The (perhaps) intended consequence of this article is to paint a bullseye target on the forehead of every official who has urged caution on President Trump, or suggested his first impulse wasn’t necessarily his wisest choice. These are things we want presidential counselors able and willing to do, and this article has made doing so tantamount to an admission of guilt.
If the malign intent is to free Trump from restraint in the hope that his impulses will basically derail his presidency, it may succeed in that goal. We need to hope President Trump can distinguish between those who offer counsel (appropriate) and those who obstruct or stymie (inappropriate).
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Within the law, an elected president decides and appointees carry out those decisions. It is both desirable and appropriate for them to suggest alternative approaches. It is not appropriate for minions to block lawful presidential decisions, however unwise they appear. It is also appropriate for a president to replace an appointee who too frequently presses alternatives, if it becomes clear that person and the president have truly different visions for the country.
A presidential appointee who receives a lawful presidential directive he/she cannot in good conscience carry out, for whatever reason, has only one honorable choice: resign while announcing publically the reason for that resignation. If many appointees do this, the public may conclude the President should not be reelected.
