David Brooks: “What a Failed Trump Administration Looks Like”
We use the term “unsustainable” a great deal here, referring to processes that lack the potential to continue indefinitely into the future. Normally, we mean processes that have some bearing on environmental justice; things like consumption of fossil fuels or the expanding consumption of red meat, which are both unsustainable if we want to avoid the ruination of the ecosystems that support human life.
Here’s something else that is looking increasingly unsustainable: the Trump administration. I’ve written quite a few short articles calling Trump’s legitimacy as U.S. president into question and pointing out that it’s only a matter of time before all this unravels and impeachment proceeds, e.g., through proof of fraud, conflicts of interest, illegal dealings with the Russians, etc.
I find it amusing, however, that whenever I post something here, on other blog sites, or on Facebook, I almost always receive a few angry comments in return. It’s not as if I’m the only one making noises like this? Hardly, in fact, more than half (some say as much as 65%) of the U.S. electorate is saying essentially the same thing, many with far more political experience and better writing skills than I’ll ever have.
Here’s award-winning journalist and cultural commentator David Brooks writing for the New York Times. He begins: I still have trouble seeing how the Trump administration survives a full term. Judging by his Thursday press conference, President Trump’s mental state is like a train that long ago left freewheeling and iconoclastic, has raced through indulgent, chaotic and unnerving, and is now careening past unhinged, unmoored and unglued.
I’m with you, David. I don’t see it either, and I’m glad that you and many other senior observers are helping put this all in perspective.
Even though many of us do not like it and regardless of how unfortunate it is, Trump was legitimately elected and is legitimately the president. Attempts to say otherwise could well backfire in ways which cannot be anticipated. However, it is quite likely that Trump could be legitimately impeached. It looks as though there are several grounds for doing that.
Let us hope that he can be impeached before he does too much damage. However, note that the vice-president could also be very destructive.
Frank, there are no real grounds to “impeach” President Trump.
Impeachment is a very difficult process, not always culminating in the President’s removal. The process can often take longer than the term of office.
What’s more likely is Trump will simply be a one term President.
Marco,
A google search will find various opinions on whether Trumpet could be impeached. However, because I know that I do not possess all knowledge (I am not Samuel Johnson), I very carefully avoided stating that I was certain that he could be impeached. Rather, I stated that it was quite likely that he could be impeached as a careful reading of my previous post will show. I really do not understand how anyone can assert that “…there are no real grounds to “impeach” President Trump.”. On the other hand, I do understand how one could state that there MAY be no grounds for impeachment at this time.
I have lived long enough to know that predictions are often wrong. About all we can do is state possibilities. Quite often outcomes are very different from what anyone predicts. That may be true here.
Being quite conversant with American history, I am well aware that impeachment is a difficult process. It most definitely is not new information for me.
Frank,
I’m afraid while we all love to “google” the quality and even sanity of some comments may not be all that authoritative !
You are correct when you say anything could happen, but in the real world we have to deal in likelihoods, not wishful thinking.
Marco,
Those of us who are sufficiently erudite are well aware of the need to use careful critical thinking when reading articles, perhaps especially when they are found on the Internet.
It should be noted that Trumpet has declared bankruptcy FOUR TIMES thereby avoiding the need to pay contractors and vendors. One or two bankruptcies might be excusable, but FOUR!? I think not! The damage caused when creditors are not paid can be considerable, including to the creditors’ employees who cannot be paid. Also, Trumpet has flatly refused to pay some contractors and vendors secure in the knowledge that they lacked the means to sue him; you can do your own Internet searches to learn more about that. His Trump “University” bilked naïve students out of their savings. He had to pay $25 million to settle a resulting lawsuit. You can also find more information about that on the Internet. Also, do a google search on “trump lawsuits”.
Because the above occurred before he was president, they are not grounds for impeachment. However, they do make it clear that his ethics are seriously lacking. Moreover, the best indicator of future behavior is past behavior. Therefore, it is likely that his dishonest and unethical behavior will continue and may well provide adequate grounds for impeachment in the future even if there are currently insufficient grounds.
