While playing golf at his Bedminster Golf Club during his first administration, Trump declared, “That White House is a real dump.” He also told a journalist that “Camp David would be likable for about 30 minutes.” Last week, Trump said the Kennedy Center was “in tremendous disrepair.”  And he has made several derogatory comments about D.C. itself, suggesting he should take it over and run it. 

So, what is Trump’s taste in décor? Many designers have labeled it “dictator chic.” Peter York authored a book called Dictator Style: Lifestyles of the World’s Most Colorful Despots. He studied 16 dictators and concluded that their styles were remarkably similar. I’ll sum up common attributes. See if they sound familiar. 

These dictators tend to “go big.” They don’t like antiques. Everything is repro—new, crisp, and shiny. They like French décor because they think it says “money” much more than the subtler English look. They get many of their design ideas from hotels–big reception rooms, big public rooms. They like gold—gold wall decorations, gold furniture, gold columns. After gold, they use a ton of glass–lots of shiny surfaces, chandeliers, giant mirrors, and tabletops. Art and ornaments are big and bright. They tend to commission large paintings of themselves, sometimes life-size or bigger. 

All these attributes are the opposite of the design traditions of Washington, D.C. The American Capitol was designed to avoid Europe’s autocratic excesses and instead project a message of simplicity, democracy, and egalitarianism. 

Each time I see Trump in the Oval Office since January 20th of this year, I notice more of his signature style. He brought gold angel statues from Mar-a-Lago. He added gold picture frames, a gilded TV remote, gold figurines on the mantle, gilded Rococo mirrors on the doors, and gold framed medallions now decorate the fireplace. There are 15 paintings on the walls, including a massive one of Ronald Reagan. He asked for the original Declaration of Independence, but the National Archives houses that faded document. So instead, Trump hung a valued replica of the Declaration that he hid behind a drape for its initial unveiling. He reinstalled his Diet Coke button. And he has added a big map of the Gulf of America. Let’s just say the Oval Office is now jam-packed with stuff. 

Psychologists have done studies on the psyche of conspicuous consumption. The results are interesting. Such consumers are seen as arrogant, less moral, and less warm. Their ostentation is not effective in cooperative environments but tends to work in competitive environments—one-upmanship if you will. 

It’s interesting because in some ways these preferences represent the major divide in our country. Some citizens are impressed with flaunting excess. They believe that society needs to be ordered based on social rank and see ostentatious tendencies as reinforcers of that rank. Others are completely turned off by it. They believe that equality and fairness are important and see ostentatious behavior as a manifestation of power, social inequality, and waste. 

In general, western cultures tend to value equality more than Asian cultures which value social order.

The philosopher Bertrand Russell once wrote, “For my part, the thing I would wish to obtain from money would be leisure with security. But what the typical modern man desires to get with it is more money, with a view to ostentation, splendor, and the outshining of those who have hitherto been his equals.” Interesting. 

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, music, and nature.

  

As President Trump rants about government waste, he continues to spend taxpayer money, as my mom used to say, “like a drunken sailor.” Want some examples? Here are just a few. 

Since the beginning of his second term, Trump has flown to his properties every week to play golf. How much do these little excursions cost? Let’s take a look. In his first 30 days alone, he played golf nine times. So far, the cost of these golf expeditions is estimated at $18 million. These junkets involve Air Force One flying him back and forth, plus additional expenses for flying down vehicles, including two presidential limos and Trump’s motorcade. Let’s also consider the cost of the Secret Service staying at his properties during these weekends for which the government pays for rooms and meals. 

Last weekend, Trump did not break his golf-every-weekend streak. He flew to Florida, boasted that he won the tournament at Palm Beach once again, and then attended an awards banquet. He did take time out from his busy schedule to watch airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis on a remote display screen.

If Trump continues playing golf at this rate throughout his term, the cost is estimated to be $500 million. (His first-term golf expenses were $152 million.) 

All indications are that Melania is seldom at the White House. The estimated cost of protecting the First Lady while she is in Trump Tower in New York City and Mar-a-Lago is $300 million per year. 

