haven’t they?
Soon enough, the now-gutless Republicans in Congress will be forced to deal with obstruction of justice and fire up their loins or lose their own jobs. Guess which one they will pick?
8
Hurray. Trump now telling us how he REALLY feels. All of it mental flotsam and jetsam, then and now. Do we really expect anything less than this shipwreck of a president? All I can say is S.O.S.
7
Trump never feels anything but himself.
Isn't that rather self-effident?
2
Donald Trump is a fish with a bicycle. #FakePresident. #RemoveHim. Would you let your five year old play with a loaded hand gun? Why would you have D. Trump in the office of the President?
8
In Trump's sick mind he is setting the stage by firing anyone who would
resign in protest when he fires, in rapid succession, Jeff Sessions, Rod Rosenstein, and then the whoever else is left at Justice before someone above the rank of Janitor then fires Mueller. That is why he got rid of Tillerson and Cohn. McMaster is next, probably to be replaced by Dr. Strangelove or John Bolton. Kelly has some integrity left so he will be gone as well. Voss is too stupid and Mnuchin still likes to see his signature on the currency. Trump is probably grooming his Special Envoy, Ivanka, for when Nikki Haley decides she has seen enough. The rest of the "dear leader" cabinet will stick around hoping to be promoted. What do you think of the sleeping brain surgeon, Ben Carson as Chief of Staff?
7
While watching the Titanic go down, the Republican Congress is complicit by sitting on their hands.
Do you hear that gurgling sound?
That's America going down the drain.
http://www.nytimes.com/content/help/site/usercontent/usercontent.html
23
Trump is right! If one compares crookedness; Hillary is a loser......
compared to Trump, no contest. Lock HIM up!
Hillary was so correct when she said Trump is tempermentally unfit
to be President.
This is truly worse than anyone could imagine.
It is now in the hands of “we the people”
VOTE
16
No, Trump has always been this way.
Trump is an ego-maniac and a narcissist, and among the issues with people of that ilk, he has always believed there is no one as smart or as instinctive or as clever as he is. Nothing about him has changed except this -- and this is, as Trump would say, "big,": as President of the United States, he is hell-bent on destroying the independence of federal law enforcement and the entire judicial branch in order to protect himself from legal liabilities that could destroy his Presidency.
That is the definition of a Constitutional crisis not faced since Watergate, and it is of consummate importance that citizens, voters, and elected officials do everything in their power to stop him in his tracks.
The Times and other media have done yeoman's work in explaining Trump's out-of-control personality. But too often, journalists pull their punches in the news columns by writing articles, like this one, that comes close to, but doesn't fully explain what is obvious to everyone paying attention. Trump will stop at nothing, nothing, to avoid being exposed to civil or criminal actions. A narcissist will never accept the fact that he/she did something wrong, which is truly a dangerous trait for someone in high office.
Our nation is at risk.
55
So the horrible, disgusting, insulting and boorish president we had for one years was just the watered down version. Now we get the real thing, full force.
His approval rating just jumped up four points to 43%. This is what Trump supporters want. They want all of Trump.
Who needs finesse, class, comportment and high culture? Who needs dignity, grace, and elegance? Who needs integrity, honesty and character? Certainly not the 43% of America who approve of Trump.
Yes we are divided. But this is a division we should not cross. There is no place in civilized society for behavior like Trump's. This is not an elitist versus commoner division. It is a decency versus abhorrent division. Whatever Hillary is or is not, does not justify supporting this hollowed out shell of a man. But that is the excuse they keep making. Or were they all bought off with a $15/week tax cut?
108
November can't come soon enough. It's becoming more clear every day that the voters are this nation's true last line of defense. If the Republican "leadership" -- a test of they are failing badly -- won't stand up for the nation's principles now, it's apparent that even if Mueller finds grounds to indict Trump for treason, it's unlikely they'll follow through then. It is November that will tell us if this constitutional order has a future or if, sadly, it's time for us to seriously consider becoming emigrants ourselves.
92
If we do not stop/stymie Trump by a tsunami blue wave, I am leaving. I will not live in a country that does not reject Trump. The thought of leaving at age 66 and alone really doesn't thrill me. It scares me, honestly. But I will not live here.
