Forget the art of the deal. Nine months into his presidency, Donald Trump has closed no deals, artful or otherwise. So far, all we’ve seen is Trump’s 10 rules for Trumpism.
1. Make everything about yourself. Whether it’s dying Syrian children, several million Americans without power or water a month after killer hurricanes, or American soldiers dying on his watch, Trump puts himself front-and-center.
After failing to say anything for days about four American soldiers who died in Niger, Trump spent the weekend golfing. He explained why he hadn’t yet called the families: “The toughest calls I have to make are the calls where this happens. Soldiers are killed. It’s a very difficult thing. Now, it gets to a point where, you know, you make four or five of them in one day. It’s a very, very tough day. For me, that’s by far the toughest.”
He then said his predecessors did not call or write letters to those who died in service to their country. Not true.