In just the month that the Trump administration has occupied power in the White House, there have been many issues that have carried over from the election period and some new conflicts that have surfaced that hinder his ability to perform well with his team. These conflicts consist of continuing anti-Trump riots, the fake news media and now the loss of trust with inter-governmental figures, especially with the resignation of former national security advisor Michael Flynn.
After allegedly lying to Vice President Mike Pence about making contact with Russian intelligence, Flynn was asked to resign last month. The reason for his termination was more an issue of trust issue than legal problems. But of course, with the fact that we are speaking of the national security advisor lying to administration officials, which was the information relayed to Trump, the truth may very well be that Trump was misinformed. And at such high stakes and importance in this position, it was imperative that Flynn be fired.
Flynn’s discussion with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak concerned the sanctions imposed on Russian intelligence agencies by the Obama administration, and the call was made just around the time that these policies were implemented. It is likely that Flynn was pushing for Russian retaliation to then further U.S.-Russian relations after Trumps election.
This is a big speed bump for the Trump administration, as Democratic figures push for further investigation into Flynn’s communication with Kislyak and ask why Flynn was not fired sooner. But, as mentioned before, Trump likely had no knowledge about the the conversation concerning Russian intelligence sanctioning.
Another important note is that whoever uncovered this information did so through having special access to these phone calls, but these tapes are classified information. Furthermore, whomever leaked this information to the original publisher, The Washington Post, committed a crime in doing so.
Gregg Jarrett of Fox News explains that through 18 U.S.C. 798, classified information is not to be willingly released to unauthorized personnel or to be published when the information is acquired through communications intelligence. Also, through the government's understanding of intent, we have to think about what the leaking of this classified information to the public was intended for. It is very possible that governmental intelligence agencies are attempting to add fuel to the fire to heighten tensions between the general public and the Trump administration. This would also be an illegal action.
This responsibility resides solely in the intelligence agency that leaked the confidential phone conversation between Flynn and Kislyak. The publisher is not to be held accountable because the First Amendment protects the freedom of press, and although Congress approved of the legislation to prevent the leakage of classified information, it cannot challenge the constitutional rights instilled in each and every American.
In addition to the dilemma with Flynn, Andrew Puzder, Trump’s labor secretary nominee, withdrew on Feb. 15 after diminishing support with Senate Republicans became evident. This resistance grew from the past employment of an undocumented housekeeper, in which means of payment are unknown.
Long story short, it is obvious that the administration will have much work to tend to in the near future. With this conundrum present, the Trump administration has a ditch to slowly climb out of, and with the high-school-like dramatization of events, such as riots and media influence, this may be a long and treacherous journey for the redemption of the administration. Only then can we get the ball rolling with implementing policy and the further repeal of bad legislation.
What steps could be taken to speed this process along? First and foremost, a trustworthy communications director must be hired. Secondly, time heals all wounds, so I believe the tensions between party leaders will subside eventually, but that is hard to gauge at this point in time. It is unlikely that people will find the continued motivation to go out of their way to shoot arrows into the dark for a cause that may not be attainable.