In retrospect, one of Trump’s most revealing statements occurred during the campaign, when he responded to a question about Putin’s atrocities by pointing out that the US isn’t so pure either. You might think that was Trump showing his knowledge of Noam Chomsky. I doubt it—Trump doesn’t read. Instead, I believe that Trump gets his ideas from Hollywood films. In real life, the President doesn’t order the CIA or NSA to go around assassinating America politicians, journalists and businessmen who oppose him. The CIA doesn’t kill President Kennedy. But in Hollywood all of these things do occur, as the big, faceless, amoral and powerful federal government makes an almost perfect villain. Trump confuses movies with real life, and actually thinks the US government is as amoral as what is portrayed in films, as amoral as Putin’s government. Thus Trump is surprised when the generals tell him he can’t just drop nuclear bombs on people he doesn’t like, and we can’t just steal Iraq’s oil.
Trump is a spoiled billionaire, who doesn’t have a sense of what things “just aren’t done.”
Trump thought the Dems would be elated by his firing of Comey, because many Democrats had called for the same—outraged by the FBI director’s treatment of Hillary in the final stages of the campaign. What Trump didn’t understand is that certain things just aren’t done. And one of those taboos is firing the head of the FBI because you are angry that he is investigating links between the Russian government and some of your top campaign officials. I see this same flaw in many commenters; they underestimate the importance of process, and focus entirely on content. Comey may have deserved being fired (I have no opinion), but it is not acceptable to fire a top law enforcement official because that person is investigating your administration.
It’s just not done.
PS. Or at least it wasn’t acceptable in the past. If it now becomes acceptable then that will be one more indication that we are becoming a banana republic. The GOP of 1974 would not accept Nixon’s abuses of power. How will the GOP of 2017 react?
PPS. And how will voters react in 2018? If I were the GOP I’d be much more worried about Obamacare, which probably won’t be repealed. GOP candidates running in 2018, and promising to repeal Obamacare, will be laughed at. It’s not good when your own supporters laugh at your promises. Expect the Dems to retake the House–then the investigations will get serious. I can’t wait!!