Introduction
In July 2016, Donald J. Trump accepted the Republican party nomination to run for president of the United States. His acceptance speech was a harbinger of what was to come - brash, bombastic, and self-centered. Unlike his predecessors who emphasized unity and shared values, Trump declared "I am your voice" and "I alone can fix it." This set the stage for a presidency powered by solipsism - an extraordinary and often chaotic one-man show.
Philip Rucker and Carol Leonig, reporters who have closely followed the Trump administration, decided to take stock of Trump's first three years in office and drill deeper to understand what was really happening behind the scenes. Their book, "A Very Stable Genius," provides an inside look at the controversies and defining moments of Trump's presidency so far.
This summary explores the key themes and revelations from the book, including:
- How Trump's disdain for expertise alienated military leaders
- Trump's ignorance on basic facts and history
- His abusive behavior towards subordinates
- Impulsive foreign policy decisions made against advisers' recommendations
- Trump's attacks on US allies and cozying up to adversaries like Russia
- The findings of the Mueller Report and Trump's response
Through vivid anecdotes and insider accounts, the book paints a picture of a presidency unlike any other in modern American history.
Trump's Clash with Military Leaders
One of the earliest and most striking examples of Trump's unconventional approach came during a meeting with top military brass at the Pentagon in July 2017. The Joint Chiefs of Staff had gathered in a secure room known as "the Tank" to brief the new president on America's strategic priorities and global military commitments.
Knowing Trump's limited attention span, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had prepared a concise presentation with graphics and maps. They aimed to explain how America's safety depended on overseas alliances like NATO and free trade relationships.
However, Trump quickly grew impatient with the briefing. He resented being lectured and objected to the internationalist perspective being presented. Trump lashed out, calling NATO "worthless" and complaining that allies were taking advantage of the US financially. "We are owed money," he declared angrily.
When Mattis tried to explain that the purpose of alliances wasn't profit but America's security, Trump wasn't interested. He demanded to know why the US hadn't won the war in Afghanistan, calling it a "loser war."
The president's anger escalated to the point where he screamed at the assembled military leaders: "I wouldn't go to war with you people" and called them "a bunch of dopes and babies." This grave insult left the room in shocked silence.
After Trump had left, Tillerson summed up what many were thinking, growling that the president was "a fucking moron." This outburst early in Trump's tenure served to alienate much of the military's top brass and set the tone for an adversarial relationship with the national security establishment.
Trump's Ignorance on Basic Facts
Time and again throughout his presidency, Trump has demonstrated a striking lack of knowledge on subjects that presidents have traditionally been expected to understand. This ignorance has sometimes had real policy consequences.
For instance, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited to discuss containing Chinese aggression, Trump interrupted to tell Modi not to worry because "It's not like you've got China on your border." This statement, which ignored the fact that India does indeed share a long border with China, left Modi convinced that Trump couldn't be trusted to protect India's interests.
Trump's ignorance extends to basic American history as well. When visiting Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, Trump had to ask his chief of staff John Kelly, "Hey John, what's all this about? What's this tour of?" Kelly was astounded that the president seemed unaware of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that brought America into World War II.
Even when his public image was at stake, Trump often failed to prepare adequately. When an HBO crew came to film him reading a portion of the Constitution, it quickly became clear he hadn't practiced beforehand. He complained that the archaic language sounded like a "foreign language" and struggled to deliver his lines. Other politicians like Mike Pence had no such issues when filmed reading the same document.
Trump's aides attempted to help him avoid gaffes by providing simple, one-page summaries of issues. But the president rarely read even these basic briefings. He became known as the "two-minute man" among staff, referring to how long his patience lasted when people tried to brief him on a subject.
This pervasive ignorance on history, geography, and policy fundamentals has hampered Trump's ability to engage substantively on complex issues and make informed decisions.
Trump's Abusive Behavior Towards Staff
When Trump took office in 2017, two types of people went to work for him: true believers who thought he was saving the world, and skeptics who felt the world needed saving from Trump. The skeptics, while agreeing with Trump's political aims, hoped to provide the "adult supervision" they felt the impetuous president needed.
However, this idealistic notion rarely survived contact with the reality of working in the Trump White House. The president showed little respect for expertise, often berated subordinates, and made impossible demands.
H.R. McMaster, Trump's first national security adviser, believed it was his duty to give the president unvarnished truth when things went wrong. But Trump saw this as an affront and made McMaster his "punching bag," constantly mocking and belittling him. After enduring over a year of abuse, McMaster retired and took an academic position.
Kirstjen Nielsen, who served as Secretary of Homeland Security, faced similar treatment. When she wasn't being criticized for not looking the part, Trump bombarded her with demands to implement policies that were illegal or impossible. For instance, he ordered her to completely close the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, which Nielsen explained would violate US law. The verbal lashing she received for refusing this illegal order was so severe that she considered resigning on the spot. After just five months, Nielsen quit.
Trump's abusive behavior created a toxic work environment where subordinates learned to soft-pedal bad news or simply omit problems from their reports to avoid the president's wrath. This culture of fear and self-censorship prevented Trump from getting accurate information and honest counsel from his team.
Impulsive Foreign Policy Decisions
One of the most consistent themes of Trump's presidency has been his tendency to make sudden, unilateral foreign policy decisions without consulting advisers or considering long-term consequences. This impulsiveness has repeatedly undermined careful diplomatic efforts and caught his own administration off guard.
In February 2017, Secretary of State Tillerson and Chief of Staff Kelly were in Mexico trying to smooth over tensions caused by Trump's campaign rhetoric about building a border wall. Just as they seemed to be making progress, Trump announced back in Washington that he was sending troops to the border to stop "bad dudes" from entering the US. This blindsided Tillerson and Kelly, undoing their diplomatic work.
Trump often ignored the counsel of his national security team. When Russian President Vladimir Putin won re-election in what most observers considered a rigged contest, Trump's advisers urged him not to congratulate Putin. They even wrote "DO NOT CONGRATULATE" in all caps on Trump's briefing card. The president ignored this and congratulated Putin anyway as soon as they spoke.
Perhaps the most dramatic example came in December 2019, when Trump abruptly announced a US withdrawal from Syria after a phone call with Turkish President Erdogan. This decision, made without consulting military leaders, abandoned Kurdish allies who had been crucial in the fight against ISIS. Years of careful policy and military strategy were upended in a single impulsive phone call.
These sudden shifts left allies uncertain about US commitments and made it difficult for Trump's own administration to implement coherent long-term strategies. The president's refusal to listen to expert advice and tendency to make major decisions on a whim became a hallmark of his foreign policy approach.
Trump's Affinity for Putin's Russia
While Trump has often clashed with traditional US allies, he has shown a consistent affinity for Russian President Vladimir Putin that has alarmed many in the national security establishment. Despite the conclusions of US intelligence agencies, Trump has repeatedly downplayed the threat posed by Russia and seemed eager to curry favor with Putin.
Secretary of State Tillerson, who had extensive experience dealing with Putin from his time as CEO of ExxonMobil, tried to warn Trump about the Russian leader's agenda. Tillerson explained that Putin was obsessed with restoring Russia's power by weakening the US and its Western allies. But Trump dismissed these concerns, insisting he understood Putin better after meeting him in person.
At the 2018 Helsinki summit, Trump shocked observers by siding with Putin over US intelligence agencies on the issue of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Despite conclusive evidence gathered by American intelligence services, Trump said he saw no reason why Russia would have meddled and praised Putin's "extremely strong and powerful" denial.
This tendency to take Putin at his word while doubting US intelligence became a pattern. Trump repeatedly attacked his own agencies and downplayed Russian aggression, from the annexation of Crimea to election interference efforts.
Trump's warm relationship with Putin and refusal to confront Russia on key issues represented a dramatic departure from decades of US foreign policy. It left many wondering about the reasons for Trump's solicitousness toward a traditional adversary, even as he alienated long-standing allies.
Attacks on US Allies
While cozying up to Putin, Trump has repeatedly lashed out at America's closest allies, upending decades of carefully cultivated relationships. His combative approach has been on display in both personal interactions and major international forums.
In a November 2018 phone call, Trump berated British Prime Minister Theresa May, shouting at her about Brexit negotiations and trade deals. British officials were stunned by the president's hostile tone toward the leader of America's oldest ally. But for Trump, this kind of belligerence had become standard.
At the 2018 G7 summit in Canada, Trump effectively blew up the meeting of close US allies. He withdrew American support for a joint statement his own representatives had already approved, then took to Twitter to insult Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as "very dishonest and weak." Before leaving, Trump threatened the other G7 members with a trade war.
A month later at the NATO summit in Brussels, Trump accused allies of being "delinquent" in their defense spending. He berated other NATO members one by one and threatened to consider withdrawing from the alliance if they didn't immediately raise military budgets. This unprecedented ultimatum left other leaders shaken.
Trump's confrontational approach extended to allies in Asia as well. He has repeatedly criticized the cost of stationing US troops in South Korea and Japan, framing these long-standing security arrangements in transactional terms.
By attacking allies on issues ranging from trade to defense spending, Trump has eroded trust in US leadership and commitments. Many foreign leaders have come to see the US as an unreliable partner under Trump, potentially weakening the Western alliance system that has underpinned global stability for decades.
The Mueller Investigation
One of the defining events of Trump's presidency was the investigation led by former FBI Director Robert Mueller into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible obstruction of justice by the president. The 448-page Mueller Report, released in March 2019, contained damaging information but ultimately allowed Trump to claim vindication.
The report was divided into two main sections. The first concluded that while there had been sweeping Russian interference in the election, there wasn't sufficient evidence to prove the Trump campaign had illegally coordinated with the Russian government.
The second part investigated claims of obstruction of justice. It detailed how Trump had publicly attacked the investigation and witnesses, while privately attempting to control and impede the probe. This included firing FBI Director James Comey after he refused to publicly clear Trump.
However, Mueller declined to reach a conclusion on whether these actions constituted criminal obstruction of justice. The report famously stated that while it did not conclude Trump had committed a crime, it also did not exonerate him.
Mueller saw his role as gathering and presenting facts to the American people and Congress, rather than making a prosecutorial judgment. But this approach allowed Trump to seize the narrative. In the absence of formal charges, Trump immediately declared "complete and total exoneration" - a claim he has repeated ever since.
Critics argued that Mueller's dense, legalistic report was ill-suited for the modern media environment. By refusing to offer a clear verdict, Mueller effectively ceded the field to Trump's simple, declarative (if inaccurate) claim of exoneration.
The anticlimactic end to the long-awaited Mueller investigation represented a political victory for Trump. Despite the report's damaging findings, the lack of a clear legal judgment allowed the president to claim vindication and paint the entire probe as a baseless "witch hunt."
Trump's Management Style
Throughout the book, a picture emerges of Trump's unique and often chaotic management style as president. Several key traits stand out:
Disdain for expertise: Trump consistently dismisses the knowledge of career officials, intelligence agencies, and even his own appointed advisers. He trusts his own instincts over expert analysis.
Demand for loyalty: Those working for Trump quickly learn that personal loyalty to him is valued above all else, including adherence to laws or ethical norms.
Impulsiveness: Major policy decisions are often made on the spur of the moment, sometimes via tweet, catching Trump's own administration off guard.
Short attention span: Trump notoriously dislikes reading long briefings and loses interest quickly in policy discussions. Complex issues are often boiled down to simplistic talking points.
Combativeness: Trump relishes conflict and often lashes out at perceived enemies, including members of his own administration.
Obsession with media coverage: The president consumes hours of cable news daily and is intensely focused on how he is portrayed in the press.
Rejection of norms: Whether in diplomacy, national security, or domestic politics, Trump shows little regard for established procedures and precedents.
This management approach has led to near-constant turmoil in the administration, with record-setting turnover among senior officials. It has also made it difficult to implement coherent long-term strategies across government agencies.
Impact on US Institutions
One of the central themes of "A Very Stable Genius" is how Trump's unconventional presidency has strained American democratic institutions and norms. Some key impacts include:
Erosion of trust in intelligence agencies: By repeatedly attacking and dismissing intelligence assessments that contradict his views, Trump has undermined public confidence in these crucial institutions.
Politicization of the Justice Department: Trump's demands for loyalty from law enforcement officials and attacks on the FBI have raised concerns about the independence of federal law enforcement.
Weakening of the State Department: Mass departures of career diplomats and Trump's dismissal of diplomatic expertise have hollowed out America's foreign policy apparatus.
Attacks on the free press: By constantly decrying negative coverage as "fake news" and calling the media "the enemy of the people," Trump has sought to delegitimize the fourth estate.
Disregard for congressional oversight: The administration's stonewalling of congressional investigations and subpoenas has upset the traditional balance between branches of government.
Blurring of personal and state interests: Trump's refusal to divest from his businesses and promotion of his properties have raised ongoing ethics concerns.
Norm-breaking in foreign relations: Trump's unorthodox approach to diplomacy, including directly attacking allies and praising adversaries, has upended decades of carefully cultivated relationships.
While some view these changes as a necessary shakeup of calcified institutions, others see them as a dangerous erosion of the guardrails that have long protected American democracy. The long-term impacts remain to be seen, but it's clear that Trump's presidency has stress-tested many aspects of the US political system.
Reactions from Trump's Inner Circle
The book provides fascinating glimpses into how those closest to Trump have reacted to his unconventional presidency. A few key patterns emerge:
Initial idealism giving way to disillusionment: Many who joined the administration believing they could positively influence Trump became frustrated by his refusal to listen to advice.
Attempts to manage the president: Senior officials often tried to delay or divert Trump from his most inflammatory impulses, sometimes by simply ignoring orders they deemed unwise or illegal.
Shock at Trump's behavior: Even hardened political operatives were often taken aback by the president's conduct, particularly his attacks on military leaders and allies.
Rationalization of Trump's actions: Some advisers convinced themselves that Trump's inflammatory public statements were just for show, while the "real" policy was more reasonable.
Fear of Trump's wrath: Many learned to tread carefully to avoid setting off the president's temper, leading to a culture of toadyism among some advisers.
Leaked criticisms: A steady stream of disparaging comments about Trump from his own appointees made their way to the press, including Tillerson's "fucking moron" remark.
High turnover: Whether through resignation or firing, few top officials lasted long in Trump's orbit. Those who did stay often saw their influence wane.
These reactions paint a picture of an administration in constant turmoil, with even Trump's closest advisers struggling to navigate his mercurial personality and unconventional approach to governing.
Media Strategy and Public Perception
Trump's obsession with media coverage and public perception is a recurring theme in the book. His approach to managing his image includes:
Constant attacks on negative coverage: Any story critical of Trump is quickly labeled "fake news," regardless of its accuracy.
Direct communication via Twitter: Trump uses social media to bypass traditional media filters and speak directly to his base.
Cultivation of friendly outlets: Certain media organizations, particularly Fox News, are given preferential access and treatment.
Creation of alternative narratives: When faced with damaging stories, Trump often tries to shift focus to unrelated issues or conspiracy theories.
Repetition of key phrases: Simple, catchy slogans like "No collusion" are repeated ad nauseam to shape public perception.
Attacks on individual journalists: Reporters who produce unfavorable coverage often become targets of personal insults from the president.
Use of visual spectacle: Trump understands the power of imagery and often stages events for maximum visual impact.
This aggressive media strategy has helped Trump maintain the loyalty of his base, but it has also led to an increasingly polarized media landscape and public discourse.
International Perceptions of Trump
The book details how foreign leaders and diplomats have struggled to adapt to Trump's unconventional approach to international relations. Some key themes:
Confusion over US policy: Trump's tendency to make major announcements via tweet or off-the-cuff remarks has left many allies uncertain about America's actual positions.
Attempts to flatter Trump: Some leaders, recognizing Trump's ego, have tried to win favor through lavish praise and ceremonial welcomes.
Direct appeals to Trump's advisers: Frustrated by the president's unpredictability, some foreign officials have tried to work around him by dealing directly with cabinet members.
Concern over US reliability: Long-standing allies worry that America can no longer be counted on to honor its commitments.
Opportunism from adversaries: Nations like Russia and North Korea have sought to take advantage of Trump's inexperience and desire for deals.
Shock at protocol breaches: Trump's disregard for diplomatic norms has repeatedly surprised foreign counterparts.
Reassessment of the US role: Many nations have begun to look for leadership elsewhere, particularly to the EU and China, as America's global influence appears to wane.
These reactions suggest that Trump's presidency has significantly altered how the world views the United States, with potential long-term implications for America's global leadership role.
Conclusion
"A Very Stable Genius" presents a presidency unlike any other in modern American history. Through vivid anecdotes and insider accounts, Philip Rucker and Carol Leonig paint a picture of an administration in constant turmoil, led by a president who rejects traditional norms and expertise in favor of his own instincts.
The book highlights several key themes that have defined Trump's tenure:
- A disdain for expertise that has alienated career officials and military leaders
- Impulsive decision-making that catches even his own team off guard
- Abusive behavior towards subordinates, creating a toxic work environment
- A puzzling affinity for Vladimir Putin's Russia, even as he attacks traditional US allies
- Ignorance of basic historical and geopolitical facts
- An obsession with media coverage and public perception
These traits have led to significant strains on US democratic institutions, from the intelligence community to the State Department. They have also reshaped America's role on the global stage, leaving allies uncertain and adversaries emboldened.
While Trump and his supporters see his unconventional approach as a necessary disruption of a broken system, critics argue that he has dangerously eroded the norms and institutions that have long underpinned American democracy and global leadership.
The long-term impacts of Trump's presidency remain to be seen. But "A Very Stable Genius" makes clear that, for better or worse, Donald Trump has fundamentally altered the nature of the American presidency and the country's place in the world.
As the United States moves forward, the lessons and warnings contained in this book will likely be studied by historians, political scientists, and citizens seeking to understand this extraordinary chapter in American history. Whether Trump's approach represents a temporary aberration or a new normal in US politics is a question that will shape the nation's future for years to come.