What did Donald Trump do today?
He denied knowing about his staff's attempts to keep him from throwing a tantrum in Japan—which means it worked.
Today, Trump tweeted this:
The USS John S. McCain is a destroyer, currently undergoing repairs in its home port of Yokosuka Naval Base near Japan. It was originally named for the late Senator McCain's father and grandfather, who were both senior naval officials. Last year, shortly before Sen. McCain's death, it was rededicated to include him as a namesake as well.
Trump hated McCain and has continued to become enraged by him even after his death. According to the Wall Street Journal, the White House Military Office issued orders to the Navy to move the ship or conceal its name from Trump's sight, who visited the base to appear on a different ship.
There were discussions within the U.S. military over the past week about how to handle the warship, another U.S. official said. The ship is being repaired after a 2017 collision, and any ship undergoing such repair or maintenance would be difficult to move, officials said. A tarp was hung over the ship’s name ahead of the president’s trip, according to photos reviewed by the Journal, and sailors were directed to remove any coverings from the ship that bore its name. After the tarp was taken down, a barge was moved closer to the ship, obscuring its name. Navy officials acknowledge the barge was moved but said it was not moved to obscure the name of the ship. Sailors on the ship, who typically wear caps bearing its name, were given the day off during Mr. Trump’s visit, people familiar with the matter said.
This does not mean that Trump is lying about being out of the loop, though. His staff routinely goes to extraordinary lengths to manage his emotional state. Among other things, his subordinates have:
- tricked him into canceling meetings with newspapers they felt he wasn't ready for
- misled him about the content of the bills he signed
- hid negative coverage about him from him, and then told the press that they did so
- written anonymous editorials in the New York Times promising Americans that they are working to keep his worst impulses in check
- tailored intelligence briefings so that they won't upset him
- given him specially curated "briefings" of flattering coverage, twice a day, to keep him in a good mood, and
- made sure that he doesn't have to eat "strange" food when on diplomatic visits to places that don't normally serve well-done steaks.
Who cares?
- Someone this emotionally fragile isn't up to the job of being president.
- It's bad if the president's staff feels the need to emotionally manipulate him just to get him through the day.
- It's very bad if the president's staff can emotionally manipulate him.