"The US president's determination to break from his predecessors includes a willingness to shout from the rooftops of misconduct past presidents would have strained every sinew to conceal. And the consequence, observers say, is that Trump's brazen approach earns him perverse credit for authenticity and takes the sting out of scandals that used to be career-ending when uncovered by muckraking journalists."
"This is a dangerous notion that, just because a president chooses to be corrupt in public openly, it's OK, said Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. People say, well, if it were really corrupt, it would be hidden. It's a false assumption, but many people have it. It's a new theory of scandal."
"In a social media post addressed directly to Pam Bondi, the attorney general, the president fumed over the lack of legal action against James Comey, the former FBI director, Adam Schiff, the California senator, and Letitia James, the New York attorney general. We can't delay any longer, it's killing our reputation and credibility. They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW, he wrote, before deleting the message and posting another supportive of Bondi."
During Watergate, newspapers were rushed to the White House at night so Richard Nixon could brace for revelations. Half a century later Donald Trump does not seem to fear explosive front page headlines or shocking disclosures, often because he authors them himself. The president breaks from predecessors by openly announcing misconduct and publicly urging legal action. That brazen approach often earns perverse credit for authenticity and reduces the damaging impact of scandals that once ended careers. Many observers call the assumption that hidden wrongdoing is worse a false one. A social media post urging prosecutions preceded the Justice Department charging James Comey with false statements and obstruction over congressional testimony.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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