Various financial newspapers estimated the cost of Trump’s trip to the Superbowl. Here is the breakdown. Secret Service: $7 to $10 million. Air travel and motorcade: $5 million. Stadium security upgrades: $2 million. Local law enforcement: $1 million. Conservative estimates make the total cost for this boondoggle at $15 million. Trump left at half time. 

Trump’s trip to the Daytona 500 is estimated to have cost taxpayers around $5 million. The costs again included an Air Force One trip, presidential motorcade, secret service, and security, staffing and logistical support, and additional emergency and military resources. Trump did a flyover on Air Force one before his presidential limousine drove him around the track for a lap. He left the event after 11 laps. 

So far, Trump’s Guantanamo Bay fiasco has cost taxpayers $16 million. Trump promised to send 30,000 migrants to Cuba. As of today, he detained 300 migrants there for a short time. Now all of them have been flown to various other places. The Wall Street Journal reported that hundreds of U.S. troops were guarding empty tents. 

During his first term, Trump spent $1.7 million redecorating the White House. So far, his plans in this term include replacing the Rose Garden with a hard surface that resembles a patio like the one he has at Mar-a-Lago. In recent days, Trump has also said he would like to build a new ballroom in the White House similar to the one at Mar-a-Lago. I doubt that any of the thousands of fired Federal employees will have an opportunity to check out the new ballroom.

Let’s remember that Federal employee salaries in total amount to less than five percent of the Federal budget. In 2024, the average Federal employee earned about 24.7 percent less than their counterparts in similar positions. The conspicuous consumption during the early days of this administration juxtaposed against thousands of Federal employees losing their jobs is difficult to swallow.

Adding up Trump’s cited exercises in excess in less than 60 days, and trust me this is the tip of the iceberg, would conservatively equate to about 6,000 Federal employee salaries. You know, employees who were working on cancer research, saving children’s lives in Africa, helping veterans get appropriate healthcare, and so much more, who are no longer employed.

Philosopher Bertrand Russell once wrote, “We have, in fact, two kinds of morality side by side; one which we preach but do not practice, and another which we practice but seldom preach.”

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, music, and nature. 

 

In last Friday’s Wall Street Journal Mansion section, there’s a story about Trump’s appointee for Undersecretary of State for Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jacob Halberg, who is listing his Miami Beach mansion for $65 million. It’s 15,000 square feet, has an aquarium so big it requires a scuba diver to maintain it, and looks like a modern museum. Halberg recently purchased a $7 million house in D.C.’s Kalorama neighborhood. 

A story published in the Washingtonian last week reports that Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick purchased Fox News’s Bret Baier’s D.C. Foxhall Road mansion for a record $25 million—in cash. 

Trump has surrounded himself with a bevy of billionaires. Seated in the VIP section at his inauguration were the wealthiest man in the world, Elon Musk, who is worth $400 billion, the chair of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Facebook’s Chief Mark Zuckerburg, and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. They all contributed to the Inaugural event, along with Open AI CEO Sam Altman, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. In total, the inaugural fund raised more than $170 million. Why contribute? To gain favor and to gain access.

Linda McMahon, Trump’s pick for Education Secretary, is the wife of billionaire WWE wrestling executive Vince M. McMahon. Doug Burgum, Trump’s Interior Secretary, sold his business to Microsoft and has more than $100 million in assets. Scott Bessent, Trump’s Treasury Secretary, is a veteran hedge fund manager with a sizeable net worth. Howard Lutnick, Trump’s Commerce Secretary, made his fortune as a financial services executive. Kelly Loeffler, Small Business Administration Secretary, is married to Jeff Sprecher, CEO of Intercontinental Exchange, the publicly traded firm that owns the New York Stock Exchange. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East Envoy and real estate tycoon, has a net worth of more than $500 million.

Although Trump ran on a populist platform, all the above individuals stand to benefit immensely from Trump’s proposed tax cuts. 

Since the 1970s, there has been slower economic growth and rising income inequality. In the U.S., income inequality is at its highest point in almost 75 years. Over the past 40 years, the growth rate of household income in the top quintile has been nearly four times faster than in the middle class. CEOs, on average, make 275 times more money than their workers. 