It should also be noted that Trumpet is an anti-vaxer, i.e., he is opposed to vaccinations for measles, mumps, chicken pox, polio, etc. etc. Thus, his actions as president may provide courage and support to the anti-vaccination movement which, fortunately, is now small. Reducing the number of people who have been properly immunized will result in more death and disease and could, if carried far enough, result in a return of the epidemics which were ended because of vaccinations. You can do your own research to determine just how devastating epidemics of polio, measles, and other diseases were before vaccinations became available.
When I was young, there was no polio vaccine. Therefore, I remember the horror of polio epidemics. A neighbor’s young daughter died of polio. During one epidemic, I was sent away to live with an aunt until the polio epidemic where we lived subsided. The opening of school was actually delayed a month until the epidemic subsided. I knew kids who had been partially paralyzed by polio. I myself had measles, mumps, and chicken pox. Fortunately, in my case, they were mild diseases from which I fully and quickly recovered, but not all kids were so fortunate. By providing support to anti-vaxers, Trump could precipitate a recurrence of these epidemics, although probably not to historic proportions.
My attitude towards is about as negative as possible. He reminds me of Adolph Hitler. I see his supporters and fellow travelers as either incredibly naïve or inexcusably selfish.
Frank,
You raise two points:
1)Trump Bankruptcies:
Donald Trump has never been bankrupt. Trump is an entrepreneurial style of business promoter. His business ventures are often high risk, high return.
He also licences his high profile name to other organizations in the same way Hyatt or a Toyota dealership. When a ‘Yourtown Toyota’ dealership goes into chapter 11 or even 7, it doesn’t reflect on Akio Toyoda, does it?
Trump’s various projects are isolated one from another to reflect the individual risk attached to each project. That’s the purpose of incorporated entities. All business contains an element of risk.
Contractors and suppliers are business-people. It’s their responsibility to learn to take risk and assess risk and pursue adequate credit policies.
Trump has created over 500 companies, more than 450 are successful real trading business entities (the others are more holding or special purpose entities).
For promoters in his type of business, the normal rate of failure is 20-25% . So Trump’s 1%-3% is very good !
Trump also has an army of very loyal contractors who have done business with him for more than 40 years.
Business failures are never pleasant, but they’re part of the natural risk of commerce. If you don’t want risk, work for the government.
2) Vaccination:
I’m not sure it’s correct to label Trump anti-vaccination. (His own children are vaccinated).
Trump has listened to the horror stories of parents who have been severely traumatized by the tragic repercussions of bad reactions suffered by their offspring. It’s hard not to not be moved by such suffering.
Trump has agreed to support the appointment of Robert Kennedy jnr, to chair a scientific integrity commission.
President Trump is often misreported, (probably due to his reliance on tweets). What he did say was,
” I have some doubts and questions about the current vaccine policy ” he continued ” I’m not a Doctor, or a Scientist, but I’m a concerned by drug companies pushing vaccines and the cold-hearted arrogance of some scientists”
“As president I will establish a commission on vaccine safety and scientific integrity”
Robert Kennedy jnr, said at his press conference ;
“Everybody ought to be able to be assured that the President-elect and I are very pro-vaccine, but we want vaccines to be as safe as they possibly can be.”
I don’t know about you, but to me that sounds both compassionate, and responsible. Drug companies and “scientists” must be held accountable, like everyone else.
It’s not “interfering with scientific freedom”, being a scientist isn’t a sacred position beyond any accountability.
I just don’t see any comparison with Adolf Hitler who allowed thousands of Doctors and Scientists to practice the most appalling atrocities in the name of science.
None of those scientists were “forced” to conduct themselves in that manner, they were eager participants.
I think you are over eager to see the worst in Trump. There’s plenty to see that’s true, but this kind of excessive exaggerated hatred is pointless.
Here’s my prediction: the very moment grounds for impeachment are established, this process is going to run like a freight train, minimizing the damage he can do to this formerly great country of ours. Just a guess.
Craig,
I like the way you bandy “opinion'” and supposition into “proof’ and “evidence! “.
” proof of fraud, conflicts of interest, illegal dealings with the Russians “.
There is no factual basis for any of these accusations that would stand the test of law, they’re just wishful thinking.
This is a newly elected, politically inexperienced, President, hampered by a lack of appointees, only 3 weeks into the job.