4
Sophia, just move a bit north, nothing to be scared of here..........Rod.
2
“This could be the manifestation of growing confidence,” said Roger J. Stone Jr., one of the president’s oldest confidantes.
***
“This could be the manifestation of growing panic,” said everyone else.
297
When is Stone going to be indicted? He ought to be.
1
Roger Stone admitted being the back channel to WikiLeaks in an interview with the Miami Herald Oct 16, 2016.
Our intelligence agencies have said publicly that WikiLeaks is witting or unwitting the conduit for Russian agitprop.
1
Roger Stone, such a credible guy.
What we always knew about Donald....he is (among many things) an insecure, childish bully.
Don't react to his words only his deeds, keep him in isolation as much as possible to limit the damage...and, be ready to take him down when he makes a terrible mistake. It is coming. He simply can't help himself.
76
A 3-ring circus ia a bore compared to how this administration is performing.
Whoever taught that person in the White House how to tweet should be fired.
Enough with "Crooked Hillary", we now have "Lying Donald". For someone who claims to be innocent of several issues, he sure doth protest way too much.
He still can't understand the job and continues to treat it as a reality show. Haven't we had enough.
57
Yes, I've had enough. I am voting totally blue and will do my part to be a significant vote to begin Trump's Lame Duck Presidency.
3
The Republicans in Congress must face this Presidential problem. Ego. Hubris. Greek tragedy. Deus ex machina. Who’s there to help rewrite this nightmare before it plays out ? 3 more years ?? 4 after that ??
28
My only question is "Will the President be impeached before the start of Presidential primaries or after"?
37
Enough with the symptoms, Ms. Haberman! Address malignant narcissism personality disorder, an incurable mental illness, and why it is dangerous to all of us.
90
Yes. PLEASE write an article about malignant narcissism so that everyone can see why this monster must be stopped before it is too late.
7
Now he is "emboldened"? To do what? From what he displays is a scared man that knows he is guilty of at the very least financial scams and being an adulterer. He has many covering for him whether they are paid to or because they need to for their own advancement. Perhaps he is playing this as his end game to fire Mueller knowing the consequences of that action. Maybe make a spectacle of resigning. I just keep hoping for "breaking news" that Mueller has completed the investigation with an arrest/indictment of trump along with those that have covered up for him. Oh what a joyous day that will be.
18
It has been 33 months since Trump descended on the escalator and plunged our country, (and dragging the rest of the world with it) into a sort of Alice Through the Looking Glass world where left is right, up is down, etc. And now is the first time he seems to be "relaxed" in his made for TV/Twitter role as the president? So much has been written, opined, hashed out day after day about this horrific person, perhaps the most narcissistic, needy, bordering on maniacal, person to ever sit in the Oval Office. Thankfully the Times and other learned publications, be they solely in print or in the Web, continue the daily task of exposing this charlatan, this con man, this destroyer of human decency. Each day he sinks to a new, unheard of low, this weekend firing a man two days before his govt. pension would kick in. And Trump relishes in the evil, the abject bullying of others. And Lindsey Graham thinks the upcoming firing of Messr. Mueller will be the beginning of the end? He thinks his abject, craven, cowardly Republican buddies will do anything about it with the Kochs, the Mercers gleefully counting their new tax theft windfalls? We have to get out the vote in November and begin the process of ending this Republican destruction of our democracy.
188
If all that you say is correct - and it is - why should we have to wait for November? Something is wrong.
The Republicans will never allow themselves to be voted out of power. Isn't it much more likely they have a November surprise?
Hard-core Republicans own the voting machine companies, and the courts, and the guns.
7
Not all the guns
2
Marty….there should be 1000's of thumbs up for your comment.I agree with you 100% and you have,for the moment,made me feel I haven't lost my mind.
thank you
It’s time for us voters to tell Trump how we really feel. It’s not just a one way street where all that matters is his mouth, instincts and ego. He was elected illegally and doesn’t represent America. He was elected largely because of a partnership with foreign intelligence services that were able to manipulate the social media giants that Obama created with his coziness to these firms. It’s up to the American people to shut his mouth, at least when speaking on our behalf. Trumps time as big mouth, bully in chief is running out. November can’t come soon enough.
