NRT briefing
White House report card: It’s starting to look like a return to first-term chaos
Based on reporting by Washington Examiner.
The Brief
President Trump's week was marked by internal turmoil and damaging headlines, according to the Washington Examiner's weekly report card. Press Secretary Katie Zacharia faced scrutiny over her resume and ended her first briefing after 14 minutes, but announced that Kimberly Guilfoyle had been asked to resign as ambassador to Greece amid ethics allegations.
Reports also surfaced that the president has begun asking aides about replacing Chief of Staff Susie Wiles after the midterms. Trump also overruled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's plan to livestream the firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan, and announced a deal to buy Russian diesel fuel, which critics say defies U.S. sanctions.
The two strategists surveyed, John Zogby and Jed Babbin, gave the president grades of F and D-, respectively.
NRT commentary
How We See It
The White House report card paints a picture of an administration reverting to the chaos of the first term. The focus on personnel drama and self-inflicted wounds, like the Guilfoyle resignation and the internal jockeying over the chief of staff position, suggests a lack of discipline that will only intensify with the midterm elections drawing near.
The decision to cancel the livestream of the Hasan execution was a rare moment of restraint, but it was overshadowed by the questionable Russian diesel fuel deal and the ongoing foreign policy challenges. This is not the sign of a politically healthy administration, and the poor grades from even Republican strategists should be a wake-up call for the White House.
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