WaPo: Left alone, Trump is now calling his own shots
Fourteen months into his presidency, Donald Trump is acting more defiant and independent as more and more senior-level aides and administration officials resign or are fired, according to a Washington Post report published Saturday.
Posted — UpdatedThe paper obtained the details of this new White House scene through interviews with 23 administration officials, many of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Noting that this type of defiance is typical for Trump, who for years ran the Trump Organization with a heavy hand, the paper reported that with both the President's handful of advisers and his chief of staff John Kelly "nowhere to be seen," Trump was left without a collection of "moderating forces eager to restrain the president from acting impulsively."
As a result, the President made appearances and statements that many considered to be things over which his inner circle might have voiced disapproval. And by the end of the week, the President was at Mar-a-Lago with Don King, a boxing promoter who vented to Trump about the Stormy Daniels situation, according to the Post.
"It's utterly ridiculous," King said to Trump, according to the report. CNN has reached out to King for further comment.
On Friday, CNN reported that White House officials were starting to consider Dan Scavino to be the replacement for former communications director Hope Hicks, who finally left the White House this week. While Scavino, who is Trump's current social media director, may not become the new communications director, many West Wing officials are expecting him to fill the confidant and conspirator role that Hicks' resignation left open.
CNN also reported Thursday that Trump's outside advisers have told him over the past week that neither a chief of staff nor a communications director may be necessary. So far, the President has given no indication as to whether or not he's interested in taking the advice, and, on top of that, there are no signs that Trump is looking to dismiss Kelly.
As far as his "hasty" decisions go, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told the Post: "The President is in an action mood and doesn't want to slow-roll things, from trade to the border to staffing changes."
"He wants to make things that he's been discussing for a while happen," she said. "He's tired of the wait game."
Copyright 2024 by Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
