Latest in our ongoing series

Itemizing this one deduction as NBC gets ready for the first Democratic debates on June 26-27 by assigning one moderator for every two candidates (that would be five – count ’em, five – moderators if you’re keeping score at home).

The lineups, via Politico.

Let the wild rumpus begin!

Item: Donald Trump represents the What of It wing of the Republican Party

Over the past few years we’ve grown accustomed to the knee-jerk GOP whataboutism (but Hilary’s emails!) from Donald Trump and the Trumpiacs. But now we seem to be moving into a new phase in which the Cheeto in Chief’s default response to criticism has morphed from I-know-you-are-but-what-am-I? to nonchalant whatofitism.

Exhibit A: Trump’s Kellyanne-urism regarding her numerous Hatch Act violations.

From Politico:

Trump says he won’t fire Kellyanne Conway

President Donald Trump said on Friday that he has no plans to fire top aide Kellyanne Conway after an independent federal agency recommended that she be removed from her job after she repeatedly used her office for political purposes . . .

On Friday, Trump fiercely defended Conway and criticized the Hatch Act, saying it unfairly muzzles officials.

“It really sounds to me like a free-speech thing. It doesn’t sound fair,” Trump said during an interview with “Fox & Friends.”

“No, I’m not going to fire her. I think she’s a tremendous person, tremendous spokesperson,” Trump added. “They have tried to take away her speech and I think you’re entitled to free speech in the country.”

Trumplation (pat. pending): Conway violated federal law? What of it.

Back on planet earth, as Friday’s Politico Playbook PM noted:

REMEMBER: THE SUPREME COURT ruled that the Hatch Act does not violate free speech. (If you care, see United Public Workers v. Mitchell and United States Civil Service Commission v. National Association of Letter Carriers.)

(Just for the record, Donald Trump does not care.)

Nor does he care about the constitutional oversight role of the U.S. Congress (what of it); or anything that former White House counsel Don McGahn told the Mueller investigation about Trump’s attempts at obstruction of justice (“It doesn’t matter,” he told George Stephanopoulos in an ABC News interview); or his blatant, unlawful willingness to accept re-election help from foreign governments – again (what of it); or the 10,796 false or misleading claims he’s made over 869 days (“I like the truth,” he told Stephanopoulos. “I’m actually a very honest guy”).

That’s how the president of the United States conducts himself?

What of it.