Donald Trump's decision to make himself the main character in every major effort by his administration runs the risk that he will make himself the central target of blame if any of those initiatives go south.
According to a report from the Washington Post, the president's decision to take federal control of the policing in Washington, D.C. is just another item he placed on his to-do list that includes negotiating with China on AI chip sales and brokering peace between Russia and Ukraine -- all of which could blow up in his face.
As the Post's Naftali Bendavid and Abha Bhattarai wrote, "Trump’s personal involvement has been most striking when it comes to the economy, where he acts as a sort of super-CEO, becoming involved in companies’ individual deals and personnel decisions."
That led Douglas Holtz-Eakin, chief economist of the Council of Economic Advisers under President George W. Bush, to warn, "He owns all of it. He doesn’t even delegate it to Cabinet secretaries that he can fire if it doesn’t go well. He now owns crime in D.C. He owns peace in the Middle East. He owns a Ukrainian ceasefire … I would never advise a president to take ownership of so many things.”
One Trump adviser also urged caution.
“I’m all in favor of the things President Trump is doing to make America’s economy strong again, but we want the government and the business community to be at arm’s length from each other,” Stephen Moore admitted. "With good economic policy, you want to put into place policies that will benefit all businesses, without creating winners and losers. The White House needs to steer clear of any idea that they’re picking favorites.”
The report added, "The ultimate success or failure of Trump’s approach remains uncertain, although many economists say his aggressive tactics on tariffs and unpredictable approach generally are creating a drag on the economy that is likely to intensify."
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