Trump stokes fears of how he'd handle real crisis

Source: Politico | May 13, 2017 | Edward-Isaac Dovere

After chaotic, self-inflicted week many fear chaos Trump can’t control.

So, what if there’s a real crisis?

A real war — not a war with the media, or James Comey. A real showdown — not a political showdown. A real surprise that’s out of the White House’s control — not a situation of President Donald Trump’s own making that spins out of control because the president and his inner circle sprung a decision on an unprepared staff. But what if there’s a real crisis?

Something, and likely more than one thing, is inevitable, because he’s the leader of the country and the free world, and something always does. And Trump’s behavior, chaotic management style and carefree careening through too many versions of what happened this week for any of them to have credibility has people throughout politics and national security terrified.

For all that’s happened in the 114 days of the Trump administration, nothing major has gone wrong, foreign or domestic. The president and his staff have scrapped through explosions of their own making, Twitter meltdowns included. But they don’t stack up to the BP oil spill, or the Sept. 11 attacks, or Katrina, or the Branch Davidians, or an Ebola outbreak, or an embassy bombing, or a hostage situation, or a combative nuclear test.

……

Kori Schake, a fellow at the Hoover Institute who served on the National Security Council and State Department under Bush, said she worries what might happen if, for example, Trump declared the need for a pre-emptive strike on North Korea.

“It’s going to be very hard for this president to line the country up in a crisis, because he himself is not reliably steady in how he is talking to the country,” Schake said. “This is the opportunity cost of the president’s reckless tweeting and creating a non-stop sense of melodrama about our domestic politics.”

……

Add to that the lack of structure. Four months in, Trump hasn’t named a director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Top positions throughout the Pentagon and State Department are empty, as is the case across the government.

After recalling all the Obama-era ambassadors, Trump has only one ambassador confirmed, and most not even nominated, including trying to send former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman to Moscow. White House aides told reporters at the beginning of March Huntsman had accepted, though no paperwork has been filed with the Senate.

Terry Branstad, who was formally nominated as ambassador to China hours after Trump’s inauguration, hasn’t moved forward with his confirmation hearings. And he’s still sitting in Iowa as governor.

Instead, Trump and his same small circle of largely inexperienced aides are running almost everything, on every governing and political issue coming their way.

…….

Tagged: 

Viewing 2 posts - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)
  • Discussion
  • Consistent May 13, 2017 at 6:55 pm #15773

    EVERYDAY May 13, 2017 at 9:11 pm #15775

    I have no confidence in Trump’s ability to lead even when there is no real crisis or catastrophe. He has no management skills. When confronted by any trouble, he turns to Twitter to rail against his enemies,real or imagined. Such behavior will not work in a real catastrophe.

    It is still unbelievable to me that voters chose such an incompetent for president. They were so dazzled by his celebrity and his promises that they never considered whether he would be able to lead.

Viewing 2 posts - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.