Trump watches “the shows” but can’t attract their experts

[Valin]

Power Line:

Paul Mirengoff

April 16, 2016

 

Donald Trump says he is his own main foreign and military policy adviser. He says he obtained the knowledge required for this position by watching “the shows.” He means televised news and talk shows in which experts discuss world affairs.

 

Trump may have a high regard for certain talking heads on the shows, but the talking heads appear not to have a high regard for Trump. That, at least, is what comes across in this Washington Post article by Karen DeYoung.

 

(Snip)

 

 

Trump has cited two favorite experts from the shows: John Bolton and Col. Jack Jacobs. He has expressed admiration for Richard Haass, president of Council on Foreign Relations.

 

Bolton, who was for the invasion of Iraq which Trump claims he opposed, has said that Trump “wears [his foreign policy] on his baseball cap. It says, ‘Make America Great Again,’ what else do you need to know?” Bolton has also slammed Trump’s plan to ban foreign Muslims from entering the U.S.

 

Col. Jacobs says he has never spoken with Trump about military policy. Haass says he briefed Trump, among other candidates, once last year, but doesn’t know him well enough to judge his foreign policy and national security chops

 

(Snip)

[Valin]

LISTEN: Trump Foreign Policy Adviser Hopes To Talk Him Out Of Torture

(Snip)
"It is hard to sign on," he told Morning Edition, "because it's a very politically charged ambiance ... but I accepted the task because I think there needs to be a major change in our policy" toward the Middle East. Phares said Trump asked him "to provide education."

The conversation revealed that Phares opposes some of Trump's most attention-getting proposals and wants to persuade the candidate not to pursue them.

(Snip)

Phares echoes a number of Trump supporters wrestling with the oft-repeated controversial promises that have become the central themes of Trump's campaign. These supporters express hope that if Trump is elected, it will turn out that the blunt-talking businessman does not mean what he says.

 

"He will count on advisers," Phares predicts.

 

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Not exactly what I would call a full throated endorsement.