Explaining Trump's ‘downward spiral’ By Luke Perry
Donald Trump’s request of James Comey to end his inquiry into Michael Flynn is the latest example of his presidency sinking in a “downward spiral” to quote Senator Bob Corker (R-TN).
Related scrutiny can be grouped into those who think Trump is unscrupulous and calculating, pursuing profit through the presidency, and those who think Trump is unfit to be president, due to “willful ignorance, impulsiveness and inexperience,” perhaps even health concerns.
Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty
Suggesting Trump has a disability is ill informed and insulting to people with disabilities. There is no denying Trump is impulsive and inexperienced. He has quickly developed a reputation as someone who doesn’t do his homework and drawn scrutiny for his “unjustified self-confidence.”
Remarkably, these very things that buoyed Trump on the campaign trail-- a wealthy, impulsive, DC outsider, who spoke his mind, even being willfully ignorant at times (birther movement, climate change is a hoax, crowd sizes, Obama wire tapped him, etc.) --are now killing his presidency.
Trump’s current fall reflects underdeveloped political instincts out of tune with the nuance and responsibility of being president as opposed to just talking about it.
Luke Perry (@PolSciLukePerry) is Professor of Government at Utica College
