Day 1,040: Report: Trump now ‘working’ from residence more

Donald Trump has a suspicious health issue that caused an unannounced trip to the hospital less than two weeks ago. It has largely gone unexplained by the White House in any way that adequately explains the various irregularities.

He’s also historically lazy, content to work for less than a couple hours a day and fill his schedule with golf, TV and Twitter.

And now a report by Politico puts Trump even more out of the West Wing, as he now prefers to “work” out of his residence more than ever.

President Donald Trump is increasingly morphing the White House residence into a second Oval. It’s become the place where Trump feels most productive, where he avoids meddling by his staff and where he speed-dials his network of confidants, GOP lawmakers and TV pundits.

Maintaining a sanctuary to work and think has taken on greater importance for the president as he increasingly feels under siege by the Democratic impeachment inquiry. Frustrated by the whistleblower complaint and a parade of administration officials testifying on Capitol Hill, Trump is as wary as ever of the staffers around him and distrustful of the traditional White House infrastructure. Working from his private quarters gives him space away from what he perceives as prying eyes and guards against his omnipresent fear of leaks to the media.

While he’ll head over to the Oval Office on occasion, he’s using his residence as a one-stop shop with an increased frequency.

He also uses it during working hours as a place to watch TV freely, tweet and serve as his own one-man communications director and political strategist. The residence serves like a bunker for his impeachment response and his real-time reaction to testimony, witnesses and public hearings.

Trump is receding away from both aides and the public. Whether it’s for health reasons, a desire to be able to watch more guilt-free TV or not trusting White House staff around him, any of those reasons are a huge red flag. With another year left until the 2020 election, impeachment proceedings (and pending trial) nowhere near a conclusion and a litany of other issues, Trump’s reclusiveness isn’t an issue that will get better over time.

1,040 days in, 422 to go

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