Trump Watch 20180711

The NATO question.  Was it a good meeting or not?

So, Trump met with NATO leaders, and it appears that there has been progress with getting the other NATO countries to at least agree to increasing their financial support of the organization.  It's hard to get a read on how much that really means, partly because of the size of the economies of the countries involved, and partly because the real details are wonkish.  Still, it seems that the reporting is that NATO is being strengthened.  However, in public, Trump doesn't appear to want to make things sound good, but would rather harangue NATO signatories for not doing more, and for having shortchanged their responsibility in the past.  Trump also singled out Germany for criticism for getting a natural gas pipeline built to import Russian natural gas, saying that it makes Germany beholden to Russia.

It's hard to understand this.  It could be that it's a negotiating style/tactic to keep pressure up to get other NATO members to pony up more.  It could be that he feels "acting tough" on "foreigners," even if they are allies, plays well to his primary audience.  It could be that this is his basic negotiating style.  It could be another part of Covfefe syndrome, in that he only has two modes, effusive positivity, or basic belligerence.

• Stormy Daniels
• Trump Charity lawsuit by New York Attorney General
• FBI investigation (it keeps being called a Russian Collusion investigation, but I'm pretty sure more to it than that at this point)
• North Korea
• The Space Force
• The Border Wall
• Alien Children Detention/family separation
• Presidential Pardons
• Civil War Monuments
• Muslim Travel Ban
• China Tariffs/Trade
• Canada-G7 Tariffs/Trade
• NAFTA
• Puerto Rico response
• Military Parade in Washington
• World Trade Organization
• Covfefe Syndrome
• NATO

Giuliani still there as Lawyer
John F. Kelly still there as Chief of Staff - 6-29-2018  Trump says "Things Happen."
Jeff Sessions still there as Attorney General
Sarah Huckabee Sanders still there as Press Secretary, rumors continue to be denied.
Mike Pompeo - Secretary of State

John Bolton - National Security Advisor

Marc Short - White House Legislative Affairs Director - no denial of plans regarding his departure prior to the 2018 midterms.

Kirstjen Nielsen - Homeland Security Secretary

Joe Hagin - White House deputy Chief of Staff is resigning.- reported June 19th

Scott Pruitt - EPA Director - Resigned 7-5-2018