Donald Trump: get ready for him to say he knew nothing about all the Russian chicanery
Sad and bad news for the Breitbart gang running the world’s worst crazy populist news outlet. Steve Bannon, their onetime overlord and key advisor to President Donald Trump, looks a good deal less key now after his removal from the National Security Council. Reports in Washington say he had only been put there to keep an eye on Michael Flynn, the “lock her up” chap who has now resigned and is under investigation. And there is nothing to see here, apparently. Yeah, right!
Bannon’s demotion does raise another issue, however.
What will Trump do as the net closes on allegations of collusion during the election with the Russian government? Trump is a reality TV star and a skilled performer, even if he does appear to be melting under the spotlight and the strain of getting the most public and humiliating lesson ever in how governing requires a different set of skills from commerce. My money is on him making an audacious switch, with Trump soon presenting himself as the wounded, baffled party.
A press conference, sometime soon:
Reporter: “Mr President, sir. Do you have any response to the latest extraordinary revelations from Michael Flynn about Russia?”
Trump: “I had no idea this was going on. Really. No idea. I’m as shocked as you are.”
Reporter: “Wait. What? This was going on under your nose and you saw nothing.”
Trump: “Look, I’m a trusting guy. I like people. I trust people I like. People like me. I’m open to people because I am a people person. Y’know what people say? He’s such a great boss, so great, but you learn that not all people can be good. Lotta people are not good. Some people are bad. So bad. These seemed like good people to me, and y’know why do you want to be at war with Russia?”
Reporter: “I don’t. I’m simply asking how on earth your campaign and White House could have been so riddled with foreign influence?”
Trump: “We gotta get to the bottom of this. I am shocked at what I see on the shows, and what you guys are writing, about what they were doing, but I had no idea. We will find out what’s been going on, and then we will be so tough. So tough. And so smart.”
And so on… and quite a lot of his supporters will buy it.