Lies, half-truths and the foggy statistics of trust in the Trump White House
Kevin Rafferty says the resignation of Michael Flynn amid yet another intelligence leak sparks deeper questions about the reality-TV-like running of Washington’s centre of power and its links to Russia
Is there an adult in the White House? Is there a single honest person in the swamp of Washington now presided over by President Donald J. Trump?
Flynn’s undoing, supposedly, was not to tell the whole truth to Vice-President Mike Pence, who went on CBS’ Face the Nation to assure the world that Flynn had not discussed sanctions in his telephone conversations with Sergey Kisylak, Russia’s ambassador in Washington.
On the fateful resignation day, Kellyanne Conway, a senior adviser close to Trump, claimed that Flynn had the full confidence of the president. An hour and six minutes later, Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, said that Trump was “evaluating” Flynn’s position.
Spicer was right, and Flynn quit – admitting only that he had “inadvertently briefed the vice president-elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador.” At a press briefing, Spicer said Trump asked Flynn to resign because of an erosion of trust – not because any laws were broken.
White House press secretary’s falsehoods were ‘alternative facts’, says Trump aide Kellyanne Conway
So, drama and fun over, and let’s all move on. That seems to be the attitude of leading Republicans. Trump himself resorted to a habitual tweet to lament: “The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington?”
Trump is correct to highlight leaks because the full story might not have come out without digging by reporters, notably on the Washington Post and New York Times, aided by critical commentary on CNN and other media.
Some Republicans want deeper probe of White House’s Russia links after Flynn’s resignation
One real question concerns the way the White House is being run, sometimes as if its principals are auditioning for a skit on Saturday Night Live. Melissa McCarthy captured Sean Spicer brilliantly, much to the anger of Trump, who clearly has a problem with women in drag. Impersonator Alec Baldwin indeed seems more presidential than Trump himself.
Watch: Melissa McCarthy on Saturday Night Live
All administrations have teething problems in making the transition from free-for-all campaigning to serious governing. But, in the Trump regime, there are many people competing for the president’s ear and a slice of power, almost like rehearsals for The Apprentice.
Stephen Miller, a 31-year-old political operative never elected to office, who has the title of senior adviser to the president, went on weekend television shows to give a chilling and unblinking defence of Trump and warning the media of Trump’s powers. It was reminiscent of the propaganda departments of the worst totalitarian countries of the 1950s and 1960s. Trump praised Miller’s performances, saying “Congratulations, Stephen Miller. Great job.”
Watch: “The president’s powers are beyond question,” says Stephen Miller
Talk of totalitarian regimes raises the other leading question of why Flynn was talking to the Russian ambassador and at whose behest.
Instead, on December 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would not retaliate and invited children from the US embassy to a Christmas party. Trump tweeted his praise of Putin.
The obvious questions are, if Flynn discussed sanctions with the Russian ambassador – as the resigning Flynn admitted – at whose behest was he doing it and what did he promise? Was there at least a nod and wink that the new president would roll back sanctions? It seems unthinkable that a freelance or rogue Flynn would need more than a single phone call.
Kevin Rafferty has reported from Washington under six US president from the 1970s onwards