Trump flies solo more, is said to want to rely less on staff

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Yahoo News

WASHINGTON (AP) — His staff hollowing out and his agenda languishing, President Donald Trump is increasingly flying solo.

Always improvisational, the president exercised his penchant for going it alone in a big way this week: first, by ordering sweeping tariffs opposed by foreign allies and by many in his own party, then hours later delivering the stunning news that he'll meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

An on-the-spot decision with global ramifications, Trump's agreement to sit down with Kim came after a meeting with a South Korean delegation and took some of his top aides by surprise.

The president has long considered himself his own best consultant, saying during the presidential campaign: "I'm speaking with myself, number one, because I have a very good brain and I've said a lot of things."

Trump has told confidants recently that he wants to be less reliant on his staff, believing they often give bad advice, and that he plans to follow his own instincts, which he credits with his stunning election, according to two people who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about private conversations.

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A presidency of one?