Donald Trump can be flattered and that could be his undoing: Former President Donald Trump has always been one to disregard his lawyers’ advice and resist settling. As far back as the 1980s, Trump said in “The Art of the Deal” that it is better to fight than to settle if the government charges a businessman with something.
“I’m just not built that way, I’d rather fight than fold, because as soon as you fold once, you get the reputation for being a folder,” Trump said in the book, noting his disdain for lawyers.
His hatred of the idea of appearing weak could explain Trump’s decision to push aside his lawyers’ suggestion that he not seek a plea deal last fall. Trump attorney, former Florida Solicitor General Christopher Kise, suggested reaching out to the Justice Department to strike a bargain that could have kept Trump from being charged.
Trump likely would have avoided indictment had he listened. The idea was dropped after Trump refused.
As the world knows, Trump chose to plead not guilty to 37 counts that included obstruction of justice and violations of the Espionage Act.
Donald Trump Manipulated By Flattery
Trump’s ego and need to hear sweet nothings made him susceptible to just wanting to hear what he wanted to hear instead of cold, hard truths.
Like many children who grew up in abusive households, Trump learned from an early age to fight instead of flee, according to his niece, Mary Trump. Such individuals also often develop approval addictions. Those close to Trump say he constantly craved approval or flattery, which made him susceptible to manipulation.
During Trump’s presidency he often hired people who later would stab him in the back because they were nice to him to his face.
The Washington Post notes that Trump chose to listen to the advice of Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton, a non-attorney, over that from the former Florida’s solicitor general because he told him what he wanted to hear.
Trump chose to stick the course toward criminal indictment with Fitton’s advice. Fitton suggested that the Trump case was analogous to a case that Judicial Watch brought against former President Bill Clinton. Judicial Watch sought the release of audiotapes found in Clinton’s sock drawer detailing his time as president. Fitton met with Trump the day before he pleaded not guilty.
Access to the material under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was denied.
The judge in the case ruled that the National Archives did not have the competency to decide what was a presidential record and what was not.
Trump Poorly Served by Attorneys
Donald Trump and his need for validation led him to hire lesser-quality lawyers who have not always served his best interests. The lawyers he hired in the wake of the 2020 election were a horror show of bad legal advice and poor theories.
But they had one thing in common: a need to flatter Trump. These included former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani and Sidney Powell, whose false statements on-air about Dominion Voting Systems cost Fox News $787 million.
Then Trump rejected sound legal advice from Pat Cipollone, who told Trump he could not simply throw out slates of electors that he did not like and replace them with ones he supported.
“Trump, however, has learned nothing. His quality measure of legal advice still seems to be ‘does this flatter my ego?’ and not ‘is this person speaking with my best interest at heart?’ Trump has been out all week rejecting the legal advice offered by his actual attorneys, and instead insisting that Fitton’s false assurances and non-advice are ‘the law,’” Salon Senior Writer Amanda Marcotte wrote.
John Rossomando was a senior analyst for Defense Policy and served as Senior Analyst for Counterterrorism at The Investigative Project on Terrorism for eight years. His work has been featured in numerous publications such as The American Thinker, The National Interest, National Review Online, Daily Wire, Red Alert Politics, CNSNews.com, The Daily Caller, Human Events, Newsmax, The American Spectator, TownHall.com, and Crisis Magazine. He also served as senior managing editor of The Bulletin, a 100,000-circulation daily newspaper in Philadelphia, and received the Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors first-place award for his reporting.
From 19FortyFive
Donald Trump Is Starting to Scare Everyone
