The 13 Steps of a Trump Fiasco
The Reflecting Pool drama says everything about how the administration operates.
TL;DR
- The renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool became a costly and problematic project, exceeding its initial budget and resulting in a damaged pool.
- The event is analyzed as an example of the Trump administration's approach to managing failures, characterized by a 13-step pattern.
- Key steps in the pattern include creating unnecessary spectacles, ignoring expert advice, bypassing standard procedures, and declaring premature victory.
- The administration's response involved alleging sabotage and conspiracy, deflecting blame, and eventually attempting to downplay or erase the fiasco.
- This pattern is also observed in how the MAGA media ecosystem responds to other political events, shifting narratives from triumph to defending the project and then to a culture war.
- The process concludes with more blaming, losing interest, and ultimately pretending the debacle never happened.
- The renovation's issues, such as algae blooms and alleged vandalism, have been amplified by social media and news coverage, becoming a significant national talking point.