Don’t cross Donald Trump, or he might knock you down a peg. That’s the lesson learned by National Security Council Senior Advisor Craig Deare, who has been reassigned after criticizing some of Trump’s policies. This latest shakeup only adds to the ongoing turmoil in Washington, D.C. After all, National Security Advisor Michael Flynn recently resigned over his Russia ties, and Trump’s top pick for the spot turned down the job.
Deare, who was assigned to the council by the Trump administration, has been reassigned to his old gig at the National Defense University. He opposed the White House’s Latin American policies and commented upon White House dysfunction. Whereas Trump sees his administration as a “fine-tuned machine.” Deare’s demotion may signal no one is safe in the Trump administration, a point White House Spokesperson Sarah Sanders highlighted when she said if you’re not all in with Trump, your services are not welcome:
“I don’t think that any person that is there in order to carry out the President’s agenda should be against the President’s agenda. It seems pretty silly that you would have someone who is not supportive of what you are trying to accomplish there to carry out that very thing. If you don’t support the President’s agenda then you shouldn’t have a job in the White House.”
Trump touts his administration is as tight as a drum, but that sentiment may not be true. CNN noted that Republican consultant Shermichael Singleton, an appointee to the Department of Housing and Urban development, was issued his pink slip for writing a critical op-ed of Trump when he was still a candidate. And to avoid further scrutiny, Trump is packing his White House with buddies. Stephen Feinberg’s appointment to review the intelligence community shows that Trump may not be up for being told things he doesn’t want to hear.
Not to mention Flynn’s resignation is also on the books, and no one seems eager to take up his position because the Trump administration appears to be in turmoil. Vice Admiral Robert Harward might have best summed it up when he took a hard pass on the National Security Advisor role while reportedly calling it a “sh*t sandwich.”
(Via CNN)