The episode has also threatened to stain the credibility of White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general who lost one of his sons in the war in Afghanistan, and who had been viewed by many in Washington as a key moral authority in the administration.

“We’re cruising toward a war with North Korea, and for eight days we’ve watched inane behavior by the president, Congresswoman Wilson and the chattering class in Washington,” retired four-star Army general Barry McCaffrey said. “It really makes me sick, to be honest. I’m sure his phone call with the widow was absolutely disastrous. He wings stuff. He doesn’t have any empathy. But I think there’s a larger issue: What are we doing here?”

Reflecting on the past eight days, McCaffrey added, “I’m starting to wonder if the country’s losing its moorings.”