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(CNN) Like most little boys, Donald Trump can be disarmingly honest, as when he once said, "When I look at myself in the first grade and I look at myself now, I'm basically the same. The temperament is not that different." The trouble is that the first grader is now President of the United States, and his temperament is on display for the world to see.
Unpredictable, impulsive and immature, Trump acts in a way that would be expected of a 6-year-old boy, but is terrifying in a man whose moods dictate decisions carried out by adults on behalf of the most powerful nation in the world.
Trump's dismissal of FBI Director James Comey offers a sterling example of the childish -- and reckless -- Trump style. When Comey broke with bureau tradition and spoke negatively about Trump's rival in the election, though initially he was criticized by candidate Trump, he was later praised -- and effusively. Over and over again, the soon-to-be-president described how Comey had done the right thing in criticizing Hillary Clinton. Comey remained in Trump's good graces after he was inaugurated, and Trump's team expressed confidence in him up until last week.
As CNN's John King and Jeff Zeleny reported, the change in Trump's feelings about Comey were evident to a friend who spoke with him last weekend and noticed the President was "white hot" over Comey's recent testimony on Capitol Hill. Comey had said he felt "mildly nauseous" about the possibility of having affected the November election. This, and continued investigations into possible connections between Trump's associates and Russians who meddled in the election, were causing a presidential temper tantrum.
Like many a 6-year-old, the stewing President chose to act on his feelings. Within days he had signed a letter dismissing the director. But instead of doing the adult thing and firing Comey face-to-face, Trump sent his former personal bodyguard Keith Schiller to deliver it to Comey's office -- while Comey was away in Los Angeles.
Schiller's last star turn involved bullying newsman Jorge Ramos out of a Trump rally. Long a human security blanket for Trump, Schiller now hangs out at the White House. His appearance at FBI headquarters signaled that the buddies -- Trump and Schiller -- were in charge of this power play.
Like a boy who plays with matches and sets the back yard on fire, Trump has been surprised by the effects of his actions. He expected Democrats who resented Comey's election season performance to applaud the firing. Of course, this thinking ignores the fact that Comey was in charge of investigating Russia's influence on the election and very real concerns about providing stable leadership to the American people. The FBI is so vital an agency that directors receive 10-year appointments precisely because they shouldn't be fired on the basis of presidential pique.
In the aftermath of the President's incendiary act, we have seen the adults around him scramble to put out the fire. White House spokesman Sean Spicer reportedly met with his staff near bushes on the White House grounds while nearby reporters sought comment, and Kellyanne Conway was dispatched to offer on-air gobbledygook to CNN's Anderson Cooper. At one point, she complained to Cooper that people "are looking at the wrong set of facts."
Rest here: The little boy president (opinion) - CNN.com
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Expect president man-child's temper tantrums to only get worse over time.
Unpredictable, impulsive and immature, Trump acts in a way that would be expected of a 6-year-old boy, but is terrifying in a man whose moods dictate decisions carried out by adults on behalf of the most powerful nation in the world.
Trump's dismissal of FBI Director James Comey offers a sterling example of the childish -- and reckless -- Trump style. When Comey broke with bureau tradition and spoke negatively about Trump's rival in the election, though initially he was criticized by candidate Trump, he was later praised -- and effusively. Over and over again, the soon-to-be-president described how Comey had done the right thing in criticizing Hillary Clinton. Comey remained in Trump's good graces after he was inaugurated, and Trump's team expressed confidence in him up until last week.
As CNN's John King and Jeff Zeleny reported, the change in Trump's feelings about Comey were evident to a friend who spoke with him last weekend and noticed the President was "white hot" over Comey's recent testimony on Capitol Hill. Comey had said he felt "mildly nauseous" about the possibility of having affected the November election. This, and continued investigations into possible connections between Trump's associates and Russians who meddled in the election, were causing a presidential temper tantrum.
Like many a 6-year-old, the stewing President chose to act on his feelings. Within days he had signed a letter dismissing the director. But instead of doing the adult thing and firing Comey face-to-face, Trump sent his former personal bodyguard Keith Schiller to deliver it to Comey's office -- while Comey was away in Los Angeles.
Schiller's last star turn involved bullying newsman Jorge Ramos out of a Trump rally. Long a human security blanket for Trump, Schiller now hangs out at the White House. His appearance at FBI headquarters signaled that the buddies -- Trump and Schiller -- were in charge of this power play.
Like a boy who plays with matches and sets the back yard on fire, Trump has been surprised by the effects of his actions. He expected Democrats who resented Comey's election season performance to applaud the firing. Of course, this thinking ignores the fact that Comey was in charge of investigating Russia's influence on the election and very real concerns about providing stable leadership to the American people. The FBI is so vital an agency that directors receive 10-year appointments precisely because they shouldn't be fired on the basis of presidential pique.
In the aftermath of the President's incendiary act, we have seen the adults around him scramble to put out the fire. White House spokesman Sean Spicer reportedly met with his staff near bushes on the White House grounds while nearby reporters sought comment, and Kellyanne Conway was dispatched to offer on-air gobbledygook to CNN's Anderson Cooper. At one point, she complained to Cooper that people "are looking at the wrong set of facts."
Rest here: The little boy president (opinion) - CNN.com
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Expect president man-child's temper tantrums to only get worse over time.
