Scoop: Trump, irked at cabinet and staff, mulls sweeping shake-up

[brooklynite]

Source: Axios

At the urging of longtime friends and outside advisers, most of whom he consults after dark, President Trump is considering a "huge reboot" that could take out everyone from Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and chief strategist Steve Bannon, to counsel Don McGahn and press secretary Sean Spicer, White House sources tell me.

Trump is also irritated with several Cabinet members, the sources said.

...snip...

The conversations intensified this week as the aftermath of the Comey firing pushed the White House from chaos into crisis. Trump's friends are telling him that many of his top aides don't know how to work with him, and point out that his approval ratings aren't rising, but the leaks are.

"The advice he's getting is to go big — that he has nothing to lose," the confidant said. "The question now is how big and how bold. I'm not sure he knows the answer to that yet."

Read more: https://www.axios.com/scoop-trump-irked-at-cabinet-and-staff-mulls-sweeping-shake-up-2407137307.html

[PsychoBabble]

1. So would he replace them with basic COMPETENCE, or ...

... next-level FLUFFERS?

With 45 there as the catalyst, not sure what would change.

Sounds like a coaching decision "Hail Mary" to me ... "Why not? Maybe we'll get lucky ...."

[NastyRiffraff]

35. I think it's the "next-level FLUFFERS" thing

Dump has no concept of hiring people who are able to tell him when he's wrong. The idea of an independent FBI, for example, is foreign to him. He demands absolute, unquestioning loyalty, so naturally those he hires are unthinking idiots. Of course, that loyalty only goes in one direction; he doesn't return it.

[pangaia]

2. Yeah, that's gonna fix things.

"The sources say Trump feels ill-served by not just his staff but also by several of his Cabinet officials."

Well I feel ill served by the stupid pus machine in what has become the offal office.


""The advice he's getting is to go big — that he has nothing to lose..."

WE DO...

[beachbum bob]

3. the least admired president in modern era....I'm afraid it will take more than just replacing people

[Scarsdale]

26. Ivanka and Jared?

Are they getting the boot, too?

[pressbox69]

31. No, they stay.

[Bleacher Creature]

4. After the election, the only thing keeping me sane was my hunch that they would be incompetent.

That said, these first 110 or so days have "exceeded" my wildest dreams. This is an absolute dumpster fire.

And the best part is that it will never get better, for the exact same reason there will never be an Obamacare "replacement." If he moves to the middle towards anything resembling a responsible approach, the crazies will abandon him in droves. But if he continues pandering to the base, he alienates everyone else.

In the meantime, it's about time to open another box of popcorn.

[murielm99]

48. Yep.

As long as he is busy tweeting and storming around the White House after dark, he won't destroy as much as he would if he was competent.

Let him fire and hire, fire and hire. It will keep him (and the country) out of more serious trouble.

[DallasNE]

5. How Would This Help?

This wouldn't address two key problems. Trump has left too many openings unfilled for being this late in a new administration. Too many holdovers have been purged so not enough people left with government experience, knowing how the various departments work. Getting rid of green people and replacing them with even greener people can only add to the chaos and confusion. Also, where is Jared in all of this? For awhile he was everywhere and now he is totally missing. Tillerson was a big bust with the Russia thing the other day.

Trump still has the Republicans in tow so he has a lot to lose. Perhaps Trump should "go big" and resign - and take Spicer with him.

[Julian Englis]

36. It won't help with his biggest problem: he's an immature, impulsive, ignorant half-wit

n/t

[CanonRay]

6. This is how he operates

keep everyone in fear of their job and of him. That way no questions are asked.

[vlyons]

7. Yeah sure, that should quiet down and reassure the public

More turmoil. More chaos. More blame everyone else. Actually I hope he does it. Throw a big monkey wrench in the works. Then when he screws up and says something vulgar insulting and stupid again, we all can see yet again how totally unfit he is. Meanwhile the FBI investigation into his Russian money laundering continues unabated.

[packman]

8. Drain the Swamp II - The Epic continues

More action - more bloodshed from whatever - bold and daring in its scope of idiocy - Realigning the Political Universe

[RKP5637]

9. He could bring in Alex Jones, his buddy, as his Press Secretary!

[paleotn]

18. Now that might be fun....

picture that ingrate ripping off his shirt at the first press briefing. That might be more fun than watching Huckabee spawn thrown in the deep end and ripped to shreds by the press corp. I understand the gravity, but unfortunately this is what our democracy has devolved to and what's considered "good government" by a large section of our populace who need their voting rights revoked. Our own versions of Caligula, Nero and their entourage.

[RKP5637]

25. It would be the first press conferences with breaks for ads while he hawked his end times crap

for patriots to be prepared for the globalists takeover.

[Pluvious]

39. Even the GOPers would start slinking away

I would hope.
Though maybe not the Turtle.

[RKP5637]

40. Yeah, the Turtle might really like him! n/t

[Mz Pip]

10. Chaos

It hasn't even been a full 4 months yet. It's a train wreck and I am optimistic that it won't take 4 years to end this catastrophe.

[smirkymonkey]

11. So much for that "well oiled machine".

[2naSalit]

12. ...

It'll just be his kids and Jared.

[George II]

13. Hasn't he done that two or three times already? How many in his "administration"...

...have come and gone since January, not to mention all those who have declined appointments?

[Grammy23]

14. Oh, yeah, keep telling that bumbling fool

that the problem is not him. It's OTHER people that are the problem. Keep feeding him that narrative....his go to explanation whenever things don't go his way. Just keep telling him that lie. We wouldn't want to disturb his quaint view of his world, huh?

