Donald Trump and the Norms of the Presidency

Donald Trump was the first person to come to the presidency with no experience in government or the military. Thus, he did not absorb the values of public service or military discipline and respect for the Constitution. Most behavior that is considered central to the presidency is not spelled out in the Constitution, which lays out the formal authority of the presidency. This article begins with common civility and other customs of the presidency, then turns to major political and civil institutions of the American polity, and concludes with Trump's unprecedented undermining of national security institutions (the military and intelligence communities).