THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary-July 28, 2017- Topic 2

 A crisis of trust

During the past week, it became evident that U.S. President Donald Trump takes a dim view of his Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, a man whose appointment to that key role he fought resolutely for in the face of serious objections. This is not a clash of egos, but another instance of Mr. Trump’s disdain for constitutional propriety regarding conflicts of interest and the murky issue of Russia’s influence on the 2016 presidential election. The current episode dates back four months, to when Mr. Sessions recused himself from the FBI’s inquiry into whether Moscow had interfered in the election. 

Although Mr. Trump at the time dismissed the notion that such action was called for, Mr. Sessions’s recusal was consistent with settled norms and with his own reassurances on Capitol Hill that he would consider being removed from any process where he thought his “impartiality might reasonably be questioned”. The President’s anger at the FBI investigation then swelled, leading to the abrupt firing of the Bureau’s Director James Comey in May. Mr. Comey had previously told the House of Representatives’ Intelligence Committee that the FBI was investigating whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia during the election. Since July 24, Mr. Trump has stepped up his public attacks on Mr. Sessions, describing the recusal as “very unfair”, and suggesting that Mr. Sessions showed bias in favour of Democratic election rival Hillary Clinton by not probing her emails as he should have.

Observers are not surprised that Mr. Trump, a man of his own making, has shown himself to be comfortable with a casual approach toward conflicts of interest. Yet what they may not have anticipated is the extent to which his desire to protect the personal interests of his family and the business interests of the Trump Organization could eventually lead to a chasm between the White House and the Republican Party. After all, many among the party’s traditional conservatives believe firmly in the established traditions of checks and balances within the government system and would view the suspected Russian meddling through the lens of fierce patriotism. The clearest indication that trust is fraying between the Oval Office and Capitol Hill is the fact that Representatives this week passed a tough sanctions bill with proposed measures targeting Moscow, by an overwhelming 419-3 vote. This would hamper Mr. Trump’s strategy of extending the hand of friendship to Vladimir Putin. Mr. Trump can ill afford such a trust deficit, especially when his own officials appear to be uncertain over their boss plans. This would apply, for instance, to Defence Secretary James Mattis, who was on vacation when Mr. Trump unexpectedly announced a ban on transgender persons in the military.

Vocabulary

Evident: plain or obvious; clearly seen or understood.

Example: She ate the cookies with evident enjoyment

Synonyms: obvious, apparent, noticeable, conspicuous, perceptible, visible

Disdain: the feeling that someone or something is unworthy of one's consideration or respect; contempt.

Example: Her upper lip curled in disdain

Synonyms: contempt, scorn, scornfulness, contemptuousness, derision

Notion: an impulse or desire, especially one of a whimsical kind.

Example: She had a notion to call her friend at work

Synonyms: impulse, inclination, whim, desire, wish, fancy

Recusal: a conception of or belief about something.

Example: Children have different notions about the roles of their parents

Synonyms: idea, belief, conviction, opinion, view, thought, impression

Swell: become larger or rounder in size, typically as a result of an accumulation of fluid.

Example: Her bruised knee was already swelling up

Synonyms: expand, bulge, distend, inflate, dilate, bloat, puff up, balloon

Anticipated: regard as probable; expect or predict.

Example: She anticipated scorn on her return to the theater

Synonyms: expect, foresee, predict, be prepared for, bargain on

Chasm: a deep fissure in the earth, rock, or another surface.

Example: The movie also shows a panoramic view of the mountains, deep chasms and valleys going into oblivion and the sounds of crackling icicles and snowstorms.

Synonyms: gorge, abyss, canyon, ravine, gully, gulf, defile, couloir

Fierce: having or displaying an intense or ferocious aggressiveness.

Example: As women, we need to accept that we can be fierce, cunning, and predatory

Synonyms: ferocious, savage, vicious, aggressive

Afford: provide or supply an opportunity or facility.

Example: The rooftop terrace affords beautiful views

Synonyms: provide, supply, furnish, offer, give, make available

Overwhelm: very great in amount.

Example: He was elected president by an overwhelming majority

Synonyms: very large, enormous, immense, inordinate, massive, huge