President Donald Trump’s aides are struggling to balance calls for him to play the role of consoler in chief with his more natural inclination to hold raucous rallies and gin up his supporters in the final stretch of midterm campaigning.
According to a Monday Washington Post report, Trump has grown irritated with the many advisers counseling him to hold his tongue and adopt a unifying posture in the wake of the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue this weekend.
Aides reportedly admit in private that Trump is neither talented at nor comfortable with expressing empathy, a tone he feels his most ardent fans do not like.
The key may just be waiting it out — Trump allies hope that in the rapidly changing media landscape, a new story will emerge soon that allows Trump to hit the campaign trail and thrive in his element again.
