The fact that Donald Trump’s own administration has no idea what’s going on most of the time is no surprise. There have been so many reports of the president doing things on his own and not telling anyone on his team that it’s hard to keep track. But when it happens to a top Republican, it strikes a different chord.
Earlier today, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was publicly humiliated when the prominent Republican released a statement addressing the reports that White House counsel Don McGahn would be leaving the White House soon. It had been reported by Axios that McGahn would leave after Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court, but this news was merely a report — until the president confirmed its validity (with a tweet, of course):
White House Counsel Don McGahn will be leaving his position in the fall, shortly after the confirmation (hopefully) of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court. I have worked with Don for a long time and truly appreciate his service!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2018
Based on the statement that McConnell released about the developing story, McConnell had no idea that McGahn’s departure was a real thing and Trump certainly hadn’t kept him in the loop. Referencing the reports, McConnell called the news “a big loss” and “sad news for the country,” but he remained unaware of whether the reports were true or not at that time.
JUST IN — @SenateMajLdr on McGahn’s expected departure pic.twitter.com/8VrWiHx4TJ
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) August 29, 2018
Trump regularly fails to communicate anything he does to his colleagues, and that’s one of the most frustrating things to watch in his presidency. No one knows what the hell they’re doing, making America look like even more like a joke. Hopefully, after this national embarrassment, the GOP will start holding Trump accountable.
Featured image via screen capture
