Public rifts between Trump and some senior officials widen in the wake of Charlottesville

By Abby Phillip and Anne Gearan August 28 at 7:47 PM

President Trump’s senior aides are increasingly airing their private disagreements publicly, exposing a widening rift between the president and key members of his administration over his handling of racial divisions exposed by white supremacist violence in Charlottesville.

Trump — who has fumed at the media’s criticism of his response to Charlottesville — is also annoyed at similar criticism coming from within his administration, especially from National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, according to people in regular touch with the White House.

Over the weekend, Tillerson suggested that Trump “speaks for himself” rather than for the country’s values in his reaction to Charlottesville. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis also counseled U.S. troops to “hold the line until our country gets back to respecting each other” and is able to “get the power of inspiration back.” And Cohn sharply criticized the president’s handling of the situation in an interview with the Financial Times last week.

Among Trump’s allies, the emerging voices of dissent are being likened to a “mutiny” by disloyal aides. But so far, Trump has not taken any action to dismiss anyone, to the disappointment of those same allies.

“You should not air the dirty laundry with the president in public,” said Roger Stone, a longtime Trump adviser and political ally. “On a personal level, he should feel betrayed because he has been.”

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