It’s true he’s pushing his election promises perhaps a little hastily, but many would consider his determination to keep faith with his voters commendable.
The many, being his supporters ! For the next four years the, unlike politicians beholden to the party political process, this President doesn’t care about opinion polls (and doesn’t need to for the next three years). The days of government by ‘opinion polls’ is over.
President Trump doesn’t care about the intricacies of party politics , he’s solely focused on his own agenda. Those ranting and fantasizing about his demise haven’t realized that not only have the rules changed, the game itself is no longer the same.
He may commit some monumental blunder in the future, but it hasn’t happened yet, and the last time I looked at the US Constitution there were no provisions for impeaching a President based on what someone thing the President might do !
Marco,
It is certainly true that Trumpet is focused on his own agendum. Moreover, it is not always clear just what his agendum is (or agenda are) since he repeatedly changes his position. Even foreign leaders are aware of that.
If Old MacDonald (E I E I O) succeeds in implementing his agendum, it is likely that there will be serious environmental and economic consequences which may well hurt his supporters more than his detractors. His currently stated trade policies are likely to have an effect similar to Smoot-Hawley which exacerbated the Great Depression. However, his proclivity for changing positions is such that it is impossible to know what he will do next.
Trumpet also tends to be exceedingly vindictive. He lashes out at anyone who disagrees with him. Fortunately the Bill of Rights guarantees freedom of press and freedom of speech.
Frank,
I agree the Trump administration may not prove one of the better administrations.
Trumps behavior isn’t all that new, once upon a time US Presidents used to not only vilify opponent, but shoot ’em on occasion !
Maybe Trump’s a throwback to his hero Teddy Roosevelt:)
Hi Frank,
I gave some thought to your indignation at the “Trump University” and dug out some of the material I researched at the time.
Firstly, let’s deal with the term, “University”. the word itself is not protected in the US on a federal level although although some states have reservations on the use.
The term “Trump University” was simply a business name attached to the “Trump Entrepreneur Initiative LLC”, and other corporate entities. It was described in SEC filings as a ” for-profit education company providing real estate, asset management, entrepreneurship, and wealth creation training programs and business motivation”.
“Trump University” wasn’t an accredited university or college. It never claimed to confer college credits, grant degrees, or grade its “students” academically.
In fact it never had “students” merely “attendees”.
Complaints were mostly initiated in New York where a State Statute does restrict the use of the term “university”.
New York State Department of Education has never actually prosecuted, fined, asked to pay restitution to students or assessed a civil penalty for any of the thousands of entities operated over the years identifying themselves as ‘universities’.
Deputy Commissioner for Higher Education, Joseph Frey,admitted that New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman had instructed him to act against “Trump” informing him that, he
(Schneiderman) had “a hard on to get Trump “. Frey also testified that Schneiderman seemed motivated by personal and political motives against Trump.
In my estimation, most of the lawsuits brought against Trump, and the organization, failed the test of law. It would have been a long drawn out process, but the law was on Trump’s side.
That doesn’t mean the “Trump University” was a good idea, or it’s courses of value.
The point I think that has to be made, is any student/attendee who imagined that it was a real “University” and Donald Trump was going to be their personal mentor, was either incredibly naive (and unsuited for the real estate industry) or delusional.
It was a bad idea because the companies courses were really run by Michael Sexton and Jonathan Spitalny, who while quite well qualified and competent couldn’t effectively control Donald’s Trump’s pressure to produce profits and results.
The ” University ” was sold to Trump as a money making project, that would capitalize on his name and fame.
Reading through it’s course material and knowledge base, I believe the “university” had some merit. The problem is such institutions need years of philanthropic investment to become established and develop.
The sort of “sales seminar” business model was too restrictive for such an ambitious undertaking and Trump had neither the time nor interest to devote to building an educational institution.
Too much has been quoted from the hyper-language terms so beloved of American lawyers. Until proven correct, (in civil suits, even winning suits, less than 10% of the hyper is ever established) these allegations are meaningless.
For Trump, settling a failed enterprise for a mere $25 million, is just part of the cost of doing business. In his world, it’s just another business day, and time to move on.
Anyone attending the Trump “university” who was so naïve as to be “bilked out of their savings”, shouldn’t have been attending such a course in the first place !
