Trump's crisis of authority deepens – CNNPolitics

"People should be better aware of what is going on," Woodward told CBS '"Sunday Morning," touting "Fear: Trump at the White House" as a detailed account reflecting the claims of the "White House". a group of senior officials. to save the nation and the world from Trump's reckless decisions.

If the version of the events revealed by Woodward and the anonymous official is true, America is facing a profoundly dysfunctional presidency and an unparalleled governance crisis in modern history, perhaps in relation to the last paranoid days of the world. Nixon administration.

According to these stories, the President of the United States would appear to be deeply unfit for his responsibilities, indifferent to the details of politics, lacking in knowledge and, in the words of the unnamed senior official, "impetuous, contradictory, petty and ineffective. "

Such a state of affairs would leave the country without leadership in the oval office and jeopardize the effectiveness of the government. This would also hurt the image of America in the world and could offer openings to opponents if the White House was constantly distracted.

But the idea that there is a core of "adults in the room", as described by the editor, overthrowing the authority of the president and wielding for himself the power given to the commander-in-chief during a An election campaign should also be a troubling question, as it raises questions about the integrity of the American democratic system itself.

Counter punches

After days in which the White House was in a defensive position, Conway and Pence fought back at political debate on Sunday after sources told CNN that the administration had reduced its suspicions to who wrote the article to some people.

"From the president's point of view, there could be a risk to national security, he does not want such a person at a meeting on China, Russia and North Korea", said Conway to Jake Tapper.

She stated that the writing of the opinion piece could have a criminal aspect – although she was not able to say exactly how the author might have infringed the law when it seems that the act of disloyalty amounted to exercise the right to freedom of expression.

"I really have no idea, any more than you, of what this person has leaked," Conway told Tapper. "I think someone so cowardly and so vain would probably go one step further."

At "Fox News Sunday," Pence was asked if senior officials needed to pass polygraph tests to prove that they had not written the explosive opinion piece. in the Times.

"I would accept to take it to heart and submit to any evaluation that the administration wanted to do," said Pence.

The Vice President also argued that the author of the Times article was guilty of more than just disloyalty.

"The honorable thing to do here is that this person recognizes that she is literally violating an oath.If they are this senior administration official, they violate an oath not to the president, but to the Constitution."

Pence seemed to argue that by showing such disloyalty to the President and even whispering by invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him, the "resistance" mentioned by the editor compromises the democratic process.

But those who praised the actions of the editor-in-chief and officials mentioned in Woodward's book who seem to be acting to restrain an impulsive president, contradict the fact that senior officials are acting to protect the Constitution itself from Trump's attacks.

Trump's appeals to Attorney General Jeff Sessions to investigate the author of The Times article have raised new fears about the president's expanded view on executive power. After all, he is asking that the government's criminal investigation instruments be used against someone who has not committed any obvious crime.

"Does this president not understand that the Department of Justice is not a tool of its own power?" The senator of Virginia, Mark Warner, asked Sunday for "The state of the Union".

Senator Nebraska Ben Sasse, meanwhile, warned that the incessant chaos in the White House was diverting attention from crucial issues.

"I have no desire to beat this president, but it's pretty clear that this White House is a reality show, a soap opera presidency," said Sasse, a Trump critic on "Meet the Press." ".

"What you would like is for the president to be concerned not so much about the shortage of personnel, but about America's long-term vision, to come together as a people, to help us build a team. great people, great cause and weak ego around you, "he said.

November is coming

The new uproar at the White House and questions about Trump's leadership style and personality could not get worse for Republicans, with less than two months before the mid-term elections in which Democrats hope to paralyze the presidency.

Some experts are now beginning to wonder if Democrats also have a narrow path to victory in the Senate.

Any feeling of demoralization among GOP voters could hinder their participation in the elections, one of the reasons why Trump is stepping up its campaign moves in the red states and imploring its faithful base to come in record numbers.

One of Trump's top aides, budget chief Mick Mulvaney, warned in-camera Saturday that even GOP candidates like Texas Senator Ted Cruz risked losing and were not "friendly enough," reports New York. Times.

Trump is however categorical about the fact that there will be no "blue wave" of Democratic victories, but a Republican wave in November, based on a strong economy and what it claims to be the record performance of his administration.