Today in Trump

[Kirkland Laing]

“I Hate Everyone in the White House!”: Trump Seethes as Advisers Fear the President Is “Unraveling”


In recent days, I’ve spoken with a half dozen prominent Republicans and Trump advisers, and they all describe a White House in crisis as advisers struggle to contain a president that seems to be increasingly unfocused and consumed by dark moods.

At first it sounded like hyperbole, the escalation of a Twitter war. But now it’s clear that Bob Corker’s remarkable New York Times interview—in which the Republican senator described the White House as “adult day care” and warned Trump could start World War III—was an inflection point in the Trump presidency. It brought into the open what several people close to the president have recently told me in private: that Trump is “unstable,” “losing a step,” and “unraveling.”
The conversation among some of the president’s longtime confidantes, along with the character of some of the leaks emerging from the White House has shifted. There’s a new level of concern. NBC News published a report that Trump shocked his national security team when he called for a nearly tenfold increase in the country’s nuclear arsenal during a briefing this summer. One Trump adviser confirmed to me it was after this meeting disbanded that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called Trump a “moron.”
In recent days, I spoke with a half dozen prominent Republicans and Trump advisers, and they all describe a White House in crisis as advisers struggle to contain a president who seems to be increasingly unfocused and consumed by dark moods. Trump’s ire is being fueled by his stalled legislative agenda and, to a surprising degree, by his decision last month to back the losing candidate Luther Strange in the Alabama Republican primary. “Alabama was a huge blow to his psyche,” a person close to Trump said. “He saw the cult of personality was broken.”
According to two sources familiar with the conversation, Trump vented to his longtime security chief, Keith Schiller, “I hate everyone in the White House! There are a few exceptions, but I hate them!” (A White House official denies this.) Two senior Republican officials said Chief of Staff John Kelly is miserable in his job and is remaining out of a sense of duty to keep Trump from making some sort of disastrous decision. Today, speculation about Kelly’s future increased after Politico reported that Kelly’s deputy Kirstjen Nielsen is likely to be named Homeland Security Secretary—the theory among some Republicans is that Kelly wanted to give her a soft landing before his departure.

One former official even speculated that Kelly and Secretary of Defense James Mattis have discussed what they would do in the event Trump ordered a nuclear first strike. “Would they tackle him?” the person said. Even Trump’s most loyal backers are sowing public doubts. This morning, The Washington Post quoted longtime Trump friend Tom Barrack saying he has been “shocked” and “stunned” by Trump’s behavior...................

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017...house-advisers

We now have senior Republican senators saying publicly that Trump is an unstable toddler who might start WW3. It's really not looking very good, is it?

This thread can be an ongoing discussion of the failing Trump presidency. Next week we can have a look at the hilarious GOP tax plan that came out a week ago and the latest outbursts from the toddler.

[walrus]

“I Hate Everyone in the White House!”: Trump Seethes as Advisers Fear the President Is “Unraveling”


In recent days, I’ve spoken with a half dozen prominent Republicans and Trump advisers, and they all describe a White House in crisis as advisers struggle to contain a president that seems to be increasingly unfocused and consumed by dark moods.

At first it sounded like hyperbole, the escalation of a Twitter war. But now it’s clear that Bob Corker’s remarkable New York Times interview—in which the Republican senator described the White House as “adult day care” and warned Trump could start World War III—was an inflection point in the Trump presidency. It brought into the open what several people close to the president have recently told me in private: that Trump is “unstable,” “losing a step,” and “unraveling.”
The conversation among some of the president’s longtime confidantes, along with the character of some of the leaks emerging from the White House has shifted. There’s a new level of concern. NBC News published a report that Trump shocked his national security team when he called for a nearly tenfold increase in the country’s nuclear arsenal during a briefing this summer. One Trump adviser confirmed to me it was after this meeting disbanded that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called Trump a “moron.”
In recent days, I spoke with a half dozen prominent Republicans and Trump advisers, and they all describe a White House in crisis as advisers struggle to contain a president who seems to be increasingly unfocused and consumed by dark moods. Trump’s ire is being fueled by his stalled legislative agenda and, to a surprising degree, by his decision last month to back the losing candidate Luther Strange in the Alabama Republican primary. “Alabama was a huge blow to his psyche,” a person close to Trump said. “He saw the cult of personality was broken.”
According to two sources familiar with the conversation, Trump vented to his longtime security chief, Keith Schiller, “I hate everyone in the White House! There are a few exceptions, but I hate them!” (A White House official denies this.) Two senior Republican officials said Chief of Staff John Kelly is miserable in his job and is remaining out of a sense of duty to keep Trump from making some sort of disastrous decision. Today, speculation about Kelly’s future increased after Politico reported that Kelly’s deputy Kirstjen Nielsen is likely to be named Homeland Security Secretary—the theory among some Republicans is that Kelly wanted to give her a soft landing before his departure.

One former official even speculated that Kelly and Secretary of Defense James Mattis have discussed what they would do in the event Trump ordered a nuclear first strike. “Would they tackle him?” the person said. Even Trump’s most loyal backers are sowing public doubts. This morning, The Washington Post quoted longtime Trump friend Tom Barrack saying he has been “shocked” and “stunned” by Trump’s behavior...................

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017...house-advisers

We now have senior Republican senators saying publicly that Trump is an unstable toddler who might start WW3. It's really not looking very good, is it?

This thread can be an ongoing discussion of the failing Trump presidency. Next week we can have a look at the hilarious GOP tax plan that came out a week ago and the latest outbursts from the toddler.

Oh vanity fair so you know the shit they came out with before on trump. Judging him to be like Hitler's by the way his restaurant is decorated. Being such a liberal rag (good crime stories) I'm sure they have loads of reliable republican contacts or do they just talk to McCain when he is getting chemo and painkillers. Kirk you never cease to amaze me with your stupidity

[El Kabong]

....Oooooh boy, so what's the over under on when you ask the mods to move this thread to the hidden part of the board because your lil feelz get hurt because your lefties are getting slaughtered.


Trump was hurt by the Bama election?!?!?! Says who? He made a political move in supporting Strange to attempt to get Mitch McConnell to work with him which didn't work....Roy Moore is a truer Conservative/Right Wing candidate and not a Rhino.


"According to sources" = hearsay....and of course the bright young writers at Vanity Fair aren't biased at all


Prepare for 8 years Kirk

[GaMo]

The people of America will look back at Trump and regard him as one of the great presidents in future years.

[Master]

The people of America will look back at Trump and regard him as one of the great presidents in future years.

Just how they have done with Obama.

[GaMo]

The people of America will look back at Trump and regard him as one of the great presidents in future years.

Just how they have done with Obama.

Do they? Not sure what he achieved. I think he was just a kiss ass who was desperate for acceptance and cared too much about everyone liking him to make tough decisions

[El Kabong]

The people of America will look back at Trump and regard him as one of the great presidents in future years.

Just how they have done with Obama.

Media aside.....who is looking back like Obama was great?

[Beanz]

The Beloved leader and the Commie style dictatorship he is is intent on ushering in.


President Donald Trump today suggested that the Federal Communications Commission should challenge an NBC license because of "fake news."
"With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License? Bad for country!" Trump tweeted.



Threats from public officials to stifle protected speech can violate the First Amendment. Adam Steinbaugh, who previously practiced law and is now a writer and free speech advocate, pointed to a federal appeals court decision from 2003 that tackles this subject.
The court decision said:

[A] public-official defendant who threatens to employ coercive state power to stifle protected speech violates a plaintiff's First Amendment rights even if the public-official defendant lacks direct regulatory or decision-making authority over the plaintiff or a third party that facilitates the plaintiff's speech.

