The New York Times reported last night that President Trump told White House counsel Donald McGahn to ask the Justice Department to dismiss special prosecutor Robert Mueller. According to the report, McGahn threatened to resign rather than carry out the order and then Trump backed off. Trump denies the story.
Most of the commentary about this report has centered on its implications for the rule of law and impeachment. But there’s also a point to be made about Trump’s relationship to his subordinates.
If McGahn rebuffed Trump, it would fall into a pattern: His aides are much more likely than members of previous administrations to ignore or subvert the president’s expressed wishes. They are much more likely, as well, to view their job as managing and working around the president rather than carrying out his orders. This does not seem to me like a positive change in the practices of the executive branch, and it may not be a change that outlasts this presidency, but it is certainly one of the many ways that this presidency is different from its predecessors.