There’s no doubt about it. Being president of the United States is a full-time all-consuming job—perhaps one of the toughest on the planet. Time management is crucial. Prioritization is front and center. Surrounding yourself with competent advisors with relevant experience is key to successfully implementing the myriad tasks at hand.
So given the enormity of this responsibility, let’s take an honest assessment, if you were president, would you anticipate finding time to:
Golf, on average, once every five days, frequently at distant golf courses which require flights, motorcades, security, and logistical maneuvers. (Last weekend Trump flew to his Bedminster course and was scheduled to golf Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.)
Pave over the rose garden. Tear down the East Wing to build an excessively large ballroom. Add your name or photo to an array of government properties, commercial products, National Park passes, currency, and a new fleet of battleships.
Change the color of the water in the reflecting pool to “American Flag Blue,” keeping in mind that the reflecting pool was originally tinted a neutral gray to serve as a quiet unobtrusive mirror that absorbed light in a way that created the illusion of great depth and signified the historical gravity of the site.
Decide to hold an Ultimate Fighting Championship series on the White House lawn which involves constructing a temporary 15,000 pound six-foot wire-mesh fenced fighting cage, a massive towering red, white, and blue steel arch structure used to light the arena, and a temporary 4,000 to 5,000 seat arena surrounding the cage, plus massive viewing screens at the nearby Ellipse Park to accommodate up to 85,000 additional fans.
Redesign the public golf courses in D.C. which will result in significant legal and environmental challenges and concerns about course affordability and access.
Accept a luxury Boeing 747 from Qatar’s leaders for conversion into a new Air Force One, featuring larger more luxurious accommodations at a taxpayer cost exceeding $300 million which you can take with you when you leave the White House.
Transform the Oval Office and other reception areas with heavy gold and gilded décor, including gold-trimmed doorways, and gold-painted decorative seals on the ceiling. Place gilded urns on the fireplace mantel, along with some gold cherubs. Add accessories including gold drink coasters, a gilded-stamped paperweight, and gold eagle figurines.
Employ conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer as an unofficial advisor to alert you to officials who are disloyal and help you write off-the-wall social media posts that include AI generated photos frequently mocking former presidents and your enemies that you can post at 2 a.m.
Create a tariff program that caused unease and instability in countries across the world and alienated many of our allies.
Tell the public you don’t have time to attend your son’s wedding given there is “a little something called a war in Iran taking up your time” but somehow find time to fit in a flight to NYC to attend a Knicks game.
The phrase “form over substance” means prioritizing the outward appearance of a situation rather than its true meaning or intent. It is used to criticize situations where things may look good superficially but lack real value or meaning. In essence, it means focusing on optics rather than impact.
The truly sad fact about this state of affairs is not only the superficial focus of this president, but the resulting implication that his time is not spent on the pithy issues of the day such as pressing domestic and economic concerns like the rising cost of living, childcare, and housing affordability. Everyday problems for everyday families remained unaddressed.
The Hollywood legend W.C. Fields once wrote, “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit.” America, we have a problem.
P.S. Dear readers, I highly recommend reading the newly published Elizabeth Strout novel The Things We Never Say. It reviews the perils of today’s political environment. It is also a beautifully written heartbreaking story.
