Loyalty Is a One Way Street

Li’l Donnie Trump is a big believer in loyalty… to Donald Trump.  For him, loyalty is a one way street. 

 

Last week, Trump put on his big boy pants and did some “presidenting”, giving approval last week for rolling out airstrikes in Syria as well as new sanctions on Russia.

 

It seems Trump changed his mind about the sanctions. Whoops! That might upset Putin. Li’l Donnie wouldn’t want to upset his boy-crush. 

 

It appears that nobody bothered to clue in U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley before she announced the sanctions plan Sunday on national television.

 

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told reporters Tuesday that Haley simply “got out ahead of the curve” on the sanctions, which Haley referenced  on “Face the Nation” and “Fox News Sunday.”

 

“There might have been some momentary confusion,” Kudlow added.

 

Haley later pushed back against that characterization, saying in a statement: “With all due respect, I don’t get confused.”

 

You go,girl!

 

Per a senior administration official, “Russia sanctions were a part of the agreed-upon plan going into the strike and going into the weekend. As recently as Saturday, that was reconfirmed as part of the plan.”

 

The Republican National Committee distributed talking points on Saturday morning in the wake of Friday’s airstrikes that specifically mentioned new sanctions: “We also intend to impose specific additional sanctions against Russia to respond to Moscow’s ongoing support for the Assad regime, which has enabled the regime’s atrocities against the Syrian people.”

 

Trump halted the sanctions plan on Sunday night, according to a Washington Post report.

 

This is not a new thing. Li’l Donnie will sign off on policy proposals only to change course days, weeks or months later, undermining advisers and Cabinet members, leaving them unprepared and twisting in the wind. 

 

There has been a scramble to come up with reasons for the sanctions turnaround. Treasury Department didn’t have the sanctions package ready to go? Russia’s muted response to Friday’s strike gave the administration reason to hold off on the sanctions? Recent changes to the National Security Council? 

 

Or it could be Trump decided to just fuck with people.

 

My money is on that one.  

 

Trump likes it when his surrogates go on TV to supplicate themselves to how great Trump is. He doesn’t care for it when others dare to act like they have some authority. Nikki Haley presents herself as strong and in control; Li’l Donnie isn’t going to put up with that shit. 

 

Remember that Nikki Haley came late to the Trump party. As governor of South Carolina, she spoke out against Trump ahead of that state’s primary in 2016. Trump has a looooooong memory for people who are not loyal to him personally.  

 

Haley’s senior adviser, Jon Lerner, was up for a job as national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence.  Lerner helped produce anti-Trump television ads during the Republican primary. Reportedly, Trump was royally pissed at Pence for wanting to hire Lerner. Lerner has since withdrawn his name for this position on Pence’s staff.  

 

Last year, Nikki Haley told  CBS News that women who have accused Trump of sexual misconduct “deserve to be heard” while the White House has dismissed their claims out of hand. Yeah, you know that pissed Li’l Donnie off. 

 

As U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley has enjoyed a physical remove from the battles of the Trump White House. As a strong and independent person, Li’l Donnie Trump figures she was overdue for a smack down. 

 

Or it may have just been a matter of servicing his own ego, a chance to remind everyone who is really in charge. Not his administration, not his White House, just him and him alone.