Donald Trump inserted himself in the 2018 elections, and he and his Republican party suffered mightily for his effort. And now our president is both moody and blue.

Democrats won 29 House seats and took control of the House, defended 23 or 24 Senate seats while losing only a net two seats, garnered an incredible plus 12 million votes for the Senate, a plus 7 percent of votes in U.S. House races, picked up seven governorships, six legislative chambers, and 300 state senate and house seats.

It was a disaster. And the President declared victory.

But privately, he was moody. Numerous reports from as many as 14 people close to the president found him, on his trip to France to honor WW I war dead, “brooding and petulant,” and, “mocked and condemned,” by his contemporaries.

On the flight to France, Trump insulted British Prime Minister Theresa May in a telephone conservation. Upon arrival, and before even departing Air Force One, Trump derided his host, Emmanuel Macron. Trump later cancelled a trip to honor the war dead because it rained, and instead watched Fox for hours as he stewed in his Ambassadors residency.

Back home, Trump personally insulted several reporters for asking questions he did not like and expressed resentment at news reports that cast his actions unfavorably.

The president was also suffering from the blues of the election results since zdemocratic control of the House will mean investigations of his administration and his tax returns. He also can expect more indictments from the Mueller investigations.

A former Trump aide, describing the Trump moody blues in the White House said, “It is like an episode of Maury (Povich, a TV show about family fights). The only thing missing is a paternity test.”

But this is not a president to rest upon his failures; he intends to add to them by subtracting from his staff and cabinet. Trump fired AG Jeff Sessions for behaving ethically, and replaced him, likely illegally, with the massively unqualified Matthew Whitaker.

Next up, directly from the Moody Blues top hit in 1964, “Go Now,” and quoting, “We’ve already said goodbye, you better go now,” are rumored to be Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen (possibly replaced by Kris Kobach of voter suppression fame), Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke (accused of swamp-like fame), U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley (resigned. Possible replacement Heather Nauert, ex Fox host), and John Kelly, White House Chief of Staff (to be replaced by some poor soul).

Topping the list of “you better go now” is the Melania Trump firing of National Security Deputy Advisor Mira Ricardel, transferred to no place with the First Lady acting like a member of the Clampett family, where the administration really is just a small family business. Mira made the fatal mistake of thinking national security might be more important than an argument with the Presidents’ wife. But, like every family business, family always comes first.

If the family business is turnover, the Trump White House stands above all others. The Trump staff has had more turnover in its first two years than the last four administrations in their first term. According to research by the Brookings Institute, the Trump cabinet has had more turnover than any two years in 100 years of U.S. history.

If chaos is success, if the loss of experienced talent is winning, then the Trump administration is succeeding in the very same way as the Moody Blues song, “Ride My See Saw,” sings, “School taught me that one and one is two, but right now that just ain’t true.”
President Moody Blues.

 

Jim Crawford is a retired educator, political enthusiast and award-winning columnist living here in the Tri-State.