One piece of texture that Robert Mueller’s redacted report added to the annals of Donald Trump’s ignominious tenure as our supposed commander in chief is just how astoundingly weak he is as a leader. We already knew he was an incompetent blowhard motivated by endless depths of depravity. We also knew he never had the guts to fire anyone himself, face to face, but rather always ousted people via tweet or let some other enforcer do the dirty work that he didn’t have the grit to do himself. But through Mueller’s lens, we learned how often his supposed confidants and underlings just outright ignored his commands.
From private citizen Corey Lewandowski failing to brief Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Trump’s scheme to redirect the Russia probe, to White House counsel Don McGahn dismissing Trump’s order to fire Mueller as some “crazy shit,” people surrounding Trump routinely blew off his dumbest and most illegal requests. As Mueller wrote, Trump’s most fervent attempts to obstruct the probe were “mostly unsuccessful” because “the persons who surrounded the President declined to carry out orders or accede to his requests.”
Trump, who has clearly been briefed on this aspect of Mueller’s report, is feeling a touch miffed about the revelation going public. He kicked off Monday with predictable bluster, as he tried to reset the narrative with White House reporters.
Nobody disobeys my orders! Au contraire, Dear Leader.
CNN’s Collins also reported over the weekend that Trump is now “seeking assurances” from his staff that they really are following his orders—because nothing oozes strength like double checking to make certain people under your authority are taking you seriously. What a buffoon.