I’m not sure it was ever about respectability. I think he just didn’t have his shit together to actually be president. Campaigns usually start making transition plans long ahead of the election.

The other thing was that he didn’t have as much of a stranglehold on the Republican Party in 2016. It was still very possible to be a politician in open opposition to Donald Trump. So when it came time to pick someone, he couldn’t pick and choose proven loyalists. He just had to choose from among ranks of people who may or may not be hostile.

I’m not sure if this goes in “The Onion” or “Not The Onion”.

From what I hear, one of the most important guardrails last time was the 5S system: smile, say sure, subsequently shred. Trump lacks focus and follow through for anything except his core interests, so some of the people close to him apparently got away with simply not carrying out some of his more boneheaded demands.