This Is How Donald Trump Thinks the U.S. Government Works

[DonViejo]

And why his supporters should care about it.

By MATT LATIMER October 08, 2017

Shortly after the White House released the outlines of its tax proposal, President Donald Trump railed on Twitter against Democrats who opposed it, noting that his “Tax Cut and Reform Bill” was winning “great reviews.” Except that there wasn’t an actual tax cut and reform bill pending in Congress yet for Democrats to support or oppose. The legislation hadn’t been introduced. What the White House put forward was just a framework to be filled in during the normal bargaining process on Capitol Hill.

That was after the president tweeted that the “approval process” for his tax reform package would soon begin, which, again, is not how Congress works. The House of Representatives will introduce its own bill, incorporating some of the president’s priorities to be sure, but there will be no formal process of approval for what he’s proposed. Some of his preferred policies might not make it into the final bill at all.

It’s possible the president knew all this, that his tweets were merely inelegant phrasing, and in any event we all can get the gist of what he meant. Then again, it’s also possible, and indeed there is ample evidence, that the president of the United States really doesn’t understand the constitutional process, or even American history, much at all. This is a man, after all, who at the age of 70 seemed surprised to learn that Abraham Lincoln was a Republican.

So here’s a weird question—weird since in our current political culture the answer is unknown: Does it matter whether or not the president of the United States understands how the Constitution that elected him works? Many Americans simply don’t seem to care about that question—which I suppose says a great deal about how much we expect from presidents these days. Or, conversely, how much faith our country has lost in any of our leaders that the bar has fallen so low.

Actually it really should matter to Trump’s supporters that their champion does not seem to understand how the constitutional process works—if, that is, they actually want to accomplish any of their stated goals. For anyone who still cares about such petty matters as separation of powers and representative democracy, it might be instructive to see just how far our country’s chief executive is from understanding them.

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http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/08/donald-trump-government-215691?lo=ap_c1

[Stuart G]

1. k and r...no text

[genxlib]

2. Of course it matters.

But what matters about it is that his supporters understand it even less. Which makes his incorrect view seem brilliant to them.

That is the hell we are stuck in.

[Lindsay]

3. I've suspected from the beginning

that Trump believes (I can't bring myself to call it thinking) that the president gives orders and everyone else obeys unquestioningly. And he gets to throw fits if that doesn't happen.

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. I believe it.

for 2 reasons:

First, he is known to act exactly like that in his business life, according to many reports.
He is reported to have an intense micro-managing style and a very short fuse, has tantrums, throws things, yells, bullies, and impulsively fires staff. Now we are hearing of the same behavior in the WH.

2nd, he has always wanted to be a king, in the sense of how storybook kings act. Marla Maples reported he often spoke of that, and his father encouraged him in that idea.

[DK504]

4. The Moron doesn't have a clue how any of this works.

Not one bit. He gave money to candidates, they kissed the ring and now they realize he is actually insane.

[world wide wally]

5. Never even hypothesize that Trump knows shit about anything beyond scamming

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. More important is that Trump's supporters should not be bigots

That's the fundamental problem with them, not that they don't care that Trump knows how to run a government properly. They didn't elect him to run the government properly; they elected him to hurt the people they hate - Mexicans, Muslims, uppity women and blacks, and liberals. They're happy with Trump picking someone who can work out how to use government to cause that pain, even if Trump can't work out exactly how to do it himself. As long as the guy at the top shares the hate, it'll work for them.

[MineralMan]

7. I'm sure he has very little idea of how it all works.

[annabanana]

8. A) He has no clue , and, B) They don't care. . . . . .n/t

[Golden Raisin]

10. I would be surprised if he has ever actually

sat down and read the Constitution. Not that he would care. He thinks he is King/Emperor.