New York Times: “In other words, it was a normal cabinet meeting in the age of Trump. What was once considered a dry policy discussion among restrained public servants has turned into a kind of West Wing performance art, featuring a president prone to exaggeration and his advisers taking turns praising him and his policies.”

”By now, the ritual has become familiar, like a monthly installment of a faithfully watched reality show with a story line that has become almost comically consistent.”

“Mr. Trump spent much of the session gently quizzing his cabinet secretaries with lead-ins prodding them to offer positive comments. Past sessions have occasionally featured a sharp comment directed at an unfortunate participant on the receiving end of a televised rhetorical swipe.”

President Trump “has told advisers that he is eager to strip more security clearances as part of an escalating attack against people who have criticized him or played a role in the investigation of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign,” the Washington Post reports.

“Over the past 19 months, Trump has fired or threatened to take action against nearly a dozen current and former officials associated with the inquiry, which he has labeled a “rigged witch hunt,” including former FBI director James B. Comey and other top FBI officials Sally Yates and Andrew McCabe. All three were dismissed.”