Trump's adrift as multiple rats jump ship at miserable White House
While there is no doubt that Trump lives primarily in his own world of unicorns and devotion from nearly all, he apparently keeps at least one foot grounded in reality — a reality even he understands to be on the brink of breaking him.
Given that, Trump is reacting in predictable ways. After all, he has far more on the line than a simple election loss.
The result is a workplace environment that would get one sued in any other situation. And he has different rats, jumping the same ship.
The New York Times' Maggie Haberman has twice emphasized that White House staffers now understand they're walking on eggshells, with fear of flung china. Not just because the boss is mad; it is just as likely the boss is mad at them. According to Haberman, Trump is "not in a great place with his staff."
Most, or at least many, people want to move on.
Such a dynamic presents a major danger to any administration. To Trump, it might literally break the presidency beneath him.
There is the presumption that the people leaving carry a ton of secrets — stuff that hasn't yet leaked due to fear of lie detector tests. The concern about secrets spilling at the same time an inchoate Democratic Congress spelling change should be enough to chase a ton of people away, even if they could put up with the temper tantrums.
To Trump, there's another level of danger. Susie Wiles has run a tight ship with the most committed MAGA talent available. That competence now sees that working in the White House past this point may be weighing down resumes instead of the ultimate rocket it was once considered. Now note that the next level of possible hires understands the same thing. Wiles may be left literally having to hire the third string, and third stringers don't keep secrets as well, make mistakes the public sees immediately, and much, much more.
“Most people have decided that they want to go do something else.” On CNN, Haberman described the White House as “not a happy environment,” connecting some of Trump's frustration to the prolonged Iran war, leaks, and other problems confronting the administration. Haberman did add an important qualification: turnover has actually been lower than during Trump's first term, and the approach of a midterm election is traditionally a time when White House officials begin considering their exits.
So who is leaving? Just an assortment of folks one needs hanging around to get things done and protect that ship. For example, legislative-affairs director James Braid jumped the railing as the orchestra played. That's the main guy coordinating the White House and Congress communication and direction. The departure could prove deadly, since no one — and wow, meaning no one — needs Congress on the same page as much as Trump.
Struggling to believe Braid is that big a loss? Trump called him "critical" just recently. Well, now one will note how the White House responds to the loss of "critical" personnel; it could easily lead to a critical situation.
Joining Braid is Patrick Adams — deputy assistant to the president and White House press adviser, leaving in the last week. Wiles promoted Adams in the last year for his talent in preparing White House officials facing the press and their questions. Kinda weird, but Trump praised Adams on the way out, maybe, just maybe, as a sign to others that they're respected and needed.
The trouble for Trump is that his ratings and respect are in such a nosedive that that very same appreciation and respect may actually weigh down future prospects. Tough to tell: "He still liked you? You didn't protest inside?"
Another bail comes from an unexpected source and makes very little sense unless one is trying to protect a law license. Joseph diGenova, DOJ special prosecutor, resigned Sept. 10. Now, this isn't the highest White House position, but he may have had the most devastating anti-Democratic agenda. DiGenova combed the crumbs, trying to find enough "evidence" to prosecute those who sought to prosecute Trump. And he left with a vague: “It was an honor and privilege to serve the president and the department.”
Dude was five months into his job and perhaps worried about a five-year layoff from a law license. There is another, perhaps underreported, reason he may have left. Trump charged this man with the duty to prosecute his political enemies. It is not hard to envision diGenova thinking in the back of his mind, "If I come up with nothin' but bull spit and prosecute anyway, the next administration puts me first on the prosecution list.
Last, there's Paige Willey, deputy director of the National Economic Council/deputy assistant to the president, leaving at the end of the month. The White House called her a "loss for the entire team," but she's getting out while she still can to be a principal at Invariant. Willey represents the exact type of staffer who may have been looking at White House work, especially economic work, beginning to become an anchor on a resume, even among and amidst MAGA private sector.
So that's that, at least with accumulating rats. If you look at the folks packing their boxes, there's a striking correlation between job description and Trump fury. A guy who couldn't get Congress to play along with everything Trump demanded, someone who prepared others to play the press (must be a real, real issue with Trump booting MS NOW, CNN, and Politico), a guy who was supposed to play Trump enemies, and a woman involved in playing numbers within economic policy.
If you had to make a list of issues currently not playing for Trump, making the White House a particularly ugly environment, it would be awfully tough to find a better evidentiary sample platter. A buffet perhaps, served as the U.S.S. Titrumptic takes on water.
Speaking of which. If Trump ever had reason to toss plates into walls, it'd be today or tomorrow, over understanding what his ratings mean going into the midterms. Given that the man is not known for patience, calm, or discernment, he is surely acting out as he always has.
As has been said here repeatedly, Trump's only true north is that things always get more extreme. Surely his staff knows better than anyone. If the White House is ugly, terrifying, loud, and smelly now, wait until after the midterms. Maybe this time it's a ketchup bottle, banging off two gold eagles on the way to the wall.
It seems staffers sure know it. Given the context, there soon may be more ship than rats.
Jason Miciak is a Raw Story Columnist, a former editor at Occupy Democrats, author, consultant, attorney, and single parent girldad. Please follow on Bluesky, and he can be reached at jasonmiciak@gmail.com