Watching the goings on in the Trump White House, I am struck by the notion that there has been, and continues to be, a tug of war between factions. There are those who want the boss to "go along in order to get along" and those who are okay with him overturning the Washington applecart.
Part of the divide is between globalists and nationalists, part between the socially progressive and those resistant to throwing out the culture that got us here, the culture they grew up with. And a part is between those who benefit from open borders and those who suffer therefrom.
For example, Jared Kushner and wife Ivanka are New York socialites. They want dear old Dad to act as President in ways that don't interfere with their gilded lives in New York society. For obvious reasons they'd not enjoy becoming pariahs, and it appears they are at risk of becoming exactly that.
Dear old Dad, on the other hand, hangs with show biz folk, including impressarios who stage wrestling spectacles, pro athletes, and others who are not globalists. He seems to have a clear notion of the swamp-draining desires of those who elected him.
The Bannon faction is egging on the boss, trying to get him to upend the Washington deep state and drain the swamp. Perhaps one reason the President turns to generals is that most are not part of the Beltway cocktail circuit. They have their own social circles.
It is likely Trump's first chief of staff, as a former RNC chair, was part of the "you need to play the Washington game" group. For all I know they may be correct. But it's likely the boss got tired of hearing it and let him go.
At the moment, is seems the "outsiders" are winning and the "go alongs" are losing. That could change, or may not. Stay tuned.