10
This article depicts a West Wing constructed by Chief of John Staff John Kelly to keep caged up some feral beast that, allowed free rein, would wreak havoc upon its inhabitants. I certainly realize that the Republicans--on and off The Hill--see this reckless behavior as a manifestation of Donald Trump's inner demons. We may never know what inner fires are banked there but they have no place in an erratic president.
For some absurd reason, those who defend and protect the "president" interpret his unorthodox presidency as something that "real America" has been thirsting for since, well, "the good old days." What his handlers and admirers do not understand is the lasting harm that this broken-through-the-guardrails administration is effecting upon not only this country but our allies.
Robert Mueller III is the president's complete opposite in every way. He is measured, not spontaneous. He is prepared, not scattershot. He is meticulous, not sloppy. He is interested in facts, not rumors. He keeps his own counsel (please pardon the unintentional pun) instead of tweeting every morning about whatever's bothering him. He works quietly and out of the public view, not in a splashy and unbecoming way.
Recent polling puts Donald Trump at 85% approval among Republicans. What that says about the state of our nation speaks volumes about where we once were, where we are, and to possibly where we're headed.
A caged monster is still a menace. On freed from all restraints is lethal.
93
“Me, myself, and I are so in love with me....” is not what I call self confidence. A narcissistic, ego-centric, maniacally driven sick individual, who almost half of America voted for.
31
The suggestion in this article that Trump somehow has been more reserved and that his behavior has been tempered by others over the past 15 months is an absolute joke. Poor analysis.
11
As they grow more confident with their power, autocrats begin to ignore the advice of their aides and generals. Thus begins downfall.
39
Trump has redefined the term "Bully Pulpit"...or might I say totally doesn't understand the subtlety and nuance of the designation. Bullies are like that. If he weren't president, and our personal and national safety weren't compromised by his psychological issues, one could almost feel sorry for him as most bullies are tortured by feelings of inadequacy. But he is president, and for some reason, his entourage in Congress, while mostly not being proactive, are still basking in what they perceive as his power in the playground. Time for some adults to step forward. None are in his administration, so we can only hope the Mueller investigation survives.
5
This is not the first "beginning of the end." Senator Graham's recent prognostications amount to wishful thinking.
3
Trump got caught making up a story about Canada. Is he ashamed by that? No. It's reported here that he doubled-down on it and "bragged about making up an assertion in a conversation with the leader of a close ally, Canada"
To me this is probably the most disturbing aspect of this story and one that echos the famous line that he could shoot someone on 5th Ave and get away with it. He believes he can do anything, get away with anything, and is accountable to no one.
Such a lack of accountability does not fit with the Constitution and laws and traditions. That is the attitude of a strongman dictator. And no I don't believe it is over dramatic to say so. He is accustomed to be being the autocratic boss and that is what he is retreating to, that it all that he knows. That is why he has referred to presidential "rule".
122
The lies to Trudeau are telling. How many world leaders will believe him next time he says anything to them?
6
“This could be the manifestation of growing confidence,” said Roger J. Stone Jr., one of the president’s oldest confidantes.
Or, this could be the manifestation of growing megalomania, self destruction and insanity.
9
What we are witnessing is not a “newly emboldened” Trump but, rather, a newly desperate Trump. He is like a cornered animal that lashes out every time Mueller and his team of untouchables get closer to the truth of his disorganized crime syndicate masquerading as a presidential administration. Trump’s is simply a noisier version of the Thoureauvian quiet desperation that most men lead because it’s driven by such corruption and venality. His every action, from refusing to disclose his tax returns and obstructing justice to coddling Putin and protesting too much, discloses a man who has been caught with his hand in more than the cookie jar. Guilty is as guilty does or, as Michelle Obama said, the presidency doesn’t change character, it reveals it.
136
This new level of grandiosity, hubris, and arrogance was predicted in the book "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump". Trump is decompensating under the stress of the Mueller probe which is tipping him further out of reality. I believe the country is in grave danger. I despair that the GOP is doing nothing to stop this assault on our democracy and our standing in the world. It is utterly surreal that this monstrous man is running his own reality show without any constraint by the only people who can stop him.
