There are no grown ups in the Oval Office, and therefore the punk in charge is running amok. He wanted to meet with the Taliban, which John Bolton said was not a good idea. Trump wanted to meet the Iranian leader which John Bolton, a controversial hawk in foreign policy, opposed. At one point, when Trump wanted to meet with Kim Jung un, Bolton was in Mongolia and totally disconnected. Now Bolton is gone in a puff of tweet. Many thought that he would contribute to the insanity in what John Kelly called Crazy Town. But many will lament his departure because in spite of his hawkishness he had some idea about the workings of diplomacy, which means he read history and understood that the ship of state cannot navigate in turbulent waters without a proper Master at the wheel.
Other influential figures of sound mind had departed long ago. Rex Tillerson could not stand his boss and called him a “moron.” Then he was forced out in part because his international stature made Trump look puny. General McMaster also left early because of his disagreements with Trump’s ideas, and we know that Michael Flynn had to go for other reasons. If the beginning the Trump administration didn’t look so bad, it was due to the presence of a few well-respected individuals around him. But as the months went by he has reduced his circle of trust to a few that include his son-in-law Jared Kushner. Trump has stirred trouble around the world without necessity, embracing our enemies and insulting our friends. Now, after appearing unhinged at his rallies, after “Sharpie-gate,” after more outrageous ethical lapses and the departure of Bolton, we know the ship is going down while Trump’s band of supporters chant on deck.