Trump Reportedly Thought Being President Would Be "Easier"

Sometimes, we underestimate the demands of a job. The hours feel longer than expected, "real-life boss" isn't as nice as it sounded during the interview, the workload spills over into weekends, and imposter syndrome sets in, hard. But if there's one job that any clear-eyed person would anticipate being hard as hell, it would be that of the president of the United States. And as he has in so many other instances before, President Trump had a really unique take on this. According to Reuters, Trump said he expected being president would be "easier" compared to his life as a real estate mogul.

That's right, in an interview with Reuters, Trump came clean about his surprising discovery that being in the Oval Office is actually harder than his previous professions of reality star and real estate tycoon.

"I loved my previous life. I had so many things going," he told Reuters. "This is more work than in my previous life. I thought it would be easier."

Apparently, one of those longed-for luxuries is driving. Some may find themselves wondering: driving a car or on a golf range? (The article later clarifies that Trump misses driving a car.)

Bizarre and fascinating revelations continued throughout the interview. Reuters reports that Trump still seems pretty hung up on the election. He interrupted a discussion about Chinese President Xi Jinping to distribute color-marked electoral maps of the United States. "The red is obviously us," he explained.

Trump's top aides are "resigned" to the fact that he still seeks outside counsel and validation from old friends and work colleagues, according to Reuters. Perhaps Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and Chief Strategist Steve Bannon are not to blame for present and future policy boondoggles — it is not clear if Trump is listening to them, and it seems possible that the executive branch is being influenced by unnamed businessmen (likely men) and other unknown confidants in the president's Rolodex (because he might actually still have one of those).

Maybe Trump doesn't feel he can really talk to anyone he hasn't known for many years. But that's one aspect of the presidency that can't be avoided, right? Trump's been familiar with Priebus for less than two years. Bannon is a similarly new-ish member of Trump's circle, and it's unclear how well Trump is getting along with either of them. Perhaps Trump is mad that neither one warned him just how tough this gig would be.

Either way, now that he knows the demands of the job, Trump may regret tweeting so much about President Obama's golfing.

It seems impossible that anyone could honestly expect the presidency to be easy. But Trump has never tried to hide his high opinion of himself, and that probably explains in part why he thought his new job at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue would be a stroll in the park — if he can conduct his real estate business and host a reality TV show, surely he can run the country, no sweat, right?

Turns out, leading a nation is a lot more complicated.