Trump’s loose social media habits

After watching Donald Trump in the White House for a mere 20 days one is left with the exhaustion that usually accompanies any adult who must “watch” over a child, unmoored to reality, wedded to his own narcissistic ego where only his wants matter.  One wants to avoid being overly dramatic, but this is a man who fails to appreciate that the world is reacting to his every word (tweet or otherwise).  His ego feels bolstered by that kind of attention, but his loose social media habits put Americans around the world at risk. As a retired Foreign Service officer, I had to defend policies with which I disagreed, but I never had to fret over the competence of the White House occupant.  For today’s diplomats, real fear and trembling exists over a tweeting president, who in 140 characters can unleash hostilities abroad to U.S. policies. This is not fantasy. Congress is planning to hold hostage funds for security at diplomatic outposts (over moving the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem), just at the time when those representing the U.S. are most threatened by a man who campaigned on being “unpredictable.” The chaos candidate is now the chaos president.

I have faith that the country has survived bad presidents in the past, and will do so this time.  But Trump shows no grasp of the breathtaking harm he may inflict on the country by treating the constitution like something in his way as he ignores ethical conflicts and bulldozes over norms that American society has adopted in ensuring that every American is treated equally with respect.