Trump's threat came shortly after he claimed an NBC news story about his nuclear ambitions is "pure fiction." NBC reported that Trump "said he wanted what amounted to a nearly tenfold increase in the US nuclear arsenal during a gathering this past summer of the nation's highest-ranking national security leaders."
The White House has previously confirmed that Trump's tweets are official statements from the president.
Trump also told reporters today that "it is frankly disgusting the way the press is able to write whatever they want to write." (Trump can blame the First Amendment for that.)
UPDATE: A few hours after this story published, Trump intensified his call for network licenses to be challenged and possibly revoked in a new tweet. "Network news has become so partisan, distorted and fake that licenses must be challenged and, if appropriate, revoked. Not fair to public!" Trump tweeted.
FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn also responded to Trump's call for challenging licenses, tweeting, "Revoking a broadcast license on such grounds will only happen if we fail to abide by the First Amendment." Clyburn and Rosenworcel are the only two Democrats on the commission


https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...c-off-the-air/

[walrus]

The Beloved leader and the Commie style dictatorship he is is intent on ushering in.


President Donald Trump today suggested that the Federal Communications Commission should challenge an NBC license because of "fake news."
"With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License? Bad for country!" Trump tweeted.



Threats from public officials to stifle protected speech can violate the First Amendment. Adam Steinbaugh, who previously practiced law and is now a writer and free speech advocate, pointed to a federal appeals court decision from 2003 that tackles this subject.
The court decision said:

[A] public-official defendant who threatens to employ coercive state power to stifle protected speech violates a plaintiff's First Amendment rights even if the public-official defendant lacks direct regulatory or decision-making authority over the plaintiff or a third party that facilitates the plaintiff's speech.

Trump's threat came shortly after he claimed an NBC news story about his nuclear ambitions is "pure fiction." NBC reported that Trump "said he wanted what amounted to a nearly tenfold increase in the US nuclear arsenal during a gathering this past summer of the nation's highest-ranking national security leaders."
The White House has previously confirmed that Trump's tweets are official statements from the president.
Trump also told reporters today that "it is frankly disgusting the way the press is able to write whatever they want to write." (Trump can blame the First Amendment for that.)
UPDATE: A few hours after this story published, Trump intensified his call for network licenses to be challenged and possibly revoked in a new tweet. "Network news has become so partisan, distorted and fake that licenses must be challenged and, if appropriate, revoked. Not fair to public!" Trump tweeted.
FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn also responded to Trump's call for challenging licenses, tweeting, "Revoking a broadcast license on such grounds will only happen if we fail to abide by the First Amendment." Clyburn and Rosenworcel are the only two Democrats on the commission


https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...c-off-the-air/

I like that let's shut down NBC they have been lying to the American people for years time to clean the airwaves. Can we take out the BBC while we are at it

[El Kabong]

Funny thing is how people have picked up the Constitution to defend NBC.


Oooooh not some old document written by evil white dudes now is it?

[Beanz]

Funny thing is how people have picked up the Constitution to defend NBC.


Oooooh not some old document written by evil white dudes now is it?

Nobody but you has said it was written by 'evil white dudes'. You just make stuff up El 'FAKE NEWS' Kabong.

[greynotsoold]

He is talking through my soap opera, right now!!! He must watch Days Of Our Lives.

[El Kabong]

He is talking through my soap opera, right now!!! He must watch Days Of Our Lives.

Let me tell you a thing or two about Stefano DeMira....bad guy, bad hombre, believe me

[Spicoli]

Free folk don't talk about banning a free press in a free Country. Probably just a shiny object to get the hamsters running on the wheel or just mad NBC butchered the Apprentice when he left after 14 yrs as star. Arnold Schwarzeneggar?

[Gandalf]

People are banned on Twitter for inciting violence and making threats. Yet nary a peep from them on the Trumpster. They do not apply their policies equally. Don't they see that shutting him up is a service to humanity?