In King Lear, the title character rages through his palace in what’s been described as "near-fairytale narcissism," but at least he seems to be concerned about his own behavior.
LEAR: O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven. Keep me in temper: I would not be mad!
Donald Trump doesn’t seem … quite so restrained. Over the last week, as Trump succeeded in driving from the White House even the woman he supposedly considered his “real daughter,” his anger over his inability to bring an end to the Russia investigation and frustration over what he perceives as disloyalty has left him not just screaming at the staff, but throwing out policies with no consideration of consequence. Trump’s friends have described his state as “Pure madness,” while legislators liken the erratic resident of the Oval Office to “a pinball machine.”
After more than a year of the Trump presidency, members of Congress have learned to brace themselves for unpredictable, confusing and often contradictory positions from the commander in chief on issues ranging from health care to immigration to gun rights.
Erratic, unreliable, and untrustworthy are just a few of the terms being directed at Trump from both sides of the aisle as he bounces between positions on gun safety and pursues a trade war with allies. Meanwhile, Trump wraps himself more deeply in layers of isolation and protection from anyone who might do anything to point out the ridiculousness of his statements
Rather than trying to project an air of accessibility, Trump has unapologetically stuck to his insular White House life, avoiding and more or less eliminating the optics of the president appearing in public as a citizen.
Trump’s course over the last few weeks might be described as a downward spiral, but that descent already started from the bottom of a pit formed from privilege and egoism. And while it might be interesting to watch a descent from madness to even more madness if it was confined to the stage, Trump’s aberrant actions are playing out in the real world, with real-world consequences.
In the past week, Trump’s actions on guns have only made the prospect of real chance more confusing. At the same time, his unilateral actions on trade have done nothing to assist American industry, but plenty to infuriate American allies. And Trump has responded to every complaint by simply pulling the gold curtain down more firmly.
“President Trump has never lived a governing life before the White House. When you lead an institution and you have to govern, you create a climate of invitation. You invite people to be part of the initiative rather than dictate,” said Andy Card, former chief of staff to President George W. Bush. “If you come from the background of running a private company without a challenging board of directors or shareholders, that is much different than having to build coalitions. That has been a challenge for him.”
It’s not a challenge—because Trump is doing nothing to meet it. His isolation and unreliability is such that Republicans are moving on without him.
“The president has two powers under the Constitution: One is to sign legislation. One is to veto legislation,” [John Cornyn] said. “Obviously, he’s important. But the executive is not the primary policymaker. It’s the Congress.”
Of course, none of them are willing to call Trump on his actions. Meanwhile, Trump sinks into a fantasyland that’s ever more distant from reality.
Trump has been asking people close to him whether they think Kushner or his company has done anything wrong, according to a senior administration official. Two advisers said the president repeatedly tells aides that the Russia investigation will not ensnare him — even as it ensnares others around him — and that he thinks the American people are finally starting to conclude that the Democrats, as opposed to his campaign, colluded with the Russians.