He does it by giving away 100% of his bargaining chips in the service of his own ego and the currying of favor with his base in the mistaken notion that appearing "muscular" will buy him more than it costs him.

What strikes me most about this is his utter lack of negotiating chops, seeing as his whole brand has been largely based on the so-called "art of the deal" that he claims to be so adept in.

As for why no one stands up to him, a lot of people are standing up to him but a majority of them are afraid to because they think it will threaten their hold on power and/or their personal fortunes. Although, stay tuned, that calculus is beginning to finally shift. This next 3 to 6 months will be wild ride, folks.

According to one source I read yesterday, who is in contact with a former GOP legislator who is in contact with current GOP legislators, there are already roughly enough likely defectors to impeach Trump, they are just waiting for the most opportune moment to pull out the daggers and turn on him. Probably at the moment, they labor under the misconception that the baseless news reports that Mueller is "winding up" his investigation are true. They'd like to have a damning report for cover. They won't get it anywhere near that quickly, but what they will get is more indictments and convictions and politically devastating revelations. And maybe if they're lucky, a partial report, or some of the evidence can be obtained by house committees doing investigations and will become available to legislators or even the public in that way.

Wow that is all pretty FKD. When can you guys get a government back?

It was in Congress & they shut it down....chump just orchestrated it.

Power of the veto

the government needs a budget to operate. trump has refused to sign any budgetary bill that does not include funding for his stupid wall. not only that, but he insists on an exact amount, so compromise is not possible. he was offered a bill that gave him some wall funding. he wouldn't sign it. he would rather shut down the government for the third time this year, and at a time when businesses expect people to spend more money and children expect presents (and of course landlords expect rent and everyone needs to eat) than get even a part of what he wants, when he shouldn't get ANYTHING toward that wall.

g

Our party of evil is currently dominant amid all 4 branches of our government; our house of reps, senate, presidency (executive), and supreme court (judicial). US citizens not only sat on their hands and allowed this imbecile to ..squeak through - they handed every branch of our government over to him!

The Imbecile was offered a chance out, but allowed the same far-wrong propaganda media outlets that got him elected to goad him into not signing or at least postponing a government spending bill in which the 3 branches must agree on. Most Presidents are smarter, better negotiators ...this one’s not presidential material..

The Republicans are supporting him. They need to go next.