Trump's Paranoia: Trump alarms his confidantes with questions about Mike Pence's loyalty

Mod: Down in the bunker Trump hires and fires for the most dubious reasons. Most of them based on his voracious need for unabashed approval from all who surround him. And nobody has been more cognizant of the wants of this needy man than Mike Pence. However ...

Trump privately asking aides if Pence is loyal: report (The Hill link): President Trump has privately asked aides about his vice president Mike Pence's loyalty, The New York Times reported Friday. Trump reportedly questioned Pence's allegiance so many times that many of his advisers are alarmed, as those kinds of inquiries tend to indicate that he is irritated with someone.

According to the Times, most people within the White House have been supportive of Pence when asked, but some of Trump's outside advisers have suggested that the vice president may have used up his utility.

Trump has reportedly not made it clear whether he is seriously considering a 2020 ticket change or whether he is simply trying to get advisers' opinions before the campaign begins.

The Times noted that some outside advisers have suggested outgoing United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley as a potential replacement for Pence. Trump praised Haley when she announced her intentions to leave her post at the U.N. in October. At a press conference earlier this month, Trump asked Pence to be his 2020 running mate in an impromptu exchange.

"Well I haven’t asked him, but I hope so,"Trump said.

"Mike, will you be my running mate?" he added, calling on Pence to stand up.

The vice president nodded his head in affirmation as some White House staff in the room applauded. It is not clear if this was an official announcement that the two would run together again.

A representative from the White House did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment. Deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley told the Hill that Trump“absolutely supports the vice president and thinks he’s doing an incredible job helping to carry out the mission and policies of this administration.”

Bill Kristol Tears Acting AG Matt Whitaker Apart: 'Manifestly Unqualified Political Hack'(Mediatelink): Weekly Standard editor at large and staunch Never-Trump conservative Bill Kristol absolutely went in on acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker Thursday. In a late-afternoon tweet, the neoconservative political analyst went ALL CAPS to bash President Donald Trump‘s interim pick to lead the Justice Department.

“It’s a problem that a non-Senate confirmed individual is acting as attorney general. It’s a problem that the acting AG didn’t recuse himself on Mueller,” Kristol wrote. “But above all it’s a problem that a manifestly unqualified political hack is acting as ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES.”

The controversy continues to swirl around Whitaker who — as Kristol noted — was not confirmed by the Senate for his most recent post as chief of staff to former Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Whitaker has come under scrutiny for promoting products from a company called World Patent Marketing— which has been accused of defrauding its customers. He has also been an outspoken critic of special counsel Robert Mueller‘s probe.

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