Whatever one thinks of the Trump administration’s policies, it is
difficult to ignore that the new president’s tenure has so far been
characterised by incompetence and carelessness. And while it’s easy to
laugh at daft missteps such as an aide plugging Ivanka Trump’s clothing line in a TV interview, the indications are that Trump also struggles to handle national security.
The most public indication was his decision to grapple with North
Korea’s missile test, an incredibly sensitive moment, in the dining room
of his private club at Mar-a-Lago
while surrounded by astonished guests and journalists. And then came
the still-developing definitive story of this presidency’s early weeks:
after only 24 days in office, Trump’s national security advisor, Michael
Flynn, resigned in disgrace.
