Dear President Trump, I wasn’t born yet, so I didn’t hear JFK give his inauguration speech urging Americans to ask not what their country can do for them but rather, what they can do for their country. You would have been 14 at the time, plenty old enough to be interested in your new president … Continue reading Why bring out the worst in people?
Russia
Tangled webs and layers of lies
Dear President Trump, The line “Oh! what a tangled web we weave \ When first we practise to deceive!” just popped into my head. It’s from a poem by Sir Walter Scott named “Marmion” (a fictious English Lord) and it’s about adultery and efforts to cover it up. One of Marmion’s mistresses was to be … Continue reading Tangled webs and layers of lies
We don’t have time for this
Dear President Trump, It’s kind of silly and it probably means I need a break, but I came up with some more “F” words to describe how you’ve been dealing with the threats to your presidency: Fuss. Fume. Fabricate. Falter. Fake. Foment. Falsify. Filch. Fleece. Flounce. Flout. I still think “Flail” is the best single … Continue reading We don’t have time for this
Fight/Flight/Freeze….Flail
Dear President Trump, Are you betting your supporters won’t care that you’re lying or will be so gullible that they’ll believe Russia is actually trying to help the Democrats win the midterms? You’ll no doubt get some takers who will shrug off the blatant lie and others who will believe their Chief no matter what … Continue reading Fight/Flight/Freeze….Flail
Leading with hate
Dear President Trump, Since reading Richard Cohen’s piece in the WP yesterday that unpacks why your base adores you, I’ve found myself thinking about my first boss out of college. In most ways, this boss was about as unlike you as possible. He was a brilliant, highly regarded academic who helped launch many successful careers. … Continue reading Leading with hate
Limits to the benefit of the doubt
Dear President Trump, Typically I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. If someone is behaving badly I imagine what might be driving the behavior – are they tired, stressed, worried, hormonal, having a bad day? I make up some pretty great stories about the woes people are facing to help me let … Continue reading Limits to the benefit of the doubt
Words matter (2)
Dear President Trump, One of the things you seem to know instinctively is that words matter. Although you’re certainly not one of the more verbally facile individuals on the planet, your ability to read situations and groups of people has enabled you to find and tune phrases that will worm their way into your supporters’ … Continue reading Words matter (2)
“I don’t care if he’s lying.”
Dear President Trump, I have an ambivalent relationship with questions like “What would X do?” or “What if it were Y doing Z?” Even if we use these questions in a pro-social, work with your best angel-self kind of way, asking them rarely seems to have much positive effect. And yet. Sometimes asking such questions … Continue reading “I don’t care if he’s lying.”
What more does Vladimir have on you now?
Dear President Trump, Where did the stupid phrase “walk back” come from? Sort of correcting what one has said is nothing like walking back to somewhere from somewhere. If you say something incorrect or that is wrong for some other reason (e.g., it was hurtful), then one should own the mistake, apologize, and perhaps ask … Continue reading What more does Vladimir have on you now?
Seriously, why are we acting so shocked?
Dear President Trump, If it wasn’t so damn serious and frightening I would almost enjoy the nutso consternation and shock people are expressing over your failure to support our intelligence agencies in favor of your BFF Vladimir. You’ve been saying from Day 1 that Russia didn’t interfere with the election, you won completely fair and … Continue reading Seriously, why are we acting so shocked?
Daily Trump Letters 