I want nothing more than Trump’s success, but my hope is waning

In what appears to be a White House in chaos, President Trump’s recent behavior indicates what many already believe to be true: that he often lacks discernment.

The past two weeks have been extremely troubling for the Trump administration, starting with the president’s tweets after James Comey was fired, to the Justice Department’s appointment of Robert Mueller as special counsel to oversee the investigation into the possible ties between Trump’s campaign and Russian officials. These developments have dramatically raised the political and legal stakes for a president who has only been in office for four months.

{mosads}The actions by the president are troubling, in part because there is an air of expectation for the office of the president, and any person who holds that office should make every effort to live up to that expectation. As an American and as a Republican, I want Trump to be successful, but I am not certain he has the ability to live up to the standards of the office. While I have attempted to remain hopeful, his actions remove all hope and increase all doubt.

At what point do we say this is enough? At what point do we demand that the president act like one? This type of behavior is not sustainable and sends a dangerous message to anyone who deals with the White House. Right now, that message is if you don’t pledge allegiance to the president, you will not only be out of a job, but could potentially be threatened by the most powerful man in the world.

It’s one thing to be chided, but to be threatened by the leader of the free world would make even the bravest of men quiver. The lack of temperament and good judgment that the president has consistently showcased has reached an all-time low. It forces us all as Americans to hold the president accountable and say, “Enough is enough.”

There are expectations for the office he currently, holds and the president must strive to uphold them. The president constantly berates the media, which is nothing new. Other presidents have had issues with the press as well, including President Bush, President Obama, and others.

However, what is different about Trump is that he attempts to attack the legitimacy of the media and its obligation to challenge him as an elected official. His behavior rightly forces many to question if he has the ability to govern and that is an unfortunate reality because whether you voted for him or not, he is our president.

The archetypal norms of the presidency, which have been steeped in tradition and synonymous with effective leadership, have all but vanished. Trump has rewritten all the rules, and that is his right to do so, but we as a nation as well as the media have a moral obligation not to sit idly by and watch democracy be shot down in flames.

There is a dark cloud hanging over the White House, and it is in the president’s interest to show leadership by showing restraint and good judgment. He is the leader of the free world, yet his behavior is not synonymous with the expectations of the role. We can no longer suspend our criticisms, questions, or concerns about the veracity of President Trump’s claims. We must demand that he lives up to the air of expectations of the highest office in the land.

Like so many Americans, I want nothing more than the president’s success, but his continued behavior raises serious questions about his ability to do so.

Shermichael Singleton is a Republican political consultant. He’s worked on the presidential campaigns of Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, and most recently Ben Carson, serving as his coalitions adviser. Follow him on Twitter @Shermichael_.

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