Business is a hard profession. It looks so easy when an employee, that’s why most fail. There’s no real way to “teach” business, or guarantee success. The only real lessons are learned through hard experience, and painful.
Every day I see hopeful would be entrepreneurs and business failures. Each has their own excuse. Very few have learned the right lessons from the trauma of failure and are ready to move on to success.
Marco,
Apparently you see nothing wrong with Trumpet’s taking advantage of poor and naïve people by establishing Trump “University” and charging very high “tuition” for it. There is no need for you to explain what Trump “University” actually was; I’m sure that we all understand it quite well.
It is disturbing that you see nothing wrong with Trumpet’s engaging in extremely risky practices and forcing the innocent employees of his contractors to assume the risk. If he had any conscience whatever, he would have made good on the losses himself so that the employees of his contractors would not suffer. It’s clearly a case of the rich robbing the poor, but of course there is nothing unusual about that.
While you are in the UK, I suggest that you study how during the potato famines in Ireland, wealthy land owners successfully demanded that parliament maintain high import duties on imported food. The high duties maximized the land owners’ returns on their farmland while causing the poor people of Ireland to starve to death. I suggest that you also learn the history of “famine walls”, migration to the U.S. to escape starvation, etc. Since you have no problem with Trumpet’s stealing from his contractors and his contractors’ employees, no doubt you will have no problem with the preventable starvation of the Irish during the potato famines.
The Trump “University” lawsuit occurred in San Diego, California. Here is an article about it in the San Diego Union:
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/courts/sd-me-trump-hearing-20161118-story.html
Here is an article about it in the Los Angeles times:
http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-trump-university-20161121-story.html
And here is a quotation from the above article:
“More than 5,000 people across the country who paid Donald Trump $40 million to teach them his hard sell tactics got a hard lesson in bait-and-switch.
— New York Atty. Gen. Eric Schneiderman”
But apparently your support of total laissez faire with no limits will never waver regardless of what blackguards, scoundrels, and malefactors do to their victims.
Frank,
There’s only a certain limit which consumer law can protect people from making ill-judged or inappropriate decisions.
In fact, there should be limits the extent any law protects consumers from the consequences of their own actions.
Everyday, adult citizens are confronted with making decisions large and small. The results of those decisions are a matter of personal responsibility. Personal responsibility is the basis for a free society.
Yes, it’s my opinion we must all accept the consequences of our own actions without whining that our ‘Nanny State” didn’t protect us.
If I buy a shirt labeled ‘pure cotton’ and is not, that’s fraud.
If I buy a shirt because the salesman, or the advertising, shows a picture of George Clooney wearing the shirt and I believe that the purchase of the shirt will make women confuse me with George Clooney, I’m an idiot, and the law has no business protecting me from my own delusions.
No one could seriously have imagined Trump University was the equivalent of Harvard or Yale. No one could have “lost their life savings” as you exaggerate so dramatically .
The cost of the seminars were only $1495 to the $35,000 “Gold Elite” program. Very few $35,000 courses were sold, the vast majority were under $2000.
If your “life savings” are only $2000, maybe you shouldn’t be considering a career in real estate investment!
I notice how you transfer the plight of employees of contractors to Donald Trump. The fate of employees is the responsibility of their own employer, the contractor.
The contractors are businessmen. They contract to Trump companies to make money, not out of loyalty or love. If some other developer offered better terms and conditions, they would (and should) go where they can get the best deal.
Likewise their employees would think nothing of transferring employment if offered a better position.
The Building industry is very tough, very competitive, especially in the development sector. Disputes, arguments, law suits and worse are every day occurrences.
Donald Trump has a surprisingly good record of employee, contractor relations. He’s had his share of disputes and is very tenacious, but is highly regarded by many hundred of contractors and suppliers who have worked on his projects for many years.
You seem obsessed by the Irish potato famine.
It’s difficult to see any comparison drawn between the events occurring nearly 170 years ago and today. Indeed the average Americans problem today is the opposite, far from famine, it’s obesity killing Americans !
An interesting piece of trivia has recently emerged from a new study on the Irish famine.
