Author: Heidi Tran

Posted on

The Trump White House: Fire and Fury, or Fired and Furious?

A new and provocative book by Michael Wolff, Fire and Fury: Inside Trump’s White House, is due out next week. Chronicling Donald Trump’s first year in the White House, the book’s content and expository style paint a vivid picture of a Trump Administration that is corrupt at worst, and inept and unequipped at best.

Wolff claims to have gathered much of the material in his book as a result of his access to former key figures in the Trump administration, most notably, former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon. Bannon had at one time been considered to be close to the President, but was ultimately pressured to leave his post. So far, Bannon has neither denied nor confirmed the damning commentary Wolff purports Bannon has made about the Trumps and the Administration.

Amid both the indignation (if you’re a Trump supporter) and the fascination (if you’re not a Trump supporter), lingers a question (speaking of former key staffers): Why has the Trump administration seen so many staff departures in such a short time?

The following White House staff have either resigned or been fired during the first year of the Trump presidency:

  • Sally Yates, then acting Attorney General (January 30, 2017)
  • Michael Flynn, National Security Advisor (February 13, 2017)
  • Angella Reid, Chief Usher (May 5, 2017)
  • James Comey, FBI Director (May 9, 2017)
  • Mike Dubke, Communications Director (May 18, 2017)
  • Walter Shaub, Director of Office of Government Ethics (July 6, 2017)
  • Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary (July 21, 2017)
  • Michael Short, Senior Assistant Press Secretary (July 25, 2017)
  • Reince Priebus, White House Chief of Staff (July 28, 2017)
  • Anthony Scaramucci, Communications Director (July 31, 2017)
  • Steve Bannon, Chief Strategist (August 18, 2017)
  • Sebastian Gorka, Counterterrorism Adviser (August 25, 2017)
  • Tom Price, Health and Human Services Secretary (September 29, 2017)
  • Dina Powell, Deputy National Security Advisor (December 8, 2017)
  • Omarosa Manigault Newman, White House Office of Public Liaison (December 13, 2017)

Some see the short tenure of so many White House staffers as an indicator of dysfunction within the Administration. Others consider it a sign that Trump himself simply made poor or uninformed choices.

Many staunch Trump supporters, such as former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci, who himself lasted in the Administration just 11 days, assert that the relatively large turnover of key staff is all in the day’s work of a tightly run business.

Credible or not, Fire and Fury has ignited many of the topics that are dominating current news and raising new questions about the health of the Trump White House, including speculation about Trump’s fitness for office; proclamations about the integrity of Steve Bannon, among others; more intense questions about collusion between Russia and the Trump family; and observations of infighting among Trump staffers.

It will be nearly impossible to “unsee” what we’ve now seen as a result of Wolff’s book, no matter what we believe about the Trump Administration or those who have surrounded him.

Scaramucci Defends Trump, Bashes Steve Bannon (Full Interview) | CNN [2017-01-04]

Steve Bannon Goes Rogue on the Trump White House  |  Fox News [2018-01-03]

Below is Sarah Sanders’ most recent White House press briefing, where she addresses questions related to content in Fire and Fury: Inside Trump’s White House.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders White House Press Briefing | Right Side Broadcasting Network [2017-01-03]

 

 

Posted on

What’s the Top Story of 2017?; Should Democrats Be Optimistic About the 2018 Mid-Term Elections?

The news stories of 2017 kept Americans on the edges of their seats, with constant twists, turns, and unexpected developments on the U.S. and world political fronts. One consequence is that Americans are heading into 2018 more politically polarized than ever. The two major American political parties are not only philosophically more distant from each other, but each of the parties is more deeply divided within itself.

Many started 2017 with a wait-and-see, win-some, lose-some attitude. Others felt particularly buoyed by the political wins, while still others saw them as a direct threat to freedoms, and possibly to the U.S. position in the world. As we head into 2018, though, we can all agree that our nation has never seen the likes of the roller coaster ride that was the 2017 political scene.

The Five Reflect on 2017  |  Fox News  [2017-12-31]

Morning Joe Looks to the Year Ahead | Morning Joe MSNBC [2018-01-01]

Should Democrats Be Optimistic about the 2018 Mid-term Elections?

In November of 2018, a total of 468 U.S. Congress seats (33 in the Senate and all 435 seats in the House) will be up for election. Thirty-four U.S. State Governor’s offices will be up for re-election in 2018, as well. This presents a huge opportunity for Democrats to regain ground and take the country in a new direction. Will 2018 see a “blue wave” in the political landscape?

Democrats, not unlike the GOP, are experiencing a divide within their party, though, and this could hurt them in 2018. Unity over what the party currently stands for may be the Democrats’ biggest hurdle in the 2018 elections.

Some see the passage of the GOP Tax Bill as a desperate act, and an indicator that Republicans are losing ground. Democrats, who loudly and unilaterally opposed the bill, could pick up support as a result. Others see the Tax Bill as a demonstration of GOP strength, and remain faithful that middle-class American voters will experience some of the promised tax relief, with renewed support for the Republican party.

Historically, midterm elections have rarely been good news for a sitting president and his party. Current polls indicate that 56 percent of American voters would be more likely to vote for a Democrat in the 2018 mid-term elections, and just 38 percent would rather vote for a Republican.

On the other hand, though President Trump’s approval rating hovers at around 35 percent, the economy is doing well, and the jobs outlook is good. In November, 2018, will Americans vote on the issues that are important to them, or will their vote be a statement for (or against) the President? Will it be more about loss of trust in the current administration, or more about renewed hope for what is possible for the future?

What does the political landscape look like in 2018? |  Face the Nation [2017-12-24]

Will Republicans Lose the House?  |  Fox Business [2017-12-26]

Proudly powered by WordPress