A week of multi-pronged setbacks tests Trump’s resilience

New York: US President Donald Trump has had a bad week of setbacks testing his resilience.
His Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney acknowledged that aid to Ukraine was held up to force a political investigation; several diplomats defied the administration to testify before Congressional investigators; and his decision to pull US troops out of Syria was criticised by his own party leaders.
The statements of Mulvaney and the diplomats gave the Democrats ammunition against Trump whom they have accused of pressuring a foreign government to interfere in US politics to help his re-election bid and using aid as a weapon to influence Ukraine and as a result, launched an impeachment inquiry.
Turkey’s invasion of Syria and its attacks on the Kurds, who had fought the Islamic State terrorist with US support, brought a House of Representatives resolution supported by many Republicans condemned the troop withdrawal.
It was also the week that he burned the tenuous bridge to Speaker Nancy Pelosi by seeming to question the strength of her opposition to terrorism.
A tone deaf Trump also announced that the next G7 Summit of leaders of major economic powers will be held next year at a resort he owns in Florida raising ethical and legal questions.