The Mueller investigation draws ever closer to the White House. Stormy Daniels threatens to release the sordid details of the president’s involvement in an extra-marital affair. The president’s personal lawyer is implicated in an illegal financial payoff to cover up the scandal. The president’s closest personal staffer and his chief economic advisor tender their resignations. Enraged by this tsunami of bad news, this transactional president does what he does best…proffers a series of press grabbing distractions to change the narrative. All for the purpose of improving his personal agenda; regardless of the negative impact on the country.
This is a pattern we have come to expect from this president. Whenever this dysfunctional White House finds itself facing uncomfortable inquires into its bad behavior, the president makes some sort of outlandish statement to change the narrative. From “Obama is tapping my wires” to banning transgender individuals from serving in the military to promising to take the heat for signing a comprehensive immigration bill to accusing Republicans of being afraid of the NRA; this president will say anything to rid himself of bad press.
Yesterday brought the most recent and perhaps most glaring example of this transactional president’s modus operandi.
The Stormy Daniels story will not go away. In spite of the president’s constant denials, this week brought new evidence that the president was involved in an extramarital affair with the porn star right about the time that his wife, Melania was giving birth to his son, Barron. Investigative reporters revealed that Ms. Daniels had filed a lawsuit claiming that the confidentiality agreement she had with the president to remain silent about the affair had been breeched by the president because: a.) the president’s lawyer had spoken publically about the payment made in return for her silence and 2.) because the president had not signed the agreement. As a result of these breeches by the president Ms. Daniels claims that she had the right to speak publically about the affair.
Ms. Daniels attachment of the confidentiality agreement as an addendum to the lawsuit laid waste to the president’s false pronouncement that Daniels was lying about the affair. As did the revelation that Trump’s lawyer had paid Daniels $130,000. Why enter into a confidentiality agreement with a women and pay her $130,000 for her silence if nothing happened?
Faced with the avalanche of bad press and the prospect that the Daniels scandal would end up on the front page of the New York Times; the president reverted to his modus operandi of choice…distraction.
First the president announced that he would be implementing tariffs on steel and aluminum. The engagement in a controversial trade war that, according to virtually every seasoned economist, would result in a negative downturn in the US economy. A announcement that would have grabbed the headlines if not for what came next.
Upon learning that the South Korean delegation was meeting in the White House, Trump burst into the meeting room and announced that he would meet with North Korean leadership without any pre-conditions. A bombshell foreign policy decision made without consultation with the state department, the defense department nor any of our allies in the region.
Game, set match. Distraction unveiled…Stormy Daniels pushed off the front page. Mission accomplished.
Donald Trump was elected president in part on the belief that he was a great deal maker. Since assuming the presidency Trump has proven to be anything but.
Trump promised to repeal and replace Obamacare. He failed. He promise to ban all Muslims from entering the country. He failed. He promised to build a wall on the southern boarder that would be paid for by Mexico. He failed. He promised to sign any bi-partisan immigration reform bill presented to him. He failed. Now we are to believe that this president is going to persuade the North Koreans to give up their nuclear program. A program the regime believes is the only thing keeping them from being removed from power by the west.
We can only hope the president’s efforts are successful. Diplomacy is always better than war. However given the president’s past it is difficult to look at recent events as anything but another shiny object offered by this president to distract from a tidal wave of bad press.
The president is playing a very dangerous game. He is placing a very risky wager to distract us from his personal difficulties. If he is successful in his negotiations with North Korea his efforts will be forever recoded in history. If he fails the only alternative is war…
…which would result in a catastrophic end for a catastrophic presidency.
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