Donald Trump's presidency has revealed the shortcomings of putting an inexperienced outsider in the White House.

There is a steep learning curve for an outsider entering the Oval Office. Mix that with Trump's "dominator" personality – like Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and Andrew Jackson – frequent verbal fusillades, extemporaneous remarks to reporters, and you get a steady stream of controversies that have launched a stormy presidency.

Inexperience often breeds confusion. The current web of misunderstandings about Trump's alleged "bargain" with Democratic congressional leaders regarding continuing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration program is just the latest example.

Did Trump cut a deal? Did the deal involve strengthening the border with Mexico? Who negotiated the deal? Those in attendance at the meeting each have different answers. A more experienced president would have clarified the meeting and its outcome at its outset. It's one more painful lesson for Trump.

Many presidential stumbles have preceded this one. President Trump has discovered that governing as an outsider is far more challenging than campaigning as an outsider. Presidents have limited power and need to know how the system works or at least hire people who know.

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But Trump doesn't know, and distrusts most folks from the inside, which has caused him to alienate Congress on both sides of the aisle. As a result, though touting a big agenda, Trump has been unable to stay on message or negotiate workable deals.

His loose understanding and uneven involvement of health care reform contributed to its failure in Congress. His inexperience resulted in a botched travel ban and a tweet about "transgenders in the military" that was not accompanied by a clear policy.

His lack of knowledge in regards to congressional operations has also created a myriad of questions around tax reform, infrastructure spending, a border wall with Mexico and deficit reduction.

In fact, most of his successes have come when he has employed the unilateral tools of presidential proclamations, memoranda and executive orders to reverse additional regulations under his direct authority, not his work with Congress.

His foreign policy efforts haven't fared much better. His campaign theme of "America First" suggested a major redirection of foreign policy, but his lack of understanding of the checks and balance of world politics have resulted in little change and outlandish rhetoric. In fact, he was recently admonished by British officials for his tweets regarding the London subway bombing.

His secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, has adopted a low profile and signaled no major rerouting of foreign policy. The former generals in his foreign policy team have not promoted a foreign policy revolution.

Though Trump has issued vehement rhetoric about the Islamic State group, Iran and North Korea, so far his foreign policy has been cautious in its departures from established policy. His promised trade war with China has yet to appear as he seeks that nation's help in dealing with North Korea's rogue regime. He has kept the Iran nuclear deal alive after threatening to abandon the agreement.

What does the future hold for Trump? His job approval in polls is uniquely low compared to his predecessors' at comparable points in their first terms. Can he rally the nation and become a majority-approval president? Or can we expect more of the same – low popularity and constant controversy fueled by a frequently hostile media? Might ethics concerns or the Russia investigation lead to eventual impeachment and removal from office?