This incident is emblematic of one of the great risks of the Trump presidency. The man has no intellectual curiosity whatsoever, and, by all accounts, he is heavily influenced by what he sees on TV and the last person to speak with him before he must make a decision. This leaves him as pliable as clay, open to manipulation by those who have an agenda on the issue du jour. Flattery gets you everywhere with Trump, and his more mercenary advisers will lead him to self-interested policies on a path paved with gold.