Working For An Imperial Leader
Back when I was in college, a friend of mine was the publisher of the local newspaper — the Saratogian. It was owned by Gannett. During one Summer when Saratoga was in full swing with the race track and the New York City Ballet in residence, Gannett determined to have a board meeting in Saratoga.
My friend was on point and needed to be a good host to the Board and the CEO.
Here’s what I remember most clearly. The CEOs advance team came in days before the executives to inspect all of the preparations — and in particular the CEO’s hotel room. I don’t remember where they were staying, but Saratoga had great five star accommodations for the various rich and famous who came to town. It was probably the Gideon Putnam, a classic Saratoga gem. (/)
But for the CEO of Gannett, it wasn’t good enough. His advance team tore the hotel room apart and actually brought in new bedding. Both a mattress and box spring for the boss. It may have been Al Neuharth, but I’m not sure. But the point isn’t that the CEO needed a new mattress, it’s that his ‘people’ thought he did, and moved heaven and earth to get one.
So, today I’m thinking about Donald Trump in Japan, and the US Military trying to move and then deciding to hide the USS John McCain so that Donald Trump wouldn’t have to see the ship. Hiding a battleship isn’t easy, so in the end, they threw tarps over the name and gave all the sailors who had had with the name of the ship a day off so they wouldn’t encounter the commander-in-chief.
Now, Trump for his part says he never ordered such a thing, and that may be true. But it reminded me of that day back in Saratoga, and the people around the Gannett CEO who determined he needed a better bed for his hotel room. He didn’t need to command his team to retrofit the room, they were acting on his behalf.
And thus, Trump’s team trying to anticipate every whim of their mercurial boss. Because, as everyone around Trump knows, all it takes his a momentary trigger of his famous mean-spirited tempter, and the entire visit can go off the rails. Even as Trump was back in Washington, and denying that he’d asked to have the USS McCain moved out of sight, just the question for a reporter on the South Lawn re-ignited a vicious attack on the now departed McCain. Trump listed his still smoldering anger at McCain and his dislike of the decorated war hero.
Simply put, Trump’s team did exactly what their boss would have wanted to do. To hide the USS McCain, keeping the name McCain out of sight or risk angering the easily triggered US President.
The needs, wants, and petulant nature of imperial leaders can’t be ignored. To do so is to risk the ire of a man who could fire you, or fire off a nuclear missile.
