Thanks to Michael Wolff we now know one more major topic of disagreement in the Trump White House.  Donald’s inner circle cannot decide what is the appropriate nomenclature for their boss’ intellectual aptitude.  Idiot?  Moron? Bleeping moron? Unfit?  Child?  As Wolff tells it, most of these descriptions are expressed following policy discussions be it health care, tax policy or dealing with an international situation.

But, if you really want to understand Trump’s cerebral limitations the best example is how he decides what is in his own best interests.  If only he had listened to the two people who tried to help save him from himself:  Sally Yates AND Steve Bannon.  Bannon?  You must be kidding.  Doesn’t he represent everything that is wrong with Trumpism, in general, and it’s namesake in particular?  Patience.  All will be revealed.

In the case of Sally Yates, it is pretty obvious.  After reviewing Michael Flynn’s January 24, 2017 interview with the FBI, Yates’ first instinct (and the correct one) was to inform the White House their newly appointed national security advisor had been compromised.  She did not go to the press or to Democrats in Congress who would have given a major part of their anatomy to have such information within days of the inauguration.  Instead, she did something no other “loyal” member of the inner-circle did.  She gave White House counsel Don McGahn a heads up that Flynn was a serious problem and suggested they might want to preempt any negative repercussions before this revelation became public.

Just think, if the White House had followed Yates’ advice, there would have been no need to fire James Comey.  Mike Pence would not have lied about his knowledge of the Flynn affair.  There would be no special prosecutor.   Trump’s personal attorney John Dowd would not have had to falsely take responsibility for a tweet in which Trump admits to obstruction of justice.  Trump demands loyalty from everyone he comes in contact with, but fails to appreciate it when someone ACTUALLY demonstrates such a trait.

Yeah!  Yeah! But what does Steve Bannon have to do with all this?  As we now know from Wolff’s book, Steve Bannon believed the June 2016 meeting in Trump Tower borders on treason.  (NOTE: Although there is legitimate concerns about Wolff’s veracity, Bannon has not disputed this statement.  And the fact Axios has reported Wolff taped many of his interview subjects suggests Bannon and others know there is tangible proof of their contributions to Wolff’s research.)  While this may be the first time the general public learned Bannon feared the effect the Russia investigation would have on Trump’s tenure and his agenda, reporters at virtually every mainstream news outlet have confirmed Bannon voiced these same concerns as early as March, 2017.  He continued to share his concern including a September 10, 2017 appearance on 60 Minutes in which he characterized the Comey firing as Trump’s biggest mistake.

In other words, like Sally Yates, Bannon was a lone voice in the wilderness telling Trump and anyone else who would listen the Russia investigation could bring down the administration.  Therefore, they needed to do everything they could to reinforce their claim of innocence.  Let the investigation run its course.  Do not protect those who may be guilty of wrongdoing.  Bannon was a LOYAL soldier, giving his commander the best and correct advice.  And like Yates, instead of carrying the day, he too was fired.

In yesterday’s Washington Post, columnist Aaron Blake posited three theories to explain Bannon’s cooperation with Wolff.

• Bannon was just spouting off.
• Bannon is indeed trying “to burn it all down.”
• Bannon is trying to distance himself from the Russia probe.

But there may be a fourth and perhaps more plausible explanation.  In Wolff’s book, Bannon describes the approach  by the Trump brain trust of Manafort, Donald Junior and Kushner to deal with the Mueller investigation as “They’re sitting on a beach trying to stop a Category Five.”  I believe his message is, “This is not a job for amateurs.”  Bannon’s Thursday declaration that he still believes in the Trump agenda (whatever that might be) further confirms this theory.  Bannon, through Wolff, is once again imploring Trump to clean house.  Get rid of neophytes like Ivanka, Jared and Hope Hicks.  Again, he is right, but good luck.  It takes someone with a modicum of intelligence to see it.

If only Donald Gump had paid attention to the advice offered by his long-lost cousin Forrest, “Stupid is as stupid does!”  QED

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP