Donald Trump’s Made-for-TV Promises
Bombastic, vain and slippery, Mr. Trump played the same small-screen character he has offered the viewing public for years.
Presenting himself as the leader of “a movement like the world has never seen before,” he offered no olive branch to the majority of American voters who opposed him. He displayed only petulance and braggadocio in response to issues that dogged him during the campaign.
.. He emphasized that, in his view, he wasn’t legally required to do a thing, presenting his largely symbolic measures as a high-minded sacrifice to the public interest.
.. This leaves in place problematic deals Mr. Trump has with politically connected business people in India, the Philippines, Turkey and elsewhere. She did not explain how the ethics adviser would remain free of coercion, or escape firing if he or she rejected any agreements.