One thing President Trump is good at is attracting attention. Even though, as president, he doesn’t need to work too hard at that, he showed Wednesday that he has a talent for directing a conversation.
Trump sent out messages yesterday morning that transgender people would not be allowed to serve in the military. This created the expected reactions — support from some conservatives, condemnation from liberals — but also turned attention away from the president’s very public belittling of his attorney general, Jeff Sessions.
The politico.com website reported that Trump’s transgender decision was in part an effort to save a bill in the House that addressed many of his campaign promises but was on the verge of being defeated.
That might explain Trump’s unexpected venture into military policy, but it’s also safe to say the president was aware that many conservatives were unhappy with how he’s treating Sessions. The transgender ban might have been a way to counter that.
Whatever the motivations, Trump certainly continues to do things his own way.
