How is Trump handling his job? With a pen and not much more
Conservative Grover Norquist once commented that all they needed was a president ‘with enough working digits to handle a pen.’ They’ve got their guy!
I don’t know has become a common response when the President is asked a question. Maybe because he skips most of his Presidential Daily Briefings. Maybe his advisors aren’t providing timely information. Or maybe all he needs to know is how to ‘handle a pen.’
When the President does answer a question, it is often filled with numbers and statements, easily fact-checked and mostly false. Perhaps using lots of numbers makes him feel smart. Perhaps he is getting his ‘facts’ from unreliable sources. Perhaps ‘handling a pen’ is easier than staying on top of issues.
The President seemed surprised when many of the 150+ executive orders were presented to him for his signature. There’s that pen again. They have already resulted in more than 320 lawsuits! Talk about fraud, waste and abuse!
So, how does the President spend his time?
About 25 percent of the President’s time has been spent golfing, costing the taxpayers about $100 million and counting.
Camera time is huge. Whether it's signing executive orders, staging meetings where he is showered with praise, or answering questions from his preferred media, he loves to be the center of attention. Therefore, expect billionaire parties, parades, and more rallies. As long as the camera is rolling, he will talk and talk and talk.
When the President is not on TV, he is most likely watching TV. He often repeats Fox News opinions as fact. He may strategize who will become the next Fox News personality added to his staff. Or maybe he will be inspired by movies like ‘Escape from Alcatraz’.
Or he may spend some time redecorating the Oval Office, revamping the Rose Garden, adding a ballroom to the White House, or serving as the self-appointed Chair of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Posting on the socials, especially late at night, is a common pastime.
What he likely won’t be doing is reading daily briefings, reducing costs, unifying our country, respecting the rule of law, and upholding his oath to the Constitution. It is much easier to just ‘handle a pen’.
