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The Screaming Moderate

Not Trump's merriest holiday season

12/19/2018

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Being President of the United States in the holiday season should be a fabulous experience.

You host fancy parties for nearly everyone in Washington, D.C., at the world’s most famous address. People stand in line to get a souvenir picture with you. Then you take a few days or more and go to a warmer clime to get some relaxation in, understanding you never take time off from being the President.

This cannot be the merriest of seasons for Donald J. Trump

He still can’t get funding for his most memorable campaign promise, a wall -- that Mexico, not us was supposed to pay for. He said he’d be “proud” to shut down the government if he didn’t get that funding. “Proud!” But as we speak, a deal is being made that will keep the government open and not fund his ridiculous wall.

A poll came out that says a majority of American’s don’t believe what Trump says. The special counsel’s investigation seems to be picking up, not running out of steam. His finances likely are being gone over with a fine tooth comb even after he said going into his family finances was a red line not to be crossed.

In fact, since George H.W. Bush’s death, if it’s possible, Trump gets even smaller in my mind. His tweets aren’t as important on a daily basis, the seldom held White House news briefing are simply lies after lies coming from his press secretary who says she wants her legacy to be that she told the truth and was transparent, a dream long gone. I knew 41 was a fabulous president but hearing his accomplishments repeated for a week and comparing him to the current president just made Bush even bigger in my mind, as Trump became smaller.

The special counsel’s investigation keeps broadening. As that investigation goes on, Trump goes even crazier in his tweets. Needless to say: One doesn’t get that riled when one has nothing to worry about. It may not be collusion (but I’m beginning to believe there was some level of coordination with the Russians); then again it may “simply” be the effect the, I think, 17 investigations into Trump or his various entities (campaign, transition, inaugural, private businesses, his “charity”) have on him because he knows those are going to embarrass him and implicate his kids.

Remember, yesterday Trump and his adult children were banned from serving on charity boards for 10 years because of the way they mismanaged and misused the Trump Foundation. The Trump Foundation spent $7 apparently for his son’s induction fee to the Boy Scouts. But he’s already bragging on things the Foundation did, that it didn’t do. Trump knows there is a there there in his businesses and it must scare the pants off him. The investigations clearly have gone where Trump warned they should not – into his finances. I can only imagine the morass of bad deeds there.

I know, the special counsel investigation was supposed to be about Russian interference in our elections and possible conspiracy with the Trump campaign. But when a prosecutor comes across other crimes, he cannot ignore them.

Plus, The National Enquirer has to be a treasure trove of buried stories about Trump. And the CEO of that outfit is cooperating with the special counsel. We haven’t seen a drip of that leak so far.

Not to mention that the stock market has lost all its 2018 gains, stealing a talking point from Trump about his history-making, in his mind, presidency. The Fed may be about to raise rates, which Trump said they shouldn’t do. So he’ll once again realize that his power as President is not all encompassing, like a tyrant’s.

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Even when he does something good – like finally banning bump stocks – the story doesn’t make the front page because there’s too much news from the investigations.

It can’t have felt good for former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn to stand before a judge and get lectured about his bad, criminal behaviors as a former general and advisor to the President . And it can’t have felt good, either, for Trump and his talking heads on Fox to hear Flynn say under oath in court that yes, he knew lying to the FBI is a crime. The rug was pulled out from under their “narrative” that the Flynn case would show the special counsel’s work for what they think it is – a witch hunt and a perjury trap.

It’s no witch hunt…and it’s not over.

More shoes are likely to drop. While a successful removal from office is unlikely since there won’t be the votes in the Senate even if the House impeaches him, those who said Trump will resign before his term ends (I live with one of those people) may be closer to the truth than I ever imagined.

So, Happy Holidays, Mr. President. And I wouldn’t go looking in your stocking this year. You may find that product you proudly brag about bringing back – coal.


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    B. Jay Cooper

    B. Jay is a former deputy White House press secretary to Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He also headed the communications offices at the Republican National Committee, U.S. Department of Commerce, and Yale University. He is a former reporter and is the retired deputy managing director of APCO Worldwide's Washington, D.C., office.
    He is the father of three daughters and grandfather of five boys and one girl. He lives in Marion, Mass.

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