Lack of Intelligence

When talking with a friend about Trump’s dementia-laden meltdown on Saturday, posting a barrage of lunatic rage-tweets, he commented how fascinating it was to read Trump’s mind "in real time".  And then added, “Hopefully he doesn't harm more people along the way...”
 
Hopefully.  That said, my theory has long been – I don’t have any idea what Trump will do, nor likely does Trump, but I assume he will do things that are truly awful and, being so, will hurt the country.  But at least we’re at a point where, if he does, it will now hurt himself, as well.
 
(This fits in with my other theory I’ve long written here – that when people are popular and have high approvals, if they screw up on something, people tend to be forgiving since, after all, they like the person.  But if you’re unpopular, and perhaps have only a 34% approval, then if you screw up, it generally confirms to people why they don’t like you.  And so, it puts a lid on your low approval that makes it hard for the person to raise it.)

As for my first theory, that I assume Trump will do things that are truly awful and will hurt the country, but himself, as well –
 
As we were having that conversation yesterday morning, the news came had just named Bill Pulte to be the Acting Director of National Intelligence, a position that – by law – requires extensive intelligence experience.  And not only that, but he has no foreign affairs experience either. Indeed, his government experience comprises being director of Federal Housing Finance Agency.  And chairman of Fannie Mae/FreddieMac.
 
Further, his career experience that brought him to government was in real estate, private equity investment and selling pre-fab small homes.
 
It should be added that, as much out of his competence zone as Bill Pulte is for being in charge of national security as Director of National Intelligence, he will be splitting his time with the Federal Housing Finance Agency, since he will be keeping that job.  It’s not like he’ll be too occupied that keeping America safe.
 
Okay, in fairness, my last comment isn’t quite correct.  That’s because he also will be keeping his job as chairman of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac.  So, it turns out that the incoming Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte, overseeing national security to keep the country safe from all terror threats – a position for which he has absolutely zero experience --will, in fact, be dividing his work days between three jobs!!
 
“Quick, emergency, we have decoded intel of an imminent terrorist plot to bomb a security installation, get the DNI!!”  “Oh, he’s dealing with mortgage loan rates.  He’ll be back soon.  May I help you?”
 
What could possibly go wrong?
 
Bill Pulte isn’t, at least, a complete unknown.  He’s the devout Trump loyalist who used private records in his housing finance job to recommend that the DOJ file charges against people on Trump’s enemies list:  Letitia James, Adam Schiff, Fed governor Lisa Cook and Eric Swalwell.  And it must be added that in three of these cases, no charges were filed by the DOJ, and the fourth was dismissed.  In other words, he wanted to indict Trump enemies who had committed no crimes.
 
And now, as Acting Director of National Intelligence, he’ll have access to private records on Americans that go far deeper than home mortgages.

What could possibly go wrong with that?

What leaps out in this, beyond even his total lack of experience in a job about national security, is that Bill Pulte becomes yet another person in Trump’s circle to hold multiple jobs, as if their main job won’t keep them busy enough.  Secretary of State Marco Rubio has three jobs, as well – though at one point he had four.  What this speaks to is the difficult Trump has in finding people who are totally loyal to him.  So much so that the have to double up.  Or triple up.
 
What this speaks to, as well, is that in a job as critical as Director of National Intelligence, loyalty to the boss should be so low on the job requirement list that some might consider leaving it off.  The critical job is understanding national security, knowing how to decipher intelligence reports, being aware what to do when learning of threats, coordinating diverse intelligence agencies within the United States, managing relationships with foreign intelligence agencies, and being brutally honest with the president of the United States.  And more.  None of which are qualities Bill Pulte has.  Zero.
 
No experience in intelligence.  Doing three jobs at once.  A Trump acolyte hit man.
 
What could possibly go wrong?  What message does putting Bill Pulte in this job (among his three jobs) send to those working directly under him.  And to the entire U.S. intel community?  And to our ally countries around the world?  And to our enemies?  How serious in national security does this make Trump appear to any of them?
 
In comments to the media yesterday, MAGOPs in Congress were clearly disturbed by Trump’s selection.  A few, like outgoing Senator Thom Tillis were blunt in their condemnation.  Even Senate Majority Leader John Thune didn’t want to even touch it, deferring his answer to Tom Cotton standing next to him, who is Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.  And Cotton’s answer was that “I have no observations on the matter.”

That’s how horrible Trump’s decision was.  But it’s also how horrible the MAGOP response is.  Notably Tom Cotton’s.  How can the Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence have no “observations” on the person just named Acting Director of Intelligence???!  Mr. Cotton is not that out-of-touch, so that leaves cowardice -- which is unacceptable for something this critical.
 
Which is why all this disturbed reaction by MAGOPs to the nomination of Bill Pulte is on them.  They’ve enabled Trump, they’ve protected him, they’ve known who he is, they emboldened him to make decisions like that that are harmful to America.  If they wanted, they could send a delegation privately to the White House and say, “If you go forward with Bill Pulte, we will put absolutely none of your proposals before Congress.  None.”  They could do that.  And I live in hope that they will.  I also have no expectation of that.
 
That’s why this is on the MAGOP in Congress, as well, and why it should likely hurt Trump’s party members in Congress enabling him.
 
Which returns us to that earlier point about Trump –
 
“Hopefully he doesn't harm more people along the way...”
 
Alas, he will.  But “hopefully” there are enough tourniquets to staunch the bleeding.  All the while taking comfort it will hurt Trump, as well, with his 34% approval.