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Trump Team Won’t Hire People Critical of Trump

Susan Quinn
@SusanQuinn
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When I first read the title of this article, I scratched my head, because I had to ask, why would Trump want to hire people who weren’t supportive of him? But then I looked into the likely reasons behind the article, and the reasons Trump’s team was going to pick people who were loyal and supported him, and it made sense.

How many times did we learn of people betraying Trump in his first term? Trump admitted that his personnel decisions seriously handicapped him his first time around. We heard about Rex Tillerson, John Kelly, Jim Mattis, John Bolton, Nikki Halley, Mike Pence, Gary Cohn and Anthony Scaramucci, who made the betrayers’ list, to name a few. They either worked against him when they served, attacked him after they left the government or were dismissed, or leaked information to the media.

His screeners have been ridiculed by observers:

Trump officials, reportedly mocked by some in government as Soviet-style 'MAGA commissar' have reportedly fanned out across federal agencies and asked existing staff about their political positions and whether they previously backed Trump or supported his campaigns.

Some people suggest that this type of screening will lead to Trump hiring a bunch of “yes men;” in response, I’d suggest that Trump, in his transparent way, will let people know that they don’t have to agree with him on everything, but they have to tell him the truth and accept his final decisions. He may or may not use their input, but unless they are always antagonistic, I suspect their jobs will be safe.

Trump is entitled, as people have said when his Cabinet picks were interviewed, to pick the people he wants. The Senate has the option of accepting or rejecting them. But I think Trump has learned his lessons on picking personnel who will support him and enhance his presidency.

He’s getting it right this time.

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Discussion (34)

  • Django@Django

    A lot of people who have never led a large team seem to think that "yes men" are the ones who tell the leader what the leader wants to hear. Such people exist, but no real leader wants them around. The "yes men" a leader wants are those who understand who makes the final decisions, who is responsible at the highest level, who will take the heat when things go wrong, and that it won't be them. They do their research and give their best advice as they are paid to do. Then, they salute and follow orders even when their advice doesn't prevail.

  • Susan Quinn@SusanQuinn
    ReplyingtoDjango

    Django (View Comment):

    A lot of people who have never led a large team seem to think that “yes men” are the ones who tell the leader what the leader wants to hear. Such people exist, but no real leader wants them around. The “yes men” a leader wants are those who understand who makes the final decisions, who is responsible at the highest level, who will take the heat when things go wrong, and that it won’t be them. They do their research and give their best advice as they are paid to do. Then, they salute and follow orders even when their advice doesn’t prevail.

    Very well said, Django. But you can bet the Left doesn't see the situation that way.

  • kedavis@kedavis
    ReplyingtoDjango

    Django (View Comment):

    A lot of people who have never led a large team seem to think that “yes men” are the ones who tell the leader what the leader wants to hear. Such people exist, but no real leader wants them around. The “yes men” a leader wants are those who understand who makes the final decisions, who is responsible at the highest level, who will take the heat when things go wrong, and that it won’t be them. They do their research and give their best advice as they are paid to do. Then, they salute and follow orders even when their advice doesn’t prevail.

    And if they find that they can't do that, they resign, rather than cause chaos etc.

  • Django@Django
    Replyingtokedavis

    Django (View Comment):

    A lot of people who have never led a large team seem to think that “yes men” are the ones who tell the leader what the leader wants to hear. Such people exist, but no real leader wants them around. The “yes men” a leader wants are those who understand who makes the final decisions, who is responsible at the highest level, who will take the heat when things go wrong, and that it won’t be them. They do their research and give their best advice as they are paid to do. Then, they salute and follow orders even when their advice doesn’t prevail.

    kedavis (View Comment):

    And if they find that they can’t do that, they resign, rather than cause chaos etc.

    That assumes they have a sense of duty/honor, but yes, they should.

  • genferei@genferei

    It is extraordinary how the idea of a professionalized civil service carrying out the will of the elected President no matter her party or priorities has morphed into the idea of the ‘civil’ ‘service’ as a fourth branch acting as a check on the (conservative) President.

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