Before they quit, they whine, and Trump is doing a lot of whining lately. He apparently really believes no President has had to endure the kinds of attacks he’s getting. This makes him look small, and vulnerable. And that may be how he feels for the first time in his life.
When he spoke to Coast Guard Academy grads recently he stressed the necessity of never quitting, of carrying on. Quitting may have been on his mind. If there was a graceful way out, he might take it. He’s not having any fun, and this grates on him, I imagine.
It’s not going to get any better. As I blogged yesterday, Trump is doing big, important things on his first foreign trip. What he’s engaged in is more than just newsworthy, it’s a major development of American foreign policy. A functional Arab NATO might mean that we don’t ever have to fight in the Middle East again.
A big deal, right? No one’s interested. No one’s paying attention. Trump will get no respect, and no recognition. That’s not part of the narrative. And the story is set.
We’re watching the disintegration of a Presidency. That’s the movie. If everyone believes it’s true, it’s a self fulfilling prophecy, and Trump will be immobilized.
Only Trump can fix this, and he doesn’t seem so inclined. So he whines instead.
Ronald Reagan understood the importance of comportment. His every move in office, from day one, was done with the comportment of the President of the United States. He was playing a role, which is what successful Presidents do.
Tweeting is not the sort of comportment we expect from our President. As long as he tweets, Trump will not be Presidential, and he won’t be acknowledged as such, no matter what he does.
He’ll know it’s time to go when his fans desert him, and that could happen. If he doesn’t turn things around, it could happen soon.
If he did step down he could get whoever he wanted appointed as the new Vice President, to serve under President Pence. If he wanted Jared Kushner to get it, he’d get his way. In order to get Trump to resign, people would jump through hoops. Ivanka might like being married to the Vice President.
I imagine President Pence would listen very carefully to the former President’s advice, particularly in foreign policy. This is where Trump has a firm grasp on things. He could go on foreign missions on behalf of the President, representing his country as its former President.
And then Trump can go and have some fun.
reaganproject.com 