It’s one of the things you have to worry about when you try to run the government like a business (which it is not). There are always going to be cutthroats, attempting to better their own status, climb the ladder, and chase advancement with a ruthless fervor.

That seems to be the situation with Trump’s White House, if reports can be believed.

A recent New York Times story alleged that nobody knew how to operate the lights in the White House, so they have meetings in the dark.

For starters, I’m sure somebody out of all of them could have figured it out. Maybe it took them a few tries. I’ve had those moments, myself, but eventually, the lights come on.

I also don’t think they’re sitting around in pitch black, save for a few flashlights, discussing policy issues.

And that story about Trump in his bathrobe, walking around the White House?

Well, he’s home, right? I’m in my pajamas right now. Don’t judge.

I think the point is, where are these stories coming from? Did the New York Times make those up out of thin air? Is there a mole in the Trump administration?

It’s hard to tell, actually, but the mixing of the absurd and the serious aside, people should take notice.

More serious matters have been leaked as well, such as descriptions of Trump’s call with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Trump apparently said a U.S.-Australia deal on refugees, agreed to by President Obama, was “the worst deal ever,” and told Turnbull their conversation was “the worst call by far” among several he had held with world leaders that day.

If that much is true, then the leak can probably be narrowed down to somebody who was in the room, couldn’t it?

There are a lot of questions surrounding those leaks. People like Kellyanne Conway have stepped forward to assure the public that the Trump team is cohesive and works as a unit.

That isn’t stopping the behind-the-scenes murmuring, however.

“There have been a ton of leaks. It seems that everyone has their own leaking apparatus,” lamented one Trump ally who works outside the White House.

The ally argued the leaking has become so profligate that it’s hurting the administration, forcing White House officials to deal with internal turmoil instead of their opponents outside the building.

“I don’t know how it affects morale, but it is certainly a distraction,” the source said. “They have 55 firehoses aimed at them. Enough of the palace intrigue!”

There is some speculation that Steve Bannon and Reince Priebus are at the core of the turmoil, as each represents a different faction, and any rumors/leaks should be looked at to see consider which of these two men stands to be damaged more by the leak.

Kellyanne Conway and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, both represent their own camps, as far as the influence they may hold over Trump and how he approaches the job.

More broadly, the multiplicity of power centers — not just one or two — in the Trump White House only heightens the intrigue. Some Republicans worry that it has also engendered a sense of ruthlessness among the key players when it comes to protecting their positions.

“It’s clear that a few individuals believe that if they kneecap a few of their colleagues, they will benefit — whereas, in fact, they are weakening the president,” said Matt Mackowiak, a GOP strategist and Contributor for The Hill.

Refer to my first paragraph.

You can’t run the government like a business, lest you set the players working against each other, rather than working as a unit for the good of the nation.