Technology and automation have played a part in this massive income disparity. Work can essentially get done with fewer workers. Our economy is now driven more by professional service workers and less by manufacturing. Consumers spend less on manufactured goods than in times gone by. 

The U.S. minimum wage has dropped by almost 30 percent since the 1960s when adjusted for inflation. (France’s minimum wage is equal to more than $12 in the U.S. compared to our Federal $7.25 minimum wage. Some states have increased their minimum wage above the $7.25 amount.) Unions are less powerful than they used to be. Instead of approximately 30 percent of workers belonging to a union as was the case 50 years ago, now only about 10 percent of Americans belong to a union. Climate change also has a greater effect on low-income workers as they are more exposed to environmental threats such as flooding and hurricanes.

So, what happens when wealth inequality gets out of control? It puts power in the hands of the super-rich which results in little social mobility for most of the population. Eventually, it weakens trust in public institutions and can result in rising crime rates, mental illness, and social unrest. 

What should be done about improving the income inequality equation? Pretty much the exact opposite of this administration’s game plan. In addition to having empathy and consideration for the lower- and middle-class citizens, here’s what experts suggest:

Provide tax relief for low-income workers, meaning programs such as food stamps, reduced healthcare programs, housing subsidies, child and dependent care tax credits, and trade adjustment assistance. 

Reduce payroll taxes and tax capital gains at higher rates. 

Create a wealth tax that taxes the net wealth of the richest citizens. 

Keep the estate tax to address inherited economic inequality. 

Start unemployment benefits automatically during recessions. 

Provide tax credits for more research and development. 

Create automatic unemployment benefits. 

Provide universal early childhood education and increase support for childcare. 

Raise the Federal minimum wage and enforce existing minimum wage laws.

Provide more job training.

Create strong competition policies that promote technological innovation.

Eliminate noncompete agreements.

Expand access to healthcare.

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Oh America, how often have you taken necessities from the masses to give luxuries to the classes. God never intended for one group of people to live in superfluous inordinate wealth, while others live in abject deadening poverty.” Amen. 

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, music, and nature.

 

This administration’s sledgehammer approach to dismantling the federal government has left massive devastation in its wake. Fun facts as we contemplate this eve of destruction: Federal employee salaries make up only 4.3 percent of the federal budget. Social Security makes up 22 percent, and Medicare and Defense each make up about 14 percent. Also, the Federal workforce was bigger in 1990 than it is today by about 400,000 workers. Please keep these facts in mind as we review some recent heartbreaking cases in point. 

A former colleague quit her consulting job to take her dream job at the National Institute of Health (NIH). Because she had been there less than a year, she was still a probationary employee. She lost her job last week. She is seven months pregnant. In addition to my former colleague, NIH laid off almost 1,200 probationary employees which included animal care technicians, pharmacists, lab managers, and procurement officers. 

So far, approximately 220,000 Federal probationary employees have been fired. These include federal employees with less than a year of service, federal employees who transferred to different positions, and federal employees who were recently promoted to new positions. 

A recent college graduate relocated to D.C. to work at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). His job involved weather forecasting, which is becoming increasingly important given the effects of climate change. He was given one hour to clean out his desk and exit the building. 

Because the National Park Service laid off approximately 1,000 workers, there are already long lines to get into the parks. Many reservations have been summarily canceled. There are also concerns that the lack of rangers will make it difficult to keep hikers and other park visitors safe.

The head of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) food safety division resigned last week saying that the DOGE cuts will damage the FDA’s ability to safeguard our food supply. 

As of this date, RFK Jr. hasn’t been seen much at the Health and Human Services (HHS) building and has done nothing to address the measles outbreak. Within the last few weeks, more than 164 measles cases have been reported, and the first measles death in a decade occurred involving a school-age unvaccinated child in Texas. RFK Jr. claimed that “measles outbreaks are not unusual.” Don’t get me started on bird flu.

More than 1,000 employees from the Veteran’s Administration have been fired, including employees who were working on cancer treatments, opioid addictions, prosthetics, and burn pit exposure. 

Approximately 10,000 United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have been placed on administrative leave. The dismantling of the Agency has sent global health into chaos, ending grants for HIV treatments and prevention, tuberculosis, polio, malaria, