Breaking all the rules

The Trump Presidency will spawn countless books on a myriad of topics from politics to ethics to communications. And there will be many chapters written about the administration's handling of the media.

But one episode sure to stand out, no matter what else comes down the road, is the thoroughly inept handling of the fallout over the firing of FBI Director James Comey.

Heaven knows this is not a defense of White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer or his team. His interactions with the media have ranged from laughable to deplorable and Melissa McCarthy's "Spicey" will outlast his tenure in the James Brady Press Briefing Room.

But blame for that debacle clearly rests on the shoulders of the Tweeter-in-Chief, who reportedly was livid over the media portrayal of the dismissal and looking for Spicer's scalp. Again.

But Trump should have engaged what may be one of his favorite pastimes: Looking in the mirror:

White House press secretary Sean Spicer and communications director Michael Dubke were brought into the Oval Office and informed of the Comey decision just an hour before the news was announced. Other staffers in the West Wing found out about the FBI director’s firing when their cellphones buzzed with news alerts beginning around 5:40 p.m.

Any good crisis communications manual will tell you to bring your PR team into the discussion of any potentiality hot button issue as early as possible. One, they can give you important feedback on how the issue will be received. Two, they need time to put together a coherent plan that includes statements, talking points and third-party "experts" to back up your strategy.

But that's really only Rule No. 2. The first is to not allow anyone to say anything unless and until they know what they are talking about.

Matt Viser?

“It’s pretty simple: I hadn’t had a chance to have a conversation directly with the president” — Sanders on why her Comey answer was false.

Last, and certainly not least, as far as this go-round, be aware that the enemy of your enemy is not always your friend. Don't ban American photographers from an Oval Office shoot with the Russian foreign minister and ambassador but allow them access for a photo op. It will not go well -- and crying foul after the fact won't either.