For those of you who may not have listened all the way to the end of Jackson Hinkle’s 41 minute interview with Col. Douglas Macgregor (Jackson Hinkle Speaks With Col. Douglas Macgregor), I’m providing a transcript of the closing exchange, in which Macgregor provides his assessment of the Trump presidency and of Trump as president. Now, bear in mind that Macgregor is speaking in the context of an interview devoted largely to the Russia - Ukraine conflict and to Trump’s interaction with the Defense establishment. However, what he has to say almost certainly has broader application. This comports with my own previously expressed assessment, that Trump thought people in uniform rise to the top through merit and by being ‘straight arrows’. Thus, Jim ‘Moderate Dog’ Mathis, and many others.
I have long puzzled over how DJT, especially having spent so much time in the rarified air of New York real estate, didn’t understand the need for a “hatchet man”, or as Eisenhower so indelicately phrased it, “a butcher”. Couldn’t decide if his ego convinced him that he was capable of preforming the job himself or if he felt that his personality and charm would win his adversaries over thus assuring their loyalty and honesty. Clearly that did not prove to be the case.
Perhaps he underestimated the deceitful and treacherous nature of the hydra that governmental bureaucracy represents.
Whatever the ultimate reason, as President Trump, he placed his trust, confidence and ultimately his agenda in the hands of people who were anything but trustworthy.
As Col. Macgregor pointed out, President Trump made totally unwarranted assumptions about high ranking military officers which led to an almost endless barrage of mischief. As an aside, having served in the US Army, I have never seen so many “officers” violate the chain of command without any kind of reprisals!
I found Vindman, I didn’t use his rank on purpose, particularly contemptible.
The point is, a great many things that could have been accomplished were not because of misplaced loyalty.
Had Trump appointed a team of “butchers” given the authority and the resources to clean out the vipers nest, perhaps Mitch Mconnel, Mitt Romney, and especially all of the Military officers who betrayed the President, would be retired or in prison.
Should Donald Trump win in 2024, I sincerely hope that his approach will be considerably different, for his sake and for the sake of the country.
Trumps incredible gift is provoking his opponents to over react and tear off their masks to show their true, partisan, woke, and corrupt selves.
I had no idea it was this bad.
There is a trust / credibility of institutions and people before Trump was President, and after.
My theory on vaccines is Trump is picking his fights, and focusing on the election fraud and the mid terms.
Note the Tech Oligarchs, media, and Democrats are still terrified of Trump and are still censoring him, and on a witch-hunt to destroy him by any means possible.
I don't expect to change any opinions, but I consider President Trump gifted and experienced in these matters, having dealt with personnel and management all his life. Far be it from me to second-guess him. More in my domain, arts and letters, I am amazed at what he does with tweets. He has the gift of manipulating words and people as a result in an indirect way. As with Brer Rabbit and the briar patch, he gets his enemies to do his bidding. I don't see him as being a narcissist. He is worse. He sets his own high standards and assumes he can work miracles. Above all, he works with what is available at the moment. I further view him as a rare gift given to us and it would be a shame if we do not take advantage. Others may work out and even bring additional advantages, but I wouldn't want to take a chance.
Thanks for this article. While I was never fully trusting of anything government related, these past few years have destroyed my trust in all things related to the government and the media that supports the narrative. Even with all my distrust, I find it not just shocking, but frightening that direct orders were not followed.
I used to consider myself a Republican and I supported the Republican party with my money and my voice. I am still registered as a Republican, but I will never give to the party again. I will directly support candidates that walk the walk.
I also like DeSantis. What are your thoughts on Tulsi Gabbard?
To paraphrase Lincoln, we can't spare Trump. He fights. I would further suggest that it is all too easy to criticize him but like Diogenes he had the task of looking in Washington for an honest man. Lacking people of integrity he had to make do with what was available,, and his successes in spite of all the opposition testify to that. Should he decide to come back, and given the lack of support he gets even from his supporters I wouldn't blame him if he opts out, I would not expect him to radically change his ways but to continue in a pragmatic manner to affront difficulties as they present themselves. I do not know if the vaccines did more harm than good, and in any case they were maybe a necessary evil, and he never made them mandatory.
I believe this is an honest assessment. I liked Trump. A lot. Voted for him twice and put a lot of my hope into his presidency. After he “lost” the election it destroyed a lot of the optimistic part of me. That is slowly coming back as I am a naturally optimistic person. But it has made me wiser i.e. more mistrustful, which in these days is not necessarily a bad thing. I pretty much trust NO politician anymore. De Santis included.
I do ask myself if Trump has learned anything from his experience. I hope he is asking himself that. His continuing rah-rah over operation warp speed is concerning. Can he see the forest for the trees? If he can’t or won’t acknowledge the harm of “his” vaccines, I could never in good conscience vote for him again, no matter that everything else he says I might still like.
Thank you for sharing this. It was quite thought provoking.
Extremely important that you posted and highlighted this, Mark. We have to do the hard work of processing and understanding Trump's 4 years and the shortcomings of his presidency. It's one thing to elect him in 2016 w the hope he will drain the swamp, but it's very different to talk about 2024 after he demonstrated such disastrous personnel decisions.
