Trump won't be able to buy his way out of trouble this time - By Ruth Marcus

[DonViejo]

By Ruth Marcus Deputy editorial page editor March 15 at 7:37 PM

Over the years, Donald Trump honed what seemed like a foolproof method for bad behavior with few consequences: Bully and buy your way out of trouble. A favorite Trump tactic, whether you were a Trump Organization employee, Trump campaign aide or Trump wife, involved the nondisclosure agreement, with the accompanying threat of litigation for daring to spill his secrets. But this approach doesn’t work for presidents. Alas for Trump, presidents can’t impose such agreements on their aides or, increasingly in the case of this administration, former aides. And the gusher of departures increasingly and exponentially raises the risk for Trump. Some of them are going to start to talk — yes, even more than they did, anonymously, when they still worked for him.

So you might have thought that Trump, who has been wary throughout his career about the damage that exes (ex-employees, ex-wives) could do, would be more careful about how he has gone about axing senior officials — most recently and ignominiously Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, dumped in a manner calculated to impose maximum humiliation.

Note to the president: If you fire the guy by tweet before you deign to pick up the phone to tell him yourself, don’t be surprised if he turns around and spills the beans on you and your administration.

And here’s the thing: Tillerson is no Stormy Daniels. Nor are former White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon, former chief of staff Reince Priebus, former press secretary Sean Spicer, former staff secretary Rob Porter, former who-knows-what-she-did-there Omarosa Manigault-Newman — or any others on the growing list of formers canned with a minimum of presidential grace and a potential goody bag overflowing with problematic stories. Some of them deserved the kick to the curb of Pennsylvania Avenue, but that’s not the point. The point is that they can’t be stopped from talking.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-wont-be-able-to-buy-his-way-out-of-trouble-this-time/2018/03/15/ddc1959e-2883-11e8-bc72-077aa4dab9ef_story.html

[PatSeg]

1. Yep, Marcus sums it up nicely

Watching Trump berate and humiliate people at a record pace, I wondered if he really thought none of them would retaliate. He was inviting them to expose him. Roy Cohn taught him long ago how to threaten, sue, and bully his victims, but unfortunately Trump is incapable of learning new tricks. His corrupt business practices don't translate well to governing and presidents live under constant scrutiny.

Trump is like a reckless and willful child, with no regard for the consequences of his actions, but that will soon change. He has made a lot of enemies, who will gladly help bring him down.

[luvtheGWN]

4. I suggest it would be an honour

to have been fired by Trump! Tillerson may choose retirement but I doubt any of the others who have been fired will be reluctant to put working at the White House on their CV's. And if they can all write their memoirs about this most hellish of American historical times, then they'll all die wealthy.

[PatSeg]

10. For what so many of them have endured,

they deserve tell-all memoirs. Personally, I think they should have all known better, as Trump never pretended to be something he wasn't - what you see is what you get. Many of them being opportunistic conservatives, I'm sure they'll find many ways to benefit from a really bad experience and I wouldn't hold it against them.

[Texin]

2. Until it has actual consequences for him - I don't believe it.

The rethugs have demonstrated over and over again that they are supine in the midst of this constant shit storm. I absolutely and fully expect that he will fire Sessions, and anyone and everyone else he has to in order to sack Mueller and stop this ongoing investigation. Then he'll start issuing pardons to those who've already plead guilty to charges and preemptively pardoning those who are awaiting trial. They will do absolutely nothing to stop him and his incessant march of madness and totally corrupt and morally bankrupt agenda.

[tblue37]

6. He cannot pardon state charges, and he and his family--as well as Manafort and some others--

will undoubtedly face state charges in New York, Maryland, and possibly Virginia.

[getagrip_already]

8. no, but state ag's can be bullied and bribed, not to mention...

voted out of office, especially if something criminal comes up against them. What trump has now is a doj that is almost to the point where it will attack his enemies just because he said to.

Also, governors can pardon just like presidents can. Maryland currently has a R governor. Virginia flips every few years. New york isn't a long term hold either.

It's a backstop, but not a long term one or even a sure thing.

[GallopingGhost]

7. Legitimate concerns,

given his past history of getting away with things.

This is a different ball game with a whole new set of players.

Don't forget the old adage, He who laughs last laughs best.

Robert Mueller hasn't laughed yet.

[RainCaster]

3. I love it

This is something he hasn't learned. Too bad that he is too stupid to learn new tricks. He will lie and bluster his way into history as the most inept and corrupt government official that the modern world has known. Caligula may top him, but not even Duterte can approach his ineptitude.

[cstanleytech]

5. Tillerson can only spill the beans if he actually has something to spill though.

[0rganism]

9. the author kind of glosses over his natural next approach

"...Bully and buy your way out of trouble." when the "buy" goes away, what's left?

and Trump's Russian boss knows a lot of effective ways to bully. if two or three of his potential allies-cum-critics (unavoidable double entendre in Stormy's case) should have unfortunate accidents befall them and/or their immediate families, i fully expect that wellspring of critical commentary to dry up real quick. with the possible exception of Ms. Clifford, we're not exactly talking about Great Profiles in Courage here.

nothing is certain. all is in flux.