About eight years ago, reports began circulating in Washington that the Trump administration was descending into chaos. One telling sign is the rapid turnover of aides close to the president. Within months, Trump had replaced his chief of staff, national security adviser, press secretary and presidential adviser. Ultimately, over the course of four years, Trump will replace four chiefs of staff, four national security advisers, four press secretaries and five presidential advisers.
In addition to the rapid turnover, those who worked with Trump during his first term described his anarchic governing style. He refused to read briefings before meeting government leaders and simply “facilitated” important negotiations. He only read a one-page summary, and even then it was filled with maps, photos, and diagrams. He ignored the advice of his advisers and instead embraced the messaging (or misinformation) of Fox News and extreme social media posts. He sets policy on his own through tweets, not through consultation with others.
Aides who spoke on condition of anonymity for obvious reasons recalled that Trump spent hours a day watching television, often Fox News, and then impulsively quit meetings in which he felt bored. As a result, his governing style has oscillated between a lack of interest and sudden bursts of intense activity. In short, he didn’t notice until suddenly it became clear to him that a policy he didn’t like was being enacted without him. In 2018, for example, when a government shutdown loomed, he intervened at the last minute to insist that ongoing solutions include funding for a border wall with Mexico. One aide said Trump is an “instinctive and reactive” leader.
His aides revealed that he has a very short attention span. They admitted that when he made unreasonable demands, they would distract him with other things in the hope that he would forget the order he had just given. A reporter discovered that Trump was tweeting live to Fox News and basing his agenda on Fox News’ reporting.
Political scientist David Drezner analyzed comments from Trump aides and supporters, comparing Trump to a child who loses his temper if he doesn’t get his way and has a short attention span. , if it is not presented in an extremely simple way, there will be no interest in learning. Drezner said his aides would treat Trump like a child, using reverse psychology on him (telling him he couldn’t do things they really wanted him to do) and keeping him busy so he wouldn’t have time to speak out. Tweet and provide him with a simple message.
Another trait his aides discovered was his deep insecurity. The verbal briefings with which he was most concerned were those in which his name was mentioned repeatedly. He is in constant need of praise. When media reports raised criticism, the meeting was filled with complements and reinforcements. An aide explained that Trump did not want to hear any objections to what he had said publicly.
Trump’s defenders say his chaotic management style is designed to draw attention to government dysfunction. But is this really about improving government? Or is this just a reflection of Trump’s personality?
Those who know Trump best warned us years ago what he was like. Most voters ignored their warnings. So let’s prepare together for the next four years, not of government reform, but of dysfunction and chaos.
Richard Davis is professor emeritus of political science at Brigham Young University.
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