Perspective 161. Trump Be Praised: A New Hosannah?

A trademark of authoritarian rule is lavish adulation of the anointed ruler. From Stalin to Saddam Hussein, people exalted the grand poobah – if only to save their own skins. But of course this could never happen in the U.S. of A. Or could it?

Actually, yes, it is happening. Trump’s second term has unleashed a torrent of gushing adoration from those dependent on his good graces. It would be charitable to think this is simply a way of keeping one’s job, given the ruler’s erratic caprices. But in any event it has produced a parade of sycophants.

In perspective, Trump likes to hold his Cabinet meetings in public so that the genuflecting won’t go unnoticed. What follows are verbatim quotations from the last Cabinet meeting, Wednesday last week.

Let’s begin with Pam Bondi, the Attorney General: “President. Your first 100 days has far exceeded that of any other presidency in this country ever. Ever. Never seen anything like it.”

Chiming in, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent: “Sir, it is been a momentous 100 days with you at the helm. . . . . America first does not mean America alone. Under President Trump, it means leadership.”

Not to be outdone, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz jubilated that “It's an honor to serve you in this administration, and I think the world is far better, far safer for it.” Unfortunately this was not enough to keep Waltz from being demoted the very next day to the dismal job of explaining Trump at the United Nations.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe picked up the theme of Trump’s creation of a safer America in just 100 days: “You have had a profound, positive impact on America's national security posture, and Americans are safer because of your leadership.”

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth appealed to DJT’s machismo: “Men and women in the military . . . don't want to get out now that they have a real commander-in-chief.”

Secretary of Interior Doug Bergum was not to be outdone in fawning admiration of The Leader: “You're not just courageous, you're actually fearless . . . and that creates a… Just all of us can sprint because you're running ahead, so thank you.”

Perhaps remembering Trump’s definition of himself as a genius, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy hastened to add: “Because it's complex, no one has done it, and you've given the directive and the support to make this happen, so thank you.”

And after outlining his promotion of pseudoscience in the Department of Health and Human Services, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., bleated: “Mr. President, I want to thank you for your vision, for your leadership, for giving me the hundred busiest days of my life, and most exciting and most rewarding, and over the next hundred days, we're going to do much, much more.” That’s exactly what we’re afraid of, Bobby.

And let’s not leave out Elon Musk, a non-Cabinet fixture in Cabinet meetings: “I think this could be the greatest administration since the founding of the country.”

So there you have it. The osculating of the royal tuchus will probably only get worse over time as the anaxyri americani scramble to stay on their lily pads.

Stalin or Saddam Hussein could not have asked for more.