Trump’s Self-Quarantine

Playbook: “One of the defining characteristics of the political persona that Donald Trump created was that he had a knack for relationships — building them and maintaining them. When relationships weren’t going his way, he had the unique gumption to step up to institutions or people, forcing them to cower to him and bend to his will.”

“But whether it’s with reporters, international institutions, multilateral alliances or governors, we now see that Trump can hardly seem to keep any relationship intact. His personal and professional alliances are in tatters. He tears down much more frequently than builds up…”

“The WHO is only the most recent example of Trump’s self-isolation. The president’s allies in the media are limited to OANN and a dwindling number of Fox News personalities. Even his natural allies — like the Wall Street Journal editorial page — are drawing his fire of late.”

“And on and on. Trump has torn up the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear deal without replacing them. The Trans-Pacific Partnership is no longer. He lashes out at governors when they speak their mind, and tacitly threatens their federal funding if they don’t play by his rules. He has no relationship with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who holds the purse strings for the federal government he runs.