U.S. President James K. Polk donated $50 and Congressman Abraham Lincoln donated $10, to Irish Famine relief, while Queen Victoria’s private charity donated $800,000 with her own family contribution exceeding $20,000.
The history of Ireland is plagued by poor planning, systemically poor administration, bad agricultural practices, pestilence, ancient grievances, government ineptitude, cruel self interest and neglect.
What is often forgotten in all the blame sharing, is the original cause of the famine, the devastating arrival of Phytophthora infestans, commonly known as potato blight.
A great tragedy, but hardly relevant 170 years later.
My own family has a small connection with famine in that my great-great grand uncle castigated Lord Lucan, one of the most vicious landlords, for his behaviour and attitude to ward his Irish tenants, and was promptly challenged to a duel in the corridor of the House of Lords.
Lord Cardigan, Lucan brother in law excitedly encouraged the duel since he hated his brother in law, the affair was stopped by and order from the aging, and very deaf Duke of Wellington.
Times were very different, hopefully in modern world the rights, but also responsibilities, of each individual in society have increased.
Yep. We’ll have to see what happens.
Marco,
I shall address only ONE of the items in your post because I see no point in bothering with the rest. Here are links to articles about Trumpet’s bankruptcies:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2016/live-updates/general-election/real-time-fact-checking-and-analysis-of-the-first-presidential-debate/fact-check-has-trump-declared-bankruptcy-four-or-six-times/?utm_term=.ef8770828d7a
According to the above, TRUMPET HIMSELF has stated that, using available laws, he has declared bankruptcy FOUR TIMES.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/10/donald-trump-atlantic-city-bankruptcy
http://thelawdictionary.org/article/how-is-donald-trump-able-to-file-for-bankruptcy-so-many-times/
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/1/9/1618540/-Was-Donald-Trump-bailed-out-of-bankruptcy-by-Russia-crime-bosses
The above article may be of questionable reliability, but its assertions should be thoroughly investigated.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2011/04/29/fourth-times-a-charm-how-donald-trump-made-bankruptcy-work-for-him/#5cd71b2e6f7a
The above article is in Forbes magazine. Considering its biases, it should be especially reliable in this case.
http://www.newsweek.com/2016/08/12/donald-trumps-business-failures-election-2016-486091.html
The above article should also be especially reliable. Note that it contains considerable information about Trumpet’s business problems.
I believe that I have referenced far more than sufficient proof of Trumpet’s irresponsible and damaging business behavior. If you see that as incorrect and / or irrelevant, it calls into question your ability to evaluate just about anything associated with Trumpet. The technicality that it was the businesses which were bankrupt and not Trumpet is just that, a technicality that in no way absolves Trumpet from responsibility.
It is inescapably clear that Trumpet is not hesitant to benefit himself by harming others. There is no reason to expect his behavior to change now that he is president although, if he can muster the self-discipline to do so, he may find ways to make his selfish and destructive behavior less obvious.
It may be that you are playing devil’s advocate and intend your posts to be satire and not to be taken literally. If not, that raises other questions.
Frank,
You seem to have scored an “own goal” !
As the Forbes article you cite carefully explained, the fact that Trump has never declared personal bankruptcy is not a technicality, or dishonest device, but the legitimate use of the law that makes provision for the restructure, survival or at least orderly disposal of risk enterprises.
If this wasn’t the law, then there would be a hugely reduced amount of venture enterprise. In fact, it’s safe to say that most economic expansion would cease, and the deprivations of a socialist style economy would have to be imposed.
If you want risk capital, it must be accepted as part of the cost of doing business. If you don’t want to risk, then work for the government !
Al enterprise is risk. The higher the risk, the higher the reward. just because Trump’s name and image appears on a project doesn’t remove the fact your transacting business with an incorporated enterprise not the man himself.
If you can’t grasp these basic concepts, then you should remain an employee and not seek the onerous responsibilities of being in business.
Laws are not a replacement for your own judgement.
It’s sad when in the pursuit of any high risk professional something goes wrong and failure occurs. However, like a race driver, that’s the risk you took when you chased fame wealth and glory, there was always the risk of pain, injury failure even death.
If you don’t want risk, or higher yields, the invest in government bonds, become a civil servant and don’t complain or moralize at those who choose to fly higher in life.