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...To restore public faith in the governing institutions of the nation. He might do this by releasing his tax returns as proof he is being truthful when he says the new tax law will not be a benefit to him. He might stop disparaging agencies such as the FBI and the entire intelligence community. He could end his use of divisiveness rhetoric that furthers a short-sighted personal agenda while undermining the public’s faith in the very institutions that bind us together as a nation.  

...To support his claim that he had no involvement with Russia during the campaign and the transition. Cooperating completely with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation would be a simple and direct way to do this. He should also call off his attack dogs in the Republican Party who are searching for any item they can spin to discredit the investigation. If he is as innocent as he proclaims, he should project that confidence by letting the game play itself out.  

...To make truth the goal of his administration’s communication strategy. He should stop lying. He should present sound reasons for saying and tweeting the things he does. He should do away with the “everybody says” ambiguity and drop the use of meaningless superlatives such as “beautiful”. He should spare us the tragicomical spectacles of the Mrs. Huckabee-Sanders’ press briefings or flack-for-hire Kellyanne Conway’s public relations burlesque.

...To stop attacking the press. The authors of the Constitution were very aware the role that the unfettered expression of ideas plays in a free and open society. Instead, Trump derides those media outlets with the temerity to publish negative analyses of his actions with the undignified aspersion of “fake news”. In the same vein, the President should stop promoting publications and cable news outlets biased in his favor. The anointed organizations have the effect of serving as state propaganda outlets, forfeiting any claim to objective reporting.   

…To stop treating the nation’s highest office as if it were an of extension of Trump Enterprises. To do otherwise smacks of corruption, real or perceived. Having won an election, Mr. Trump has earned only the obligation to serve the public. Being President is not about self-aggrandizement and it is not an exercise in personal branding*.  His resume does not provide much encouragement that he could do this. As Dana Milbank points out, “in April 1990, it [the Trump Taj Mahal Atlantic City] opened with much fanfare as the world’s largest casino-hotel complex. Six months later, it defaulted on payments. Nine months after that, it filed for bankruptcy.”

… To inject a sense of decency and respect into our civil discourse. He must refrain from the pre-adolescent ridicule that peppers his tweets and speeches. In domestic politics, prudence demands he at least present the appearance of respect for those who do not support him or who oppose his agenda. In foreign affairs, his praise for autocrats such as Erdogan, Duarte, and Vladimir Putin, has opened a gap between the United States and many of our traditional allies. The bullying style endemic to his real estate dealings has no place either in domestic governance or international diplomacy.

In short, we need Donald Trump to be the person he will never be. His shoot-from-the-lip demagoguery was effective during the campaign, but it has no place in governance.  The Presidency requires a person of vibrant intellect, grace under pressure, an awareness of popular opinion, administrative ability, and, most of all, the ability to build a consensus. Given his manifest deficiencies in these areas, Donald Trump will be noted in history more as a latter-day Caligula than the populist he campaigned as.

*In the latest example, Trump’s recently-released Presidential Challenge Coin replaces the national motto, E pluribus unum, with his campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again”, and features his name on the front, a departure from past Presidents’ coins. New York Times,  December 23.