In Trump's case, Valliere also mentioned health issues, exacerbated by the president's contempt for exercise. He claimed Trump drives his golf cart onto the green, which is only permissible if you own the golf course. He also cited a Secret Service agent he knows well who reports he has never seen the president eat a piece of fruit.
Meanwhile, the U.S. economy is moving along at a strong clip and Valliere said he thought 2.7 to 3.0 percent growth was possible this year, thanks partly to front-loaded tax cuts. Unfortunately, no one in Washington "gives a damn about the deficit" and Valliere posited that even with continued economic growth and 4 percent unemployment, trillion-dollar deficits could become the norm early in the next decade.
"Politicians know this" but they say the markets are concerned, he said. "All the prescriptions are radioactive."
Valliere thinks even if the Democrats regain the House and Senate, the latter of which he considers unlikely, the Democratic agenda won't go anywhere. The president will retain veto power over any legislation, so neither party may be able to achieve much.
But the Democrats face major challenges, starting with no compelling message or agenda, Valliere said. This lack of direction or purpose explained the failure of Hillary Clinton's campaign. Though she was a heavy favorite, her only message was "Trump stinks," and the results were a humiliating defeat.
Virtually all their leaders are in their seventies. Valliere joked they might want bring back 88-year-old Michael Dukakis and 90-year-old Walter Mondale.
If 76-year-old Sen. Bernie Sanders, a favorite of millennials, doesn't run, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, whom Valliere called "an electrifying demagogue," might carry the banner for the Democratic party's hard left wing.
Geopolitics present another source of concern. Last weekend's false alarm of a nuclear attack in Hawaii show how easy it could be for a mistake to turn into disaster.