Trump frustrated by lack of allies willing to defend his presidency

US President Donald Trump is frustrated by a lack of political allies willing to publicly defend his record and achievements during his second term, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ)  reports, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Trump has told his aides that he does not have enough prominent allies willing to defend him on television and highlight the accomplishments of his presidency.

At a recent closed-door meeting in the Oval Office, Trump expressed deep frustration to advisers that prominent figures in Washington had not publicly thanked him for his efforts to overhaul the Kennedy Centre, according to a senior administration official.

Instead, Trump’s effort to put his name on the center’s facade and implement sweeping changes at the cultural institution has faced opposition from Democrats, arts patrons and the courts. Following his latest legal setback on September 15, Trump threatened to block renovations at the performing-arts venue unless his name is added to the building.

Twenty months into his second term, Trump is not getting his way—and advisers, administration officials and others close to the president say he is increasingly unhappy about it.

Trump has publicly and privately complained about media coverage of his presidency for months. But his frustration reached a peak on September 18, when one of his closest aides, Natalie Harp, showed him clips of anchors on the cable network MS NOW criticising his administration, according to people familiar with the matter.

Hours later, Trump banned the network and two other news organisations from the White House.

By Jeyhun Aghazada