March 1, 2018

It’s Just Another Day on “As the White House Turns”

Kevin Dietsch/CNP via ZUMA

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Another cunning plan bites the dust:

The planned announcement had been kept secret from many senior White House officials in an effort to prevent a huge backlash that could sway Trump at the last second.

This is all about trade policy. Apparently a small cabal within the White House was pushing Trump to announce new tariffs on steel and aluminum today, but kept it a secret from everyone else. When everyone else found out, the shit hit the fan and the announcement died a quick death.

What a way to run a White House. It’s like watching all the amateur schemers on Survivor. I thought John Kelly was supposed to clean up this kind of thing, but as near as I can tell he’s just decided to join one cabal or another for each of these little spats.

UPDATE: After telling the press that today’s announcement would be only about “general trade issues,” Trump decided to announce the new tariffs after all. I guess after getting his ear at the last second, someone else got his ear just a few milliseconds later. So tariffs it shall be.

What a circus.

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