32
Lindsey Graham was perceptive enough to state duiring the campaign : "If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed ... and we will deserve it"
Now, oddly enough, he has vapors every once in a while now but never faints ...
17
An impulsive, egocentric President set loose without any adults around to check his uneducated and vindictive instincts? Sounds like the makings of a B movie. Unfortunately, it's our reality for the foreseeable future. As Comrade Trump becomes even more comfortable in his role as President, things will only get worse. We need more Republicans like Graham and Flake to call out his reckless behavior!
4
I keep saying the same thing, I'm sorry, but I can't help it. The man is an utter fool. He doesn't know what he doesn't know, but he also doesn't care. He has a tiny narrow view of life and America because he is a tiny narrow man.
Trump being Trump is a recipe for American disaster. Welcome to the new Chinese world, where they know about self-discipline and strategic waiting.
10
The day will come when we say: "You are fired!"
8
I blame, first, the members of the Electoral College, who failed to understand and appreciate their function in this representative democracy and whose failure has placed the United States in this untenable position, a petty, willfully ignorant, lawless bloviator at the head of the executive branch. The judicial branch has slapped Trump down multiple times, but the time is fast approaching where the legislative branch had better put up - especially if its members wish to continue in their present positions.
26
He certainly has made me more comfortable with his presidency now that he is getting to feel more at ease in Washington. What could possibly go wrong now?
7
Many factors have combined to keep the president in hiding at the White House, too innumerable to mention, but here's a brief checklist. Among them is his ignorance and lack of preparation for his office, his scandals that have overwhelmed him and his administration, a disapproval rating that plummets every week, poor personnel decisions, firestorms that surround his policy and diplomatic announcements, his unsuccessful campaigning to help embattled Republicans running for office, and, of course, the Robert Mueller investigation. Maybe this president knows shame after all.
Always opinionated and offensive, it's as if the president dares his detractors to do anything about his outrages and political stumbles as he careens from day to day, oblivious to the harm he has done to the country.
It remains to be seen if the president will cross Lindsey Graham's red line and fire Mueller or if Congressional Republicans would back Graham up in a Constitutional crisis. And as for not needing the expertise of his closest aides, the president made that clear at his convention in 2016 when he proclaimed, "I alone can fix it".
9
He barreled ahead with a plan to meet with the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un, to the dismay of what is left of the diplomatic corps.
1
Ms. Haberman has provided a textbook case of the Dunning Kruger effect a cognitive bias wherein a person of inferior ability suffer from illusory superiority. Trump doesn’t know, that he doesn’t know, in fact Trump can never know that he out of his depth.
Trump’s current iteration of this effect has relieved him of his anxiety about his own fitness for his job. He has embraced the idea that he is President and does not need any help. God help us all. Trump’s hubris includes the execution of drug dealers, trade war, making a deal with North Korea, and firing Mueller.
Great reporting Ms. Haberman.
8
... and anything you say (tweet) can be used against you in a court of law.
This is just making Mueller’s job easier and easier by the day and DJT simply is not smart enough to know it.
4
There is nothing more destructive to Trump than his own words.
Encourage him to speak, Mueller is listening too.
7
The general opinion of Mueller is that he is a by-the-book kind of guy; he isn't going to do anything for show or impact...
I know that he's a Marine, and I've seen accounts of some of the stuff he's gone through -- I can tell you one thing for sure, he's more of a Marine than a lawyer or an FBI agent. Mueller realizes what the stakes are here; all the treasonous intent and behavior and arrogance, brazenness and sheer idiocy of it all must make his blood boil at night.
One way or another, Trump, he is coming.
7
As much as I dislike Trump, and almost all of his policy decisions, the pressure from the Russia investigation investigation, and the political crisis that will ensue from its expansion, is probably counterproductive for the democrats and the nation as a whole. The impeachment of President Trump sounds sweet in principal but President Pence would leave a very bitter aftertaste, leaving us no better off than where we began. The democrats have more to gain manipulating the narrative than trying to destroy it, and their focus should be swing voters whose sentiments will impacted by Trump's own self-destructive tendency. No one likes to hear we told you so, or get preached to, especially Trump's base, so the best thing to do is let Trump bring down Trump and be ready with a solid alternative candidate when he does so.
