This quiz will test your knowledge of how President Trump feels about his present and former cabinet members. The initial comments by former cabinet members are raw, honest, and thought-provoking. Many of their comments and opinions about working with the POTUS are not flattering to someone who relishes in adulation and flattery. Getting back to Trump, how would he respond to such comments? I’ve included 8 questions and there are 5 available responses. Just realize there’s no such thing as a wrong answer. The challenge is to find the answer most closely aligned to what he’d initially say or tweet about.
1. Former Secretary of Defense, General Mattis mentioned in June ’20 that President Trump is a divider and not one who unites us and said, “He’s trying to make a mockery of the Constitution. Mind you, Generals typically don’t weigh in on political matters so Mattis must realize over half the country is not being served by our POTUS. I know DJT will not let this go without responding so what would be his response?
1. Lousy general
2. Incompetent administrator
3. Overrated general
4. Not much of a mind, even towards the military
5. Loser
2. Former Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, was quoted calling President Trump a ‘fucking moron’ while still part of the administration. Mind you, Trump hired him as Secretary of State but Tillerson’s specialty was primarily in the business space so perhaps he didn’t have the necessary skill set to effectively do his job. How would President Trump respond to Mr. Tillerson's comments?
1. Lousy hire
2. Poor civil servant
3. Unable to make a deal
4. Not the mental capacity needed to get anything done
5. Loser
3. What if former White House Chief of Staff for President Trump, General John Kelly, confirmed general Mattis’ assessment (see above), what would Donald John Trump’s response be?
1. Way over his head
2. Dumb as a rock
3. Not mentally qualified
4. Poor civil servant
5. Loser
4. What if current, Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, is fired later on this year? I wonder if Pompeo would be ‘open lipped’ about his time in the White House and general interactions – especially so close to Presidential Elections. If so, what would be the response of our POTUS?
1. Fat
2. Lacks mental capacity
3. Never Liked the Guy
4. Can’t make a deal
5. Loser
5. Former Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, also served in the Trump administration. Trump was unhappy about Sessions rescuing himself to prevent any perception of bias in the investigation. This didn't sit well with the president; he wanted total autonomy and didn't want to deal with the possible transgressions done by the Trump associates before the election. Guess what Donald’s response be?
1. Unprepared
2. Disloyal
3. Dumb as a rock (quick question, what is our last president who used that expression in the public sphere)?
4. Someone who doesn’t protect me
5. Loser
6. Excerpts from former national security adviser, John Bolton’s impeding book about a time in the White House said of Trump, "unfit for office." Is that the truth or is he merely trying to sell books? I wonder what our POTUS response would be.
1. Incompetent
2. Sick Puppy
3. Never Liked the Guy
4. Wacko
5. Loser
7. Former Homeland Security adviser, Tom Bossert, was deeply concerned about Trump’s call with the Ukrainian President. What was Trump’s response be to his former Homeland Security advisor?
1. Incompetent
2. Poor civil servant
3. Disloyal
4. Unprepared
5. Loser
8. Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci didn’t hold back about Trump late last year, calling him a “traitor to the USA.” What was the response by our POTUS?
1. Unable to last long
2. Disloyal
3. Airbag
4. Not competent
5. Loser
As readers are probably aware, President Trump always gets the last word. He can’t accept any criticism, even the constructive variety, without going on the attack. Many examples are listed above in these 8 questions. Before the election, some astute observers wondered how well would he run the country if he’s unable to handle any criticism in his previous business dealings. Whether as a big-shot real estate investor or as president, his modus operandi hasn’t changed at all since he’s become an adult. From a self-help perspective, feedback and constructive criticism can be useful to help someone see the flaws in one’s communication or management style. Many of his former government servants have poorly characterized Trump, “Poor attention span, changes his mind often, is often irritable, doesn’t have a specific policy agenda, etc.” Many former cabinet members have tried diligently to change Trump’s impulse and irrationality, rarely succeeding. Trump complains that many of his hires have not worked out. Imagine that. If you treat your staff poorly and often without respect and demanded full obedience with what I do or say, White House morale slips away like light raindrops off oak leaves. I must add a serious question (with a straight face), “Who made those hires?
Wasn’t it the President himself?” One needs to realize that his administration has had the highest turnover of any administration over the last 50 years. Why so much turnover? A few things, Trump doesn't hire well, lacks the effort to improve staff communication, and is essentially unbelievably difficult to work for, even for a year or two. Does our POTUS understand this situation? If so, does he care? The cost to taxpayers for this continual high turnover is not immaterial. Indeed, I have not heard one cable news program ever mention this during the Trump administration and I’m not sure why. Gosh, how do you find out the cost of hiring and firing one individual within this administration? Besides the financial costs, which could be quantified, what about a more important question: America’s reputation in the world? If you logically look at the fact that Trump is good at developing and building real estate, couldn’t he apply that same approach to his administration? The opposite is true. He's good at tearing up treaties, alliances, and relationships among his allies. The results of this are much harder to quantify and begs a question, what will it take to repair these relationships with our former allies with a new administration? Are you tired of winning yet?