The Atlantic magazine has published a lengthy article detailing the difficulties facing Donald John Trump.
It goes through a lot of what many of us know already: his missteps, his hiring decisions, his carelessness with classified information and, of course, his international relationships.
Here’s the article:
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/all-the-kings-men/526980/
It paints a grim picture and suggests that Trump’s presidency is collapsing before our eyes.
Maybe it is. Maybe not.
The most interesting analysis in my mind, though, comes near the end. The Atlantic notes that as a private business executive, Trump could fire people at will; he was the CEO and no one would dare question his authority. As a candidate for the only public office he ever sought, the presidency, he could change the subject when he misspoke or — more likely — revealed some dark spot in his heart.
As president, though, he has nowhere to hide. He must stand front and center for every single thing he does or says.
And, yes, the media are there to watch, to listen and to report his dealings to the world. It’s what the media do.
The president no longer can get away with blaming “fake news” media reports. Every wound from which he suffers has been self-inflicted by someone whose business acumen simply doesn’t translate to political knowledge.