The Anger of a Stumbling Presidency
After stoking populist rage, Trump now faces it himself.
NOTE
Join Zeteo’s John Harwood in a live conversation with Pod Save America’s Tommy Vietor at 4:30pm ET / 8:30pm GMT on Substack. They’ll discuss Trump’s war in Iran and Democrats’ prospects in the midterm elections.
Donald Trump didn’t surprise anyone by welcoming the death of Robert Mueller, an American hero who exemplified all the admirable qualities he does not possess.
But the president’s fresh demonstration of depravity underscored a defining characteristic of his presidency. I do not mean corruption, or dishonesty, or ignorance, though Trump is thoroughly corrupt, dishonest, and ignorant.
I mean his anger. For all the wealth, fame, and power he has accumulated, Trump is an angry man directing an angry administration.
He was angry at Mueller, a decorated combat veteran and former FBI director, for obvious reasons. As Justice Department special counsel, Mueller documented the extensive interactions between Trump’s Russian benefactors and his 2016 campaign, and prosecuted some of his closest aides and allies.
But Trump seethes at anyone who spotlights his failures, investigates his crimes, or interferes with his self-aggrandizement. That includes partisan opponents (“radical left lunatics”), Supreme Court justices (“unpatriotic and disloyal”), journalists (“fake news”), and television comedians (“late night morons”).
All expose facets of his life as a con man, so he uses his influence to menace them legally, politically, financially, or physically.