Trump appointees intentionally perform poorly to maintain favor with their audience of one
Source: Jim Newell. "Why Pam Bondi and Jeanine Pirro can’t stop embarrassing themselves.." February 14, 2026. slate.com
The Gist
Trump's top officials are doing terrible jobs on purpose because Trump rewards them for it. When they fail spectacularly at basic legal and professional standards, Trump praises them, so they keep doing it to stay employed.
Conclusion
Trump administration appointees are deliberately doing their jobs badly because incompetent performance that serves Trump's personal interests is rewarded over competent governance
Premises
- Jeanine Pirro pursued legally baseless charges against Democratic lawmakers that were unanimously rejected by a grand jury, yet continued in her role
- Pam Bondi gave an embarrassing, unprofessional performance before Congress that Trump praised as 'fantastic'
- Pete Hegseth's unconstitutional targeting of Senator Kelly was struck down by a judge for violating First Amendment rights
- These officials pursued actions they likely knew were illegal or inappropriate because Trump had publicly demanded such actions
- Trump's praise of poor performance and threats against those who oppose his policies create incentives for incompetence over constitutional governance
Assumptions
- Trump appointees are rational actors who understand when their actions are legally or professionally inappropriate
- The appointees' primary goal is job security rather than effective governance
- Trump values personal loyalty and vindictive actions over competent administration
- The legal system will continue to serve as a check on unconstitutional actions