Much has been said about this astonishing reporting from the new book by @carolleonnig & @philiprucker. Trump is as odious as he is dangerous. But what is striking--with the exception of the courage of Rex Tillerson--is the passivity of the leaders Trump disrespected & rebuked.
While some of this is due to military protocols and issues associated with the chain of command, silence in the face of such recklessness is deeply worrisome. It was long hoped strong professional advisors would be a check on Trump. They tried to be to some extent.
But in the end, they were not. And his behavior was effectively tolerated. And ultimately they left without producing change or going public in a way that could have produced change, and the president was able to replace them with seemingly more pliable alternatives.
Much has to do with the inherent power of the presidency. Some has to do with too much caution from the advisors, however. And in the end, all of it speaks to how profoundly dangerous having an unfit, ill-prepared, incapable and repulsive man like Trump as president really is.