I have often wrote that Trump's biggest mistake wasn't firing- or reassiging to empty rooms and no staff in bumf***, North Dakota- the top 4 levels of every single department of the Executive Branch. Firing and reassigning until an actual political supporter was at the top of the remaining bureaucracy.
I have long puzzled over how DJT, especially having spent so much time in the rarified air of New York real estate, didn’t understand the need for a “hatchet man”, or as Eisenhower so indelicately phrased it, “a butcher”. Couldn’t decide if his ego convinced him that he was capable of preforming the job himself or if he felt that his personality and charm would win his adversaries over thus assuring their loyalty and honesty. Clearly that did not prove to be the case.
Perhaps he underestimated the deceitful and treacherous nature of the hydra that governmental bureaucracy represents.
Whatever the ultimate reason, as President Trump, he placed his trust, confidence and ultimately his agenda in the hands of people who were anything but trustworthy.
As Col. Macgregor pointed out, President Trump made totally unwarranted assumptions about high ranking military officers which led to an almost endless barrage of mischief. As an aside, having served in the US Army, I have never seen so many “officers” violate the chain of command without any kind of reprisals!
I found Vindman, I didn’t use his rank on purpose, particularly contemptible.
The point is, a great many things that could have been accomplished were not because of misplaced loyalty.
Had Trump appointed a team of “butchers” given the authority and the resources to clean out the vipers nest, perhaps Mitch Mconnel, Mitt Romney, and especially all of the Military officers who betrayed the President, would be retired or in prison.
Should Donald Trump win in 2024, I sincerely hope that his approach will be considerably different, for his sake and for the sake of the country.
Trumps incredible gift is provoking his opponents to over react and tear off their masks to show their true, partisan, woke, and corrupt selves.
I had no idea it was this bad.
There is a trust / credibility of institutions and people before Trump was President, and after.
My theory on vaccines is Trump is picking his fights, and focusing on the election fraud and the mid terms.
Note the Tech Oligarchs, media, and Democrats are still terrified of Trump and are still censoring him, and on a witch-hunt to destroy him by any means possible.
I don't expect to change any opinions, but I consider President Trump gifted and experienced in these matters, having dealt with personnel and management all his life. Far be it from me to second-guess him. More in my domain, arts and letters, I am amazed at what he does with tweets. He has the gift of manipulating words and people as a result in an indirect way. As with Brer Rabbit and the briar patch, he gets his enemies to do his bidding. I don't see him as being a narcissist. He is worse. He sets his own high standards and assumes he can work miracles. Above all, he works with what is available at the moment. I further view him as a rare gift given to us and it would be a shame if we do not take advantage. Others may work out and even bring additional advantages, but I wouldn't want to take a chance.
Trump as nice guy. Don't let that nugget get out or there will be a lot of exploding heads.
Thanks for this article. While I was never fully trusting of anything government related, these past few years have destroyed my trust in all things related to the government and the media that supports the narrative. Even with all my distrust, I find it not just shocking, but frightening that direct orders were not followed.
I used to consider myself a Republican and I supported the Republican party with my money and my voice. I am still registered as a Republican, but I will never give to the party again. I will directly support candidates that walk the walk.
I also like DeSantis. What are your thoughts on Tulsi Gabbard?
To paraphrase Lincoln, we can't spare Trump. He fights. I would further suggest that it is all too easy to criticize him but like Diogenes he had the task of looking in Washington for an honest man. Lacking people of integrity he had to make do with what was available,, and his successes in spite of all the opposition testify to that. Should he decide to come back, and given the lack of support he gets even from his supporters I wouldn't blame him if he opts out, I would not expect him to radically change his ways but to continue in a pragmatic manner to affront difficulties as they present themselves. I do not know if the vaccines did more harm than good, and in any case they were maybe a necessary evil, and he never made them mandatory.
I believe this is an honest assessment. I liked Trump. A lot. Voted for him twice and put a lot of my hope into his presidency. After he “lost” the election it destroyed a lot of the optimistic part of me. That is slowly coming back as I am a naturally optimistic person. But it has made me wiser i.e. more mistrustful, which in these days is not necessarily a bad thing. I pretty much trust NO politician anymore. De Santis included.
I do ask myself if Trump has learned anything from his experience. I hope he is asking himself that. His continuing rah-rah over operation warp speed is concerning. Can he see the forest for the trees? If he can’t or won’t acknowledge the harm of “his” vaccines, I could never in good conscience vote for him again, no matter that everything else he says I might still like.
Thank you for sharing this. It was quite thought provoking.
Extremely important that you posted and highlighted this, Mark. We have to do the hard work of processing and understanding Trump's 4 years and the shortcomings of his presidency. It's one thing to elect him in 2016 w the hope he will drain the swamp, but it's very different to talk about 2024 after he demonstrated such disastrous personnel decisions.
I have often wrote that Trump's biggest mistake wasn't firing- or reassiging to empty rooms and no staff in bumf***, North Dakota- the top 4 levels of every single department of the Executive Branch. Firing and reassigning until an actual political supporter was at the top of the remaining bureaucracy.