Houston....we have a problem. A very big problem that sits at the pinnacle of our government. Unless and until we lance this festering boil, chaos and pandemium will rule the day.

[Freethinker65]

15. Donnie does not have the capability to realize most of his loyalists and friends are "fake".

[Plucketeer]

27. It's hard to recognize rats as foe

when you're a rat yourself!

[mopinko]

16. obstructing again. the cabinet can remove him. he is gonna fire them.

perhaps the idea of an article 25 is starting to float around.

[Texin]

17. "Go big", huh?

The only thing "big" enough to fix this shit is for him to climb up on that horse's ass he rode in on and head into the sunset. Failing that, nothing else will work. Hide and watch. The only people he'll have serving in the WH are the same chuckleheads who surrounded him during the election, i.e., Giuliani, Christy, et al. But even his so-called loyalists are not strong enough to endure in this exhausting and withering environment of total incompetence, delusion and chaotic corruption.

[procon]

19. A King wants adoring sycophants. nt

[paleotn]

20. Go big?

Like going all Erdogan on us? I wouldn't be surprised. And Rethuglican Congress critters probably wouldn't do a damn thing about it other than wring their hands. Why do they not stand up for our democracy? They fear of the utterly moronic base they've created. A base that would welcome an idiot overlord just as stupid as they. Welcome to Dumbfuckistan.

[logosoco]

21. This makes me think that he put the worst possible people in the

cabinet positions so that he could "look good" when he fired them.

This is not a game, Donny. Your EPA and Interior picks have real consequences. Some of the jobs are just fluff (press secretary) and do not really make policy. Sessions is just backward for every American.

[Hekate]

22. The Mad King consults longtime friend and advisor Putin after dark

Oy

[Sunlei]

23. RepublicanTV fox lets Mr. Chump have his pick of their paid woman. He'll settle down for a while.

[riversedge]

24. But Trump promised to get the Best-from Day one!. I will believe a

shake up when I see it.

[jberryhill]

28. "I hire the best people"

What a jackass.

[Corgigal]

29. The next set of humans

who work for Trump now understand they have 100 day till they to get fired. Take this job at your own risk, unless of course you're behind in your bills. You may not even get the health insurance to kick in.

He can only blame others, so no one will last long. This isn't any long term gig. Got to be desperate to accept in the first place. Get your resume first with your new job title day one and then shop it.

[roamer65]

30. Wonderful next move, Dump!

Go for it.

[karynnj]

32. He needs the replacements confirmed in many cases - that takes time from

getting anything else done in the Senate where confirmations are done. He can't really run against the Senate - as the Republicans control it. Any legislation needs to pass both houses. If he fired many people that the Senate confirmed (at his request), I would bet that the amount of legislation that gets done will be limited.

[pressbox69]

33. Just this morning

Chris Wallace mentioned that president cancer is considering firing just about everyone "basically turning everything over to Ivanka, Jaret, I'm not kidding here, and their associates."

[rickford66]

34. possible taped conversation

Trump: Mr X old buddy. I want you to join my administration.
Mr X: Sorry. I gotta wash my hair.

[Julian Englis]

37. There's only one shake-up that would work

For Trump and the Republicans in Congress to resign.

[muriel_volestrangler]

38. "insufficiently effusive in praising him as a brilliant diplomat, etc."

says Kim Jong-Trump.

[duncang]

41. Seems he may want producers from faux news come in.

Have the very best in stupid and spin around him. Maybe he should hire press secretary doocy.

[yardwork]

42. This is how narcissistic authoritarians behave. There will be constant purges.

Trump's paranoia will get worse as he becomes more isolated. There will be eruptions of purges but nothing will ever help. The problem is within himself and he can't admit it.

[mdbl]

43. Trump should do the right thing and resign

He's costing this country too much money and we are getting nothing in return except a bunch of selfish pigs in congress trying to pass laws to fuck most of us and benefit a very few. What a shitty place this has become. What will be the catalyst to wake up the country and get rid of these assholes?

[dembotoz]

44. ohhhhhhhhh appoint me for something!!!! i could use a bigger paycheck for a while

and as dumb as he is perhaps it would be a couple months before he figured out how much i hated him....by that time i could bigly pay off some bills. does not matter which office, i mean his current appointments are not exactly competent. i could do just as good as any of them hiding in my office sipping bourbon.

[jmowreader]

45. This could be entertaining, if you like horror films

My thought as to what Trump will do:

According to https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/white-house-installs-political-aides-at-cabinet-agencies-to-be-trumps-eyes-and-ears/2017/03/19/68419f0e-08da-11e7-93dc-00f9bdd74ed1_story.html?utm_term=.d01dc3cb2fb7, Trump has created the position of Senior White House Advisor (SWHA) at each Cabinet-level agency. Trump doesn't trust his own Cabinet even though he picked them all.

He will probably fire his entire Cabinet. The SWHA will assume de facto leadership of their agencies, each reporting to Trump's most trusted advisors, his children. The SWHA will work knowing they can be fired at any second; therefore, they will call Trump for permission before doing anything. Trump will NOT nominate new secretaries because the Senate isn't going to start confirming entire Cabinets every four or five months.

This is how dictatorships start.

[demtenjeep]

46. fire them all. I doubt confirmations will get any better

some barely were confirmed the first time

[brooklynite]

47. Senior staff are not subject to confirmation hearings.