Distraction, interdiction and contradiction are key elements of Trump’s political strategy, and each of them was in full force this past week.
Among his latest contradictions is the tweet that he didn’t fire former FBI Director James Comey because of the bureau’s investigation into possible Russian collusion in the last presidential election.
Along with a string of demeaning terms for Comey—“slimeball,” “slippery” and “leaker & liar,” Trump said that he was the “worst FBI Director in history.” This fusillade of disparagement comes in the wake of Comey’s tell-all book in which he wrote that Trump was “morally unfit to be president” and “untethered to truth.”
Any one of the terms cited to dismiss Comey applies equally well to Trump, and we can add a dictionary of more.
And speaking of contradictions, Trump has backpedaled on his plan to sign on to the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, one that he has waffled on since it was signed by President Obama.
Trying to get a bead on Trump’s next move is like watching a pinball machine in operation; there is no way to determine how he will react or respond to an issue, no matter its domestic or international consequence.
This is certainly a matter of concern when it was reported that Mike Pompeo, the CIA chief waiting to be confirmed secretary of state, made a secret visit to North Korea. In this run-up to the rumored meeting between Kim Jong-un and Trump, we are not sure how this will play out, or if Trump will decide at any moment to cancel it and back out.
Even if it occurs—and there appears to be a June date on the calendar—what can the world expect of this encounter between two mad men?
Both are full of bluster, monomaniacal tendencies and authoritarian hubris. As Comey wrote, Trump is “ego-driven” and this is sure to bump aggressively against the outlook of the North Korean dictator.
But the scheduled meeting with the North Korean leader is down the road. The people currently in the news cycle are Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels and Sean Hannity, all of whom are in a spotlight that could be devastating to Trump as special counsel Robert Mueller moves his investigation along.
Yes, we have witnessed Trump’s cards of distraction and his whole card may be one of interdiction and the firing of the special counsel, and that is one action that could spell the end of the dealmaker. Meanwhile, to Make America Great Again—Trump Must Go!