When President Bill Clinton saw his Democratic Party go up in flames in the 1994 midterm elections, losing the House of Representatives after a four-decade reign, he acknowledged defeat and pledged to do better. When President George W. Bush lost both chambers to the Democrats in 2006 on the back of an unpopular war in Iraq, he admitted the “thumpin’” and committed to bipartisanship for the remainder of his term. And when the GOP wave in 2010 drowned 63 House Democratic candidates, a humbled President Barack Obama talked about the election as a learning experience.
President Trump isn’t Clinton, Bush, or Obama.
He doesn’t admit mistakes, he doesn’t own up to it when he shows poor judgment, and he never takes his share of the blame for anything. When congressional Republicans failed to repeal Obamacare, Trump pointed the finger at Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. After immigration reform collapsed, he put the onus on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. And about 12 hours after Republicans lost the House due to what most political prognosticators said was an anti-Trump backlash in suburbia, Trump took to the podium in the East Room and told the press with a straight face that GOP incumbents because they weren’t loyal enough to his agenda or to him personally.
Trump’s press conference on Wednesday was bizarre, ham-headed, and unpresidential. He accused the journalists in front of him of unfair coverage. He called CNN’s Jim Acosta a “rude, terrible person” as a press aide tried to wrest the microphone out of the reporter’s hands. He discussed his desire for national unity, while at the same time refusing to embrace his contribution to the political divisiveness. And after congratulating Pelosi for a job well done and calling her a hard worker, he threatened to grind the federal government to a halt if the Democrats launch too much congressional oversight.
Reporters were outraged that Trump acted like a buffoon. Jake Tapper was apoplectic, referring to the president as more of a mob boss than a chief executive.
The only thing more mysterious than Trump’s behavior is why any of us remain perplexed about it. This is how Trump is: bombastic to a fault, obsessed with his strongman image, apathetic to changing circumstances around him, and unflinching when challenged, regardless of how small or meaningless that challenge is. This is his M.O.; this is how he behaves. We certainly don’t have to accept it. But to think Trump is going to change his stripes and behave like an adult after seven decades is like expecting an old dog to learn new tricks: It’s not going to happen.
Donald Trump is the unpresidential president. That’s the way he operates. Take it or leave it.
Daniel DePetris (@DanDePetris) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. His opinions are his own.
