6. Trump in the White House

Rather than operating as leader of the executive branch, Trump has personalized his presidency to serve his strategy of communicating with the base. This modus operandi centralizes power with Trump personally as his tweets and public statements intervene in all processes of governance as and when he wants. The office of the presidency is a phenomenally useful institution designed to support the president, but by refusing to see himself as part of that institution, Trump has failed to commit the time and effort to making sure that its processes run effectively. Those processes include policy planning, liaising with interest groups and Congress, running an effective communications strategy—the means to get things done in Washington. With careful management, the president can use the office of the presidency to maximize his impact on other players. Trump has been offered the levers of power, but he ignores them. Instead, he tweets a flow of poorly considered statements from the Oval Office, damages his capacity to lead as he shifts the agenda, and actively sabotages his White House’s efforts. His failure to oversee the appointments process, another vital managerial task that his personalized approach has compromised, has installed a substantial traditional Republican resistance within the White House, creating a chaotic fight over the very nature of the Trump presidency on his own doorstep. His unusual conduct as president means that he is less able to lead Washington.