7
Now that Americans have had a chance to reacquaint themselves with the America we thought we had left behind us in the middle of the last century, perhaps we are ready, at last, to behold, for better or worse, the Donald Unbound.
No more window dressing and political posturing to hide the Donald's Defects. Let him rip and see what happens. All he has to do is solve the Korea problem and hope his tariffs don't do what tariffs have historically done, foment destructive trade wars. If he's lucky he's golden. If he's not, he's toast in '20.
2
After all, look what he's done for the city of Chicago ("this American carnage ends right here, right now") or Puerto Rico or the Las Vegas and Parkland shooting victims (not to mention the 30,000+ who die yearly by gun violence), the coal miners who are waiting to return to work, the veterans who did not seek deferments, national monuments that may or may not contain oil/mineral reserves, the court system, and the diplomatic corps.
3
As the Meuller investigation closes in and the people who Trump either trusted or who offered constructive council depart, the Trumpian id will grow stronger and stronger. with each passing day We all know the maxim about absolute power and its corrupting influence. I would add that the mere perception of unchallengeable power leads to recklessness, and that recklessness on the part of a President may lead to disaster for us all.
5
This president reminds me of the monster in the Never ending Story. It feeds and grows on darkness and chaos infecting everything it touches, but he unfortunately is the symptom of our national discourse not the cause.
Fake outrage from republicans about a red line when firing Mueller will not stop him, he will do it and the goal posts of outrage will just move, like they have every week since his candidacy until there is nothing left but shoot someone on fifth avenue, and the pundits will find a way of justifying it.
But there is light, and after over a year we are starting to see the sun shine through the clouds, women, minorities and disengaged voters, coming out in record numbers, participating and running for office, young people protesting against the “better judgment” of the adults.
The only way to really defeat the Donald et al, is showing them they work for us, and that we the people will give them a lesson on the power of democracy when we show up to say. “You’re fired”.
34
My fear is that the Russians won't let Trump be defeated.
But they don't work for us - to think they do is naive.
In the real world those in power always have their way with us. When they have a war, we go. When they manipulate the news cycle, we believe. When they give themselves tax breaks, we pay.
And they can discard the vote by using laws against us or suspend elections or nullify results with a fake pretext. The reality is they can lock us up if we get too full of ourselves and step out of line. Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun and they own the guns.
3
This period will long be remembered as a low point in our history, as Americans ask, Why didn't more speak out? Why did most Republicans act as if everything was normal? Were they really for sale?
118
Yes, they are really for sale.
6
Yes they are for sale! isn't that obvious at this point?
6
Unbound Trump spent the weekend gloating over forcing Sessions to fire Andrew McCabe just hours before his pension -- earned through 20 years of impeccable service to this country-- was due to vest, and before McCabe could exercise his rights to due process within the FBI. In doing so, Trump forced Sessions to violate his promise to recuse himself from all things Russia, since McCabe is a key fact witness in Trump's firing of Comey for not killing the Russia investigation. Now that Sessions has knuckled under to Mafia Don's pressure once, he's more likely to do it again and fire Mueller. If so it's a huge crisis moment for our democratic way of life.
27
I feel very sorry for Mr. McCabe. Another example of strange policy in the U.S. Why twenty years before his pension is vested? I worked in the public sector in Canada and my pension was vested at ten years.
2
But, but. but... Socialism!
In other words, for over a year the Republican party has been telling the rest of us, don't worry, he's learning the ropes, he'll become a great leader, he has great, independent staff.
And Trump has decided he doesn't need independent staff, or maybe any consistent staff, and is NOW going to say whatever he wants. Like the constant oddball tweets and performances for nearly two years have been him restraining himself.
Should be an interesting summer, politically.
