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Ciboski: Uncontrollable Commander-In-Chief?

White House

Since Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, his inner circle of trusted advisors has decreased. This past week, Hope Hicks, who was like a daughter to the president, was the fourth communications director to leave the administration. His son-in-law, Jared Kushner, was stripped of high-level security clearance because of potential conflicts of interest. A question now could be: Who wants to work in the White House and have their reputation damaged?

The president continues to be unhappy with Robert Mueller’s investigation. This past week, he fulminated on issues such as gun control and sprung his proposal for trade tariffs, which roiled the stock market. He also said that trade wars are good and easy to win. He startled many in his own party with support for several Democratic gun control proposals and said, most disturbingly, take guns first from mentally unstable people and then follow that with due process.

Senator John Thune of South Dakota said, “There is no standard operating practice with this administration. Every day is a new adventure for us.”

Questions have been raised about the mental fitness of Trump. White House operatives observed that he slurred his speech when he announced that Jerusalem would be the capital of Israel.

When Trump tweeted several weeks ago about the size and potency of his nuclear button, 100 mental health professionals signed their names in a statement saying the president was unraveling in ways that contribute to his belligerent nuclear threats. They urged those around him and elected officials to restrain his impulsive behavior in making decisions that could lead to a potential nuclear catastrophe that would endanger the entire world.

White House aides describe a White House with the air of anxiety and volatility. The question on the minds of many is: Do we have an uncontrollable commander-in-chief at its center?

Dr. Ken Ciboski is an associate professor emeritus of political science at Wichita State University.