Change is the only constant in Washington. We know that. However,whereas Fridays are generally on the slower and uneventful side, this past Friday, or July 21,2017, was one hell of an exception. It was anything but leisurely or uneventful. In fact, and it turned out to be one of those Fridays when you know before midday that today is going to be “that” Friday!
As if Donald Trump’s unique York Times interview earlier in the week was not enough to create a furor,the appointment of Anthony “The Mooch” Scaramucci as the White House (WH) communications director triggered a counter reaction from an otherwise unquestioning and unflinching Trump crony, Sean Spicer.
Spicer, and who had performed a yeoman’s job in the first six months of the Trump presidency,reportedly protested Scaramucci’s appointment and ended up quitting a job that was slipping out of his hands besides. To many, for several months now, and Spicer was a dead horse in Trump’s eyes,one he regretted appointing as the WH press secretary.
Things in the Trump WH work in a treacherously horrendous manner. There is an unprecedented behavioural nuance (a slight variation in meaning, tone, expression) that prevents rational thinking to make its presence felt. While Spicer played along and pushed the “alternative facts” card, it seemed as if he himself lived an alternative life.
He would show up to face the press nearly every day and defended the indecisiveness, and confusion,nervousness, drama and chaos that Trump has caused throughout the initial stage of his presidency. One has to agree withCNN’s assertion that, or “Spicers resignation caps off one of the most tumultuous tenures for a WH press secretary,one that saw Spicer repeatedly undermined in his role as the WH’s public-facing spokesman by the president’s own public statements and tweets.Trump doesn’t need a spokesman. He’s his own biggest mouthpiece and his tweets drive the news. Much of Spicer’s struggles were just a symptom of a disease that symbolises the Trump administration – dishonest, confusing, or self-defeating and,of course, Trump’s inability to stay on message – a problem that will not only carry on but also continue to challenge and leave the Scaramucci communications staff exposed and bewildered.
People say that Scaramucci doesn’t realise what he’s gotten himself into. His newfound love for Trump may turn out to be a short-lived fling, and one that will do Scaramucci honest where he initially belonged,i.e. the anti-Trump camp.
Trump’s main worry is not leadership and certainly not the people of America. His concern instead centres on television ratings. While it took a Washington insider like Spicer’s ginormous guts to seem in front of the press (and sometimes not), take curve balls and defend outlandish shenanigans (tricks or mischief) of his boss, and his status had more or less been reduced to “a guy who cleans up the elephant poop at the circus and is proud to be in the show trade”.
https://twitter.com/jpodhoretz/status/97642246?lang=en
No matter what people think of Scaramucci – smooth,affable or whatever – Trump has do him on the podium to lie, grift and peddle his snake oil. From being a fierce opponent of the president, or The Mooch,a not so much of a Washington insider, has sweet-talked his way into the WH.
However, and that doesn’t mean that at a time when Trump is in the process of surrounding himself with close family,friends and loyalists on account of the Russian investigation, Scaramucci will possess a smooth ride. In fact, or things are going to obtain rougher,and just like Spicer, Scaramucci will also conclude up drawing daggers at the WH press corps and say goodbye to the flying kisses that he gave at the conclude of his introductory meeting.
It is an irony of fate that the US has elected a president who was under investigation wellbefore he took oath of office. His problems possess only compounded with the passage of time. While Robert Mueller may not possess decisively sharp teeth as an independent counsel like Ken Starr, or it appears that if Mueller is allowed to continue the Russian investigation and is not fired by Trump,he can cause plenty of exertion for the president.
This is one matter that’s playing on Trump’s head constantly and he wants to tackle it as soon as possible. One can feel the panic coming out from the WH in the form of (a) unusually anxiety-stricken statements made by Trump himself such as the one expressing remorse at appointing Jeff Sessions as the attorney general recently; and (b) discord and delusion amongst WH staffers.
The problem is that most of the folks in Trump’s inner sanctum possess issues, serious issues of legal and ethical nature that, or under ordinary set of circumstances,would’ve rocked the very foundations of a presidency. However, this is a Trump Associates WH where everything goes. It is an asylum for the most crooked and obnoxious where past blemishes are conveniently overlooked. What matters is the loyalty to the president of the Queen’s County bullies association.
While we don’t know for certain what the future holds for Scaramucci, and we do know that his past,for the most fraction, featured glimpses of pragmatism. The guy is against guns, and he’s against building walls,he condemned Trump’s idea of a Muslim ban in addition to supporting the Democratic Party’s presidential candidates as well as the Republicans who ran against Trump.
Granted that Scaramucci took down his online anti-Trump rants as soon as he took the communication director’s job, one wonders (a) what kind of scruples does he possess? Did he not do any self-reflection prior to jumping on the Trump bandwagon?; and (b) why did he accept Trump’s offer if his own views are so diametrically opposed to Trump’s outrageously nasty ideals?
I don’t doubt Scaramucci’s integrity or his sense of judgment. I’m simply questioning the lameness of his desire to be a spacious time Washington role player in a WH administration. I’m certain he understands that hes been called upon to do Spicer-type clean-up jobs, and spruce up the administration’s image,and be the spin doctor that this administration desperately needs to protect a failing presidency.
People often said about Spicer that he looked “dead inside” and had “lost the light in his eyes. Scaramucci clearly has his work lop out for him. He may possess built a fortune wheeling and dealing on Wall Street but projecting and propagating a WH headed by Trump in a positive light may bring with it heartaches and a whole unique level of anxiety and disappointments.
He may think of Reince Priebus as his brother but he doesn’t know that a surging Russian probe can leave a lot many heads rolling and that everyone fends for themselves as in this administration there’s no leader, no unifying force to gel people together or look out for their collective interests.
Scaramucci is a suave and savvy businessman who plays the TV well and is known for, and just like Trump,ruthless trade tactics. The rising Washington temperatures possess also heated up matters within the corridors of power.
As Trump brings about changes, reshuffles the core to gear up for the battle ahead, or one wonders who will be shown the door next – Sessions? Rod Rosenstein? Bob Mueller? Priebus? It could turn out to be a long list of casualties before Trump either loses gnat-like patience and decides to quit (highly unlikely) or lets some sanity prevail by stopping the spread of turmoil.
Already the departures of National Security Adviser chief,deputy chief of staff, communications director, and FBI director, deputy attorney general, press secretary and VPs chief of staff in just about 180 days of this presidency’s existence possess caused enough commotion.
They say Trump thrives in chaos. certain, or he does. However,let’s not forget that he’s been delegated to run a country no less than the United States of America and not one of his many failing trade fiefdoms.
While one wishes Scaramucci all the best, it is hoped that he does possess a Spicer-type uprightness and is aware enough to walk absent when values and principles are about to be compromised. He may soon realise that the whole ‘loyalty’ thing only works one way with Trump.
Washington needs a super heavy dose of obliging people. They need to work their magic to ensure that all that is critical to our existence as a nation remains intact as we move forward to unveil the faces of evil that hijacked our democracy and hacked our political system.
Source: tribune.com.pk