Popularity collided with reality. The departure of Peter Strzok from Mueller’s investigative team comes in the wake of revelations that Russianewsgategate is “nonsense”. Strzok wasn’t wet behind the ears; he knows counter intel. An experienced investigator doesn’t leave a team for no reason. With the financial-legal load of people being investigated and the widespread opinion that Mueller had stepped way beyond scope, Mueller and his team could be looking at being investigated for investigating a “known nothing”.
It takes two to fight. There are always heroes, cowards, and hate mongers on every side. Not everyone in Charlottesville, VA wanted violence. Many wanted to peacefully make their point. But, ideologies don’t always lead where their supporters intend. Trump said as much and condemned everyone who contributed to violence in Charlottesville. But, that didn’t fit the pre-scribed “who to condemn before seeing evidence” playscript of populism and “looking cool” tactics of business leaders. So, the big money CEO council Trump put together condemned Trump’s remarks about the riot and resigned from giving the country business advice.
Their resignations, and Trump’s disbanding the group likely due to their resignations, are out of place. It’s a business advisory committee, not a counter-riot think tank. If IBM and General Electric know so much about riots, they should have provided a privatized solution, if nothing other than research. But, they didn’t. They were simply trying to look good by throwing people under the bus at the right moment. Many companies, including NBC and Macy’s tried similar tactics, which consistently backfired.
The resignation-instigated dissolution of that business advisory council carries two implications: 1. They will no-longer have voice, much like North Korea cutting off relations, which only hurts itself. 2. Business leaders aren’t political experts and should stick to their purpose, no matter how tempting it is to parrot populist mantra. Both of these two reasons will come back to haunt these very companies because their comments were a departure from the mission of their businesses and the task of their council. By commenting off topic, they were the ones who lost.
Republicans in Congress, also, seem to be unwilling to publicly defend Trump, merely because the timing makes it “not cool”. It is interesting that corporate leadership, political leadership, and FBI investigation leadership disbanded after their teams had gotten off task. The country is in a “mission-statement” crisis and the establishment is hammering itself in the foot over and over again with playbook grandstanding. Sooner or later, unnecessary appendixes of the establishment will do themselves in, most likely for the better.
Trump abruptly ends manufacturing council after CEOs disband strategic and policy forum | CNBC
Fox’s Shep Smith: We couldn’t find a Republican willing to come on and defend Trump | The Hill
Special counsel’s Russia probe loses top FBI investigator | ABC
NAFTA renegotiation could affect supply chains, raise costs—or end the deal entirely | CNBC