THOMPSON: There’s no one in the White House protecting democracy or the U.S. Constitution

A window-seat passenger on a commercial airline never wants to see the pilot and co-pilot…floating away under parachutes. But that’s the feeling many Americans have with the Trump Administration…the vast majority hoping not to see the crew’s parachutes out the windows before reaching their destination.

Trump and his team offer more problems than solutions…more despair than hope. It’s bad enough that those in the Trump cockpit don’t really know how to fly the plane…or even land the ship of state safely…but most of the passengers – except some in First- and Business-Class – never wanted to touch down in a land ruled by a dictator.

A recent photo of the brain-trust running America right now in “Vanity Fair” leaves reasonable folks queasy…reaching for the barf bags…whether Democrat or Republican voter. 

The picture of JD Vance, Marco Rubio, Stephen Miller, Susie Wiles, Karoline Leavitt, Dan Scavino and James Blair in the White House reflects a grim reality rarely seen in politics…or anywhere else.

The photographer – Christopher Anderson – provided insight within the “Vanity Fair” article, noting Vice President Vance’s quip just before taking the shot: “Is this the part where you say we’re all evil?” Yeah, well, look at the photo and decide for yourself.

This group has much in common. They all lie with incredible ease…yet, they are no more convincing than a three-year-old defending the obvious theft of a cookie. Head-to-head comparisons with those who held their positions before them…lead to the  inescapable conclusion of most incompetent.

Even on the surface they look bad. Consider Deputy-Chief of Staff Dan Scavino’s credentials…he used to caddy for Trump…and his biggest previous job was running a golf country club. It doesn’t get better.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, at 27, is the youngest ever White House spokesperson. She was an intern for a few months at Fox while in university…but otherwise has no news media experience. 

She was deputy press secretary in Trump’s first presidency, served as director of communications for New York Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, and failed by double-digits in a bid as the Republican candidate for the House of Representatives from New Hampshire. 

She’s combative, but wouldn’t know a fact if it fell on her…and most importantly for her career…backs Trump so fully…she often comes away looking and sounding stupid. 

Another thing…they all appear to be invertebrates. Not one of them will cross Donald Trump…on anything. They know they could be fired before saying their collective favourite colour, “orange”. 

Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has more sway with Trump than all the others combined…but a read of the “Vanity Fair” article – based on 11 one-hour taped interviews – shows she handles him like you’d handle a rattlesnake.

Trump bounces like the cartoonish Tasmanian Devil from one thing to another…all seeming threats to a democracy that took nearly 250 years to build. Any expectations that Susie Wiles, JD Vance, Stephen Miller and the rest of the “Gang that Couldn’t Shoot Straight” might keep Trump between the guardrails is foolhardy. You wouldn’t expect your son’s or daughter’s fourth-grade class to find a cure for cancer…would you?

In less than a year, consider the scandals, the controversial decisions, the almost inexplicable actions taken by the Trump Administration…and, of course, the graft. Really, there are too many incidents to list given the space.

Starting with the ridiculous pardons of nearly 1,600 insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, killing five and injuring 174, Trump has shot – pinball-like – from one disaster to another.

At least 33 pardoned insurrectionists have committed other serious felonies – rapes, murders, DUI, child-sex crimes – since benefiting from Trump’s largess on Jan. 20. What Trump didn’t do on Day One…was reduce prices on everything from groceries to health care…as he promised voters.

There’s the Epstein Files…from the mysterious moving of convicted sex-trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell to a cushy “Club Fed” facility to the Department of Justice’s stonewalling of releasing, well, anything about Epstein.

Trump let Elon Musk roam the halls of the White House, let his Department of Government Efficiency invade government offices and fire 300,000 workers. Trump stood by as Musk eviscerated USAID…a move responsible for the deaths of 600,000 people worldwide…two-thirds of them children. The irony and cruelty of the richest man killing the poorest people should never be lost on anyone. 

National Guard were deployed only in cities Trump hates because they’re led by Democrats…Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Chicago, Memphis and Portland. There were no local requests for help by those governors or mayors…all while the crime rates in more than a dozen Republican-led cities are higher.

Trump bulldozed the entire East Wing of the White House…an historic landmark…to build a 900,000-sq.ft. ballroom…that Trump first said would cost $200 million…then weeks later, $400 million. It will be more…and no one asked for or approved the destruction or construction.

Trump has been trying to justify a war with Venezuela to depose its leader, Nicolas Maduro…killing 83 locals in 22 military attacks of boats they accuse of running fentanyl to America. Venezuela provides no fentanyl, and 90 percent of any cocaine it might run…goes to Europe. The military operations have cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

Now, Trump’s set up a blockade in international waters off Venezuela – an act of war – to get back the oil Venezuela “stole”. No one in the White House – least of all Trump – understands that Trump’s actions might backfire…leading to strong support from citizens for Maduro.

Trump has waged vengeful retaliation against those he doesn’t like…perceived enemies…indicting unsuccessfully former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James…multiple times. 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has recruited largely untrained thugs who wear masks to take anyone not white off the streets…hanging out in Home Depot parking lots, housing projects and farms. They have caught few real criminals…and no “worst of the worst” undocumented aliens.

Trump imposed tariffs…like most of his actions…on a whim. The economic effect has been disastrous…and eventually you can bet the government will have to reimburse companies.

I could go on with examples of insanity…but, again, space doesn’t allow. Speaking of sanity, Trump seems to slip a little almost daily…rambling – often incoherently – in every speech or interview.

Sadly, those around him aren’t there to protect democracy or the U.S. Constitution…they are there to profit…to slurp up any crumbs Trump drops in a cash grab that has netted him billions of dollars in less than a year.

Truly, I wish I could be more optimistic. The truth is, you can fit all the decent Republicans in Congress in a lavatory on board that commercial flight I wrote about earlier. 

By the way, if you have a window seat…look for deployed parachutes…and hold on. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.