Trump flies solo more, is said to want to rely less on staff
WASHINGTON — 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.”