Trump vexed by challenges, scale of government (Politico): Being president is harder than he thought

[highplainsdem]

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/donald-trump-challenges-governing-presidency-234879

Being president is harder than Donald Trump thought, according to aides and allies who say that he’s growing increasingly frustrated with the challenges of running the massive federal bureaucracy.

In interviews, nearly two dozen people who’ve spent time with Trump in the three weeks since his inauguration said that his mood has careened between surprise and anger as he’s faced the predictable realities of governing, from congressional delays over his cabinet nominations and legal fights holding up his aggressive initiatives to staff in-fighting and leaks.

The administration’s rocky opening days have been a setback for a president who, as a billionaire businessman, sold himself to voters as being uniquely qualified to fix what ailed the nation. Yet it has become apparent, say those close to the president, most of whom requested anonymity to describe the inner workings of the White House, that the transition from overseeing a family business to running the country has been tough on him.

Trump often asks simple questions about policies, proposals and personnel. And, when discussions get bogged down in details, the president has been known to quickly change the subject — to "seem in control at all times," one senior government official said — or direct questions about details to his chief strategist Steve Bannon, his son-in-law Jared Kushner or House Speaker Paul Ryan. Trump has privately expressed disbelief over the ability of judges, bureaucrats or lawmakers to delay — or even stop — him from filling positions and implementing policies.

-snip-

The president and his allies believe career NSC staff assigned from other agencies are out to get them. In turn, some NSC staff believe Trump does not possess the capacity for detail and nuance required to handle the sensitive issues discussed on the calls, and that he has politicized their agency by appointing chief strategist Bannon to the council.

-snip-

[50 Shades Of Blue]

1. LOSER!!! SAD!!!

[gademocrat7]

2. SCROTUS is an incompetent bafoon.

He and his cabal need to be impeached.

[Achilleaze]

3. The Pence of Darkness & KristoKronies lie waiting in the shadows

[Girard442]

4. Thanks, Comey.

I can only hope you receive a reward commensurate with your service.

[Cha]

10. Yes, a reward commensurate

to what he foisted on the world.

A fool reality show "star"

[Gothmog]

5. Trump is an idiot and had no idea as to what was involved in being POTUS

[Snarkoleptic]

6. He has no idea what it's like to put in a day's work, let alone at this level.

I maintain he never wanted the job and knows he's over his head.
Keep up the resistance and he'll crack!

[dalton99a]

7. It's a piece of cake

[Stellar]

8. His handlers should tell 45 and his fanbase that being the president (not the king)

is far more difficult than being a businessman.

[Cha]

9. It's not for dummies. But, the dummies voted in a

gd reality show "star" who's dumber than they are.. I don't care how much he brags about how much he "knows".

[LakeArenal]

11. It would be amusing if it weren't so deplorable.

[Lanius]

12. Gee, you can't run the federal government like a business, go figure!

Although, admittedly, Trump is a crappy businessman.

[FiveGoodMen]

18. You could direct that at the entire US population

We should never try to run the government like a business.

Businesses aren't democracies.

And government agencies shouldn't be there to make a profit off of the population.

But America has been sold this hogwash since Reagan.

And most have swallowed it.

[Solly Mack]

13. Short and sweet: Trump is not qualified to be president.

Duh

[Johonny]

14. This was so obvious during the actual election, who is actually surprised by these reports?

The dude can't do the job. No one around him can. They all are either;
1) morons
2) ideologues
3) sycophants
4) grifters
5) pure insane

That's him, his family, and his cabinet. Good freaking luck with that lot even running a banana republic.

[UCmeNdc]

15. This is the classic definition of what the phrase "being incompetent" means.

And no one still has really examined Trump's ties to Russia with any seriousness.

[dae]

16. Being a Bully is hard work...

[eppur_se_muova]

17. Any job that requires thinking is harder than it looks.

45 wouldn't think about things like that, so it took him by surprise.