Trump is pretty pleased with himself today. He’s started a whole new attack on the Mueller probe by “demanding” that the FBI and DOJ run over to the White House and calm him down by spilling investigative secrets. The term “spygate” shows his usual penchant for comic book language, firmly embedded in our political catch-all basket of gates, big and small. With this tantrum(p), Trump has revealed a number of dimensions about himself that Democrats should be shouting about. Here:
1. Trump is paranoid.
Trump sees threats to himself everywhere, even going so far to imagine the presence of “spies.” This is the toddler who sees monsters on the wall and is hiding under the covers. A paranoid President has no credible threat detector, and is in crouching mode at all times, ready to pounce. Can’t be trusted to discern real from fake threats. And certainly can’t be trusted to keep Americans safe, when he lives under his desk.
2. Trump is cheating.
Standard protocol dictates that subjects/targets of law enforcement investigations do not get a peek at what the prosecutor has. If you get charged, all manner of due process kicks in to make sure that you can fight back. There is ample opportunity to contest charges, and contest any violation of due process. You’re not in the ring before that. You’re cheating if you try to barge in now.
3. Trump wants special treatment.
I’m the President! I’m special! I “hereby demand” that you cater to my fear and dread, and tell me what’s going on NOW. I’m too important for the small change of the legal system. I’m not your average thug, I’m a first-class thug, and demand to be treated that way.
4. Trump is ignorant.
Well, it’s clear that President Trump does not understand what “counter-intelligence” means. This is a form of law enforcement that seeks to identify threats to national security, say, such as the presence of countless Russians infiltrating a Presidential campaign. This is a dynamic process that seeks to limit the influence of foreign actors on American government. So it doesn’t just wait for a retrospective “what happened?”; it jumps in to identify threats in action. An informant helps in that process. But Trump doesn’t understand national security enough to know that.
To sum up: Trump’s “master stroke” is not evidence of political genius, but is actually a Rorshach test, putting his paranoia, his insecurity, his megalomania, and his ignorance on full display. The Democrats need to ricochet his “demand” right back on him, citing this dossier of Trump’s unfitness for office.
