Opinion: A Trump-style meltdown

Also: West Virginia’s strike and Paul Ryan’s urgings. View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Tuesday, March 6, 2018 [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( [David Leonhardt] David Leonhardt Op-Ed Columnist “I’m going to surround myself only with the best and most serious people,” Donald Trump [told The Washington Post]( during his presidential campaign. One of the people who’s been surrounding Trump is Sam Nunberg, a conservative political activist and former aide who had a protracted meltdown on live television yesterday, in separate interviews conducted by [Gloria Borger]( [Erin Burnett]( [Ari Melber]( [Josh Robin]( [Jake Tapper]( and [Katy Tur](. The videos certainly make for good television. They also highlight a serious point: The Russia investigation appears to present an existential threat to the Trump administration, in large part because Trump has not exactly hired “the best and most serious people.” They shall not be moved. The West Virginia teachers’ strike is a case of hard-working people deciding that they’re no longer willing to accept substandard pay. My colleague Michelle Goldberg has [a well-reported column explaining the issues](. The strike is “part of a nationwide upsurge in intense civic engagement by women,” Michelle writes. As Jenny Craig, a middle school special education teacher in Triadelphia, W. Va., says, “People are starting to get angrier and remember our history, remember our roots.” Related: For a selection of classic American labor songs, including “We Shall Not Be Moved,” check out [the Smithsonian’s Folkways project](. If you’re interested in following the West Virginia strike, I recommend [The Charleston Gazette-Mail]( [The Register Herald]( and [The Herald-Dispatch](. Pretty please. “We are extremely worried about the consequences of a trade war,” AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul Ryan, said yesterday, “and are urging the White House to not advance with this plan.” Did you catch the crucial word there? It’s urging. The speaker of the House obviously has the power to do something about Trump’s announced tariffs on steel and aluminum products. Congress could pass a law that prevents him from imposing the tariffs, as [Josh Barro of Business Insider explains](. If Trump vetoes the law, Ryan could try to find the votes to override the veto. But Ryan isn’t doing. He’s pretty-please urging. That’s generally been the approach that congressional Republican leaders have taken toward Trump. They sporadically criticize him, but they rarely use their power to block behavior and policies they claim to oppose. The one big exception to their timidity is telling. Republican senators have strongly supported Jeff Sessions as attorney general. If Trump were to fire Sessions, as he clearly wants to, the senators have made clear that they might not confirm Trump’s choice to replace him. And as a result, Trump has felt compelled to keep Sessions in the job. As you probably learned back in school, Congress is a powerful branch of the federal government. The Constitution vested Congress with the power to do a lot more than urge. But until Ryan uses that power, the complaints don’t mean much. The full Opinion report from The Times follows. Op-Ed Columnist [A Ranting Old Guy With Nukes]( By PAUL KRUGMAN Why you should worry when Trump talks tough and stupid on trade. Op-Ed Columnist [The Teachers Revolt in West Virginia]( By MICHELLE GOLDBERG All over the United States, women are leading citizen rebellions. Op-Ed Columnist [Italy’s Five-Star Electoral Performance]( By ROGER COHEN Italians opt for illiberal chaos, splitting Europe further. Op-Ed Columnist [The Chaos After Trump]( By DAVID BROOKS There won’t be a snap back to the democracy we knew before. Op-Ed Contributor [The Rising Ghosts of Labor in the West Virginia Teacher Strike]( By SARAH JAFFE If workers are pushed hard enough, our history of revolt is not that deeply buried. Op-Ed Contributor [Who’s in Charge in West Virginia?]( By SUSAN WILLIAMS The lack of political leadership explains why the teachers’ strike drags on. Editorial [Demagogues Win as Europe’s Populist Tide Sweeps Italy]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD A flood of migrants and years of stagnation sent traditional parties reeling. Contributing Op-Ed Writer [At the Polls, La Dolce Vita Yields to Anger]( By BEPPE SEVERGNINI Italy’s election on Sunday showed deep wells of discontent in the north with taxes, in the south with unemployment, and in both with immigration. HOW ARE WE DOING? We’d love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to [leonhardt@nytimes.com](mailto:leonhardt@nytimes.com?subject=Opinion%20Today%20Newsletter%20Feedback). ADVERTISEMENT Contributing Op-Ed Writer [Behold Vladimir V. Potemkin]( By ANTONY J. BLINKEN Behind a facade of strength, Putin leads a nation deep in economic rot, military overreach and failure to serve its citizens. Contributing Op-Ed Writer [After War, Three Chords and the Truth]( By MARGARET RENKL The songwriter Mary Gauthier’s new album, written with American veterans, suggests an unconventional way through trauma. Op-Ed Contributor [Why Are Democrats Helping Trump Dismantle Dodd-Frank?]( By MIKE KONCZAL A bill in the Senate would relax key banking regulations and oversight. Op-Ed Contributor [The Real Reason the Investor Class Hates Pensions]( By DAVID WEBBER It’s not about a funding crisis — it’s about turning retirement savers into passive investors. Op-Ed Contributor [The Left Shouldn’t Be Too Proud to Meme]( By JENNIFER GRYGIEL Donald Trump and his supporters on the right have been more effective than liberals in using internet memes to promote ideas and attack enemies. Op-Ed Contributor [Why Cloning Your Dog Is a Bad Idea]( By JESSICA PIERCE Worker dogs are forced to donate eggs and be surrogates for clones while millions of animals languish in shelters, waiting for a home. Op-Ed Contributor [America’s Other Espionage Challenge: China]( By DAVID WISE The focus on Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election has pushed out of public attention the threat posed by spies for China. The Stone [Why Are We Surprised When Buddhists Are Violent?]( By DAN ARNOLD AND ALICIA TURNER The image of unshakable peacefulness and tolerance is a Western stereotype that defies history and simplifies human nature. Fixes [Issuing Bonds to Invest in People]( By TINA ROSENBERG “Social impact bonds” are a growing way for state and local agencies to fund public-private social projects like helping parents quit using drugs. Op-Ed Contributor [Why I Am Running for President of Venezuela]( By HENRI FALCÓN We can’t boycott the election and let Nicolás Maduro get away with six more years in power. Editorial [Donald Trump’s Tunnel Vision]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD The president has changed his mind about offering federal support for a critical underwater project between New York and New Jersey. Vietnam ‘67 [Who Threw Westmoreland Under the Bus?]( By JOHN PRADOS In calling for more troops, the general wasn’t guilty of hubris. He was guilty of naïveté. 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