Writing in the Washington
Post, Richard Cohen called Donald Trump “intellectually, temperamentally,
and morally unfit to be President of the United States .
Stephen Stromberg called him “dangerously incompetent.”
Anne Applebaum referred to Trump’ “willful ignorance,
impulsiveness, and inexperience.”
The Washington Post
editorial boards wrote that Trump “can’t be trusted with sensitive
information.”
James Clapper, former Director of National Defense, stated that
“our institutions are under assault internally.” [by the President]
Former CIA Director Michael Hayden said, “Trump proves that
he’s Russia ’s
‘useful tool.’”
It is not only liberals who are worried about Trump’s danger
to the country and our system of government.
Conservative writer Ross Douthat said, “Maybe it’s time for
the 25th.” (The 25th Amendment to the Constitution would
enable the government to remove the President from office if he is “unable to
discharge the powers and duties of his office.”)
Another conservative writer, Jennifer Rubin, said that Trump
is “so inept and unfit that national security is at risk.”
Rubin also wrote, “Unfortunately for all these reasons, the
current crew may be the best staff Trump an ever assemble. What the country
really needs is a new president, not new functionaries.”
One GOP figure wondered privately about whether Trump was
“in the grip of some kind of paranoid delusion.”
Mike Gallagher, a Republican congressman, tweeted, “Our
allies and partners must have the utmost confidence that sensitive information
they share with us will not be disclosed.”
Barbara Comstock, another Republican member of Congress,
stated, “Once again we are faced with inexplicable stories coming from the
White House that are highly troubling.”
Republican Senator Bob Corker stated, “The chaos that is
being created by the lack of discipline is creating an environment that I think
makes—it creates a worrisome environment.”
A former aide to Presidents Nixon and Clinton, David Gergen,
said, “We’re in impeachment territory.”
Senator John McCain called the situation “Watergate size and
scale.”
The Republican leadership in Congress of course is aware of
Trump’s unfitness to be President. Unfortunately, through cynicism or naiveté
or both, they are willing to put up with the President’s shortcomings because
they believe they can use him to achieve their legislative goals.
They are wrong.
Donald Trump is not only a danger to the country and to
democracy; he is a danger to the Republican Party.
Throughout the Obama administration, Republicans complained
about his health care act, but they never had an alternative.
And they still don’t.
Trump and the Republicans in Congress wanted to get a new
health care act in place during his first 100 days in office. He sent Bannon
over to try to bully Republicans in Congress into voting for the act. (You
remember Bannon, don’t you? I wonder why we haven’t heard much about him
lately.) As we all know, the House did not vote on the proposed act. The “Freedom
Caucus” wouldn’t vote for it because it wasn’t bad enough. So much for the
Donald’s great negotiating skills.
The revised bill was even worse, but it just barely passed
in the house after one day’s consideration. Many, probably most, of the members
of Congress who voted for it, didn’t know what was in it. Now Republican
members of Congress are afraid to meet their constituents because the People
keep yelling at them over their votes on healthcare. The People will remember
those votes in November next year. Trump didn’t really get behind the bill. He
doesn’t understand it, and the only thing he really cares about is the
promotion of the Great Glory of Donald.
Every day Democrats get new ammunition for the 2018
election. Washington
cannot focus on any issue until “the Russian thing” is cleared up. Trump isn’t
going to help the GOP. But if it stands by him, the GOP has everything to lose,
including one, possibly both houses of Congress next year.