9
During the latter part of the 2016 campaign, when the possibility that Trump would win seemed more real, a thread of commentary emerged that ran more or less as follows: Trump as president will not be as scary as we might fear, because our system of 3-part government, as well as the presence of sensible people in the administration, will help to contain his worst excesses. Anyone else remember that? We see clearly that the legislative branch is currently no check on Trump, thanks to the craven and supine Republicans; we see daily Trump’s increasingly successful efforts to bend the Dept of Justice toward his own ends. And the people who were supposed to keep him in check? Now it emerges that Hope Hicks, of all people, has been a linchpin—and she is gone. If Ms Haberman is as accurate a Trump Whisperer as she seems to be, then the only hope left is that Trump Unbound will condemn himself more quickly and unequivocally than Somewhat-Contained Trump
37
"Trump says what he really feels".
What he said "before" was awful and beyond belief. And now it's going to get worse? How can it get worse? I guess I will do a Rip Van Winkle and sleep for the next 3 years. It's not good for my health.
11
The point that he rarely goes anyplace unless he is certain the environment is friendly is the key point. He gets his information from only one source, he talks to only people who agree with him. he goes places only where there are adoring crowds. The man is withdrawing, isolating himself. That kind of behavior is a one way ticket to crazyland.
46
Trump rallies could easily be mistaken for Jerry Springer shows.
6
When our President resorts to attacking Mueller and his investigation (possibly as a means to distract from the Stormy Daniels story, possibly because he had too much time alone in his mind, perhaps Sean Hannity told him he should...), I'd say that this has nothing to do with his being emboldened or a new found confidence because if Trump has been consistent in any way, it has been in the myriad of ways he is insecure. The only thing he should be feeling now is frightened that he is on the edge of losing his job whether he fires Mueller or not.
17
Heaven help us. It's not so much Trump's words that frighten me. It's his actions. Now that he feels "emboldened" I predict he will fire Mueller by the end of April.
3
Trump is embolden by the reelection of Putin, the lifetime reinstatement of Xi, and the chemical attacks in England. He sees the tide swinging to authoritarianism, and he want's to hop on board.
16
It's hard to view Trump as orbiting out of control, since he never had any that I could see. Most alarming in all of this is the replacement of very talented people such as Cohn with much less talented people such as Kudlow. If that continues, the American people will experience a world of financial and political hurt.
The recent special election in Pennsylvania should come as a warning to the Republican congress: as Trump's lack of self-control becomes more apparent, they stand to lose not only the House in the short term but the presidency in the somewhat longer term. But in the meantime, Trump's chaos will become America's, and that will a sore trial for our democracy.
14
Donald Trump won't admit that he has no legislative program. Donald Trump won't take advice. Donald Trump won't read. He's a bull in a china shop wreaking what may be irreparable damage to this country but he doesn't care because he's the president and nobody else is.
310
Donald Trump won't listen the to the daily security briefing let alone read it! He'd rather ignore/not bother with all intelligence reporting and just use his instinct?!
Perhaps he should just tell all of us to go back to building bomb shelters like in the 1950's he finds so "Great".
4
"That self-confidence has led to a series of surprising comments and actions that have pushed the Trump presidency in an ever more tumultuous direction."
If Trump felt muzzled and now feels free, God help us all. We've had to witness the unhinged words, actions, and tweets for over a year, and it that was Trump "bound," we all have reason to fear the unbound version.
I think the coming weeks will be telling, and portentous--some people are going to have to make some hard decisions, and I'm looking straight at you GOP senators.
Your silence speaks volumes; your inaction more eloquent than a book series. Just know this: you will be forever tainted by this president unless you start doing the work of checks and balances you are being paid by us, the taxpayers, to perform.
Trump has never been checked before, spending his entire business life acting on instinct, impulse, and emotions. Now, in political life, he's destroying norms because he can--nobody is stopping him.
Only the American people, through their elected officials, voting, and protests can stop this man. We're experiencing something never before seen in this country's history: when the unfit are also the unchecked.
We're either a nation of laws, or we aren't. Decision time is upon us.
682
I wish I could recommend this comment at least a dozen times!
8
When, exactly when didn't President Trump say exactly what he feels?
217
Exactly what I was wondering. One of the problems all along with Trump is that he says what he feels, without thinking, without empathy, and without a care about the damage he causes.
19
Or anything thoughtful or intelligent, for that matter?
13