The Trump Presidency Falls Apart

[Arkansas Granny]

After an astonishing week of revelations, Donald Trump’s presidency appears to be on the verge of collapse.

Consider what has happened just in the last 10 days: a string of damaging stories about a president unprecedented since at least the Nixon administration.

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This drip-drip of legal changes hints at why Trump faces a different challenge in recovering from his present situation than he did from bouncing back on the campaign, or during his famously up-and-down business career. As a businessman, Trump could cut bait or declare bankruptcy and start over again. As a candidate, he could simply change the subject, or wait for Hillary Clinton to hand him a gift. As president, however, there is no bankruptcy and no way to walk away. Legal investigations are slow and methodical, but they are also harder to distract than voter attention. If anyone can survive the present crisis, it must be Trump. But he seems increasingly frustrated and hard-pressed for ideas that don’t make his situation worse.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/all-the-kings-men/526980/

This is a long read, but worth it. It was impossible to pick 4 paragraphs that give you a good idea of the contents of the article. It includes a timeline of the last few days and analysis on what went wrong and what the impact may be.

[raccoon]

1. Bookmarked to read later. nt

[brer cat]

2. That is a good read, Arkansas Granny.

Thanks for posting.

[kimbutgar]

3. No they will keep this bastard in office because he is a rethug

Iokiyar only in this country. Party over country.

[Mr.Bill]

4. They will keep him in office as long as

he keeps signing everything they put in front of him.

For all the worry about 45 being blackmailed by the Russians, the real blackmailers here are Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan. They are the ones with the power to impeach and remove him from office.

At this point there is nothing that the Russians can blackmail him with that will affect his base. Even the piss videos, if they do exist, wouldn't make a blip in his poll numbers among these people.

[Beartracks]

11. Yeah, Trump is EVERYbody's tool. n/t

[LiberalLovinLug]

13. thats a good point

The real blackmailers are the House Republicans.
Trump is a chump.
He is beholden to his Russian masters because of his debts to members of their oligarchy.
And he is beholden to whatever Ryan puts in front of him under the threat of impeachment.

He is already a Lame Duck President with his hands tied.

[ginnyinWI]

5. Thanks.

I love the Atlantic. I subscribe to the print edition.

[unblock]

6. worse than nixon in one respect that's little mentioned:

watergate was about crimes (and their cover-up) involved in his *re-*election. he had established himself as a legitimate president through a full term.

moreover, the crimes were motivated by his vanity in wanting to win all 50 states (he won a mere 49). it was never really a question that he was going to be re-elected, and no one really things that, had the break-in not happened, he would have lost. he was always going to get a second term.

with benedict donald, the very legitimacy of his presidency is an open question. it's not just a matter or crimes and scandals and lying and mental health questions, but a matter of whether or not he really got into office legitimately in the first place.

worse, he squandered his honeymoon by demonstrating gross incompetence instead of earning legitimacy, if not through a proper victory, then at least through hard work and good decisions.

[Mr.Bill]

14. Message deleted by DU the Administrators

[unblock]

15. Haha!

Heard that one before

It's a good one

[SpankMe]

7. Should we be bracing for president Pence? n/t

[Arkansas Granny]

8. As much as I would like to see Trump go away, I think Pence might be worse in a sneaky sort of way.

He will seem like a reasonable person while he is advocating some of the harshest legislation when it concerns women, the poor and minorities. I don't trust him any more than I do McConnell or Ryan.

[NoMoreRepugs]

10. AG - I agree, Pence could be far worse. I think what we have to hope for is

a trawler sized net that entangles a whole bunch of Rethugs, including Pence.

[worstexever]

12. It is my hope that the whole Russian-colluding bunch goes down with 45.

Including Pence. #complicit

[Jopin Klobe]

9. "The Trump Presidency Falls Apart" ...

... that's like saying, "Diarrhea is loose." ...

... and you're essentially talking about the same thing as well ...

[yellowcanine]

16. Not quite. The rat is wounded and cornered so still quite dangerous.