Today is absolutely horrid, on so many fronts (Sorry @matt for your day as well)
- T is in a ‘tailspin’ - in bunker mode, fearing the incoming pressures of the Mueller indictments and what may happen with his family, himself.
- A call to Erdogan on Friday when T promised that US troops could come our of Syria, so Erdogan could go ahead with a planned attack on the Syrian Kurds. (per Andrea Mitchell - NBC News)
- T was bashed by ALL Conservative media today (Ingraham, Coulter and Limbaugh) - telling him what a loser he was for not coming through with his border wall campaign promise boxed him into the position he’s in…which is to his mind, made him want to force Congress to pass it. T is in fight back/reactive mode, and we all know that the Senate will NOT pass a 60 vote approval of the $5 billion in it, during this last minute legislative change to include the funding of the Wall. So the shut down will happen on T’s watch and tantruming over it.
- First time ever, the Cabinet post for Defense will be vacated by Mattis, someone who consider the ‘adult in the room.’ Lack of leadership in this arena, will be beyond destabilizing.
- International reaction to our destabilized position, can only hurt us.
- Markets in complete chaos and free fall.
- T is a mess.
- Day 700 will go down in infamy.
At perhaps the most fragile moment of his presidency — and vulnerable to convulsions on the political right — Trump single-handedly propelled the U.S. government into crisis and sent markets tumbling with his gambits this week to salvage signature campaign promises.
The president’s decisions and conduct have led to a fracturing of Trump’s coalition. Hawks condemned his sudden decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria. Conservatives called him a “gutless president” and questioned whether he would ever build a wall. Political friends began privately questioning whether Trump needed to be reined in.
…
The president also issued an ultimatum to Congress to fund construction of his promised U.S.-Mexico border wall, a move poised to result in a government shutdown just before Christmas. Trump and his aides had signaled tacit support for a short-term spending compromise that would avert the shutdown, but the president abruptly changed course after absorbing a deluge of criticism from some of his most high-profile loyalists.
Leon Panetta, who served as defense secretary, CIA director and White House chief of staff for Democratic presidents, said, “We’re in a constant state of chaos right now in this country.” He added, “While it may satisfy [Trump’s] need for attention, it’s raising hell with the country.”
Panetta said the resignation of Mattis is a singular moment and that his letter, which underscores how Mattis sees Trump’s approach as misguided, “puts the security of the nation right now at some degree of risk.”
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2018-12-20/on-syria-and-patriots-trump-gives-turkey-double-edged-gift