“The Republican Keeps Stepping on Rakes”: Trump’s Chaotic Pre-Presidency Raises Concerns

 “The Republican Keeps Stepping on Rakes”: Trump’s Chaotic Pre-Presidency Raises Concerns

© AP Photo / Manuel Balce Ceneta

President-elect Donald Trump has turned what is traditionally a celebratory transition period into a tumultuous and chaotic pre-presidency, MSNBC’s Steve Benen argued Monday. According to Benen, the confusion and controversy surrounding Trump’s actions are entirely self-inflicted and could have been avoided with a more measured approach.

Typically, the weeks before a presidential inauguration allow a newly elected leader to enjoy the fruits of victory, foster goodwill, and prepare for the challenges ahead. Benen noted that this period is usually “a time in which an incoming American leader is able to bask in his or her victory, welcome congratulatory wishes, and imagine a world of exciting possibilities before the real work begins on Inauguration Day.”

However, Trump’s transition has been anything but smooth. “The Republican keeps stepping on rakes,” Benen wrote, highlighting last week’s spending bill fiasco as a prime example of unnecessary chaos.

As Congress worked on a stopgap spending bill, Trump abruptly demanded on social media that Republicans include a debt ceiling increase. “Failing to do so,” Trump warned, “would be a betrayal of our country.’” He went on to threaten that any Republican who supported the bill without the increase “should, and will, be Primaried.”

donald Trump
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Trump reiterated his demand multiple times, puzzling lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Republicans expressed confusion over why Trump was prioritizing the debt ceiling, while some Democrats questioned whether he was exhibiting signs of mental decline.

Despite Trump’s demands, the spending bill that passed on Friday excluded the debt ceiling provision, underscoring what Benen described as Trump’s diminished influence. “The one thing Trump wanted was the one thing he didn’t get,” he wrote.

Benen argued that this unnecessary battle highlighted broader issues in Trump’s transition process. “He didn’t have to suffer this embarrassment. In fact, he didn’t have to do anything. He chose to intervene, in the 11th hour, with an odd and unnecessary demand, which Republicans rejected and left Democrats wondering aloud about his mental health,” Benen said.

Rather than a rare misstep, Benen described Trump’s pre-inaugural period as riddled with failures and growing instability. “In the seven weeks since Election Day, Trump and his team have careened from one failure to another, as part of a pre-inaugural process that can only be described as shambolic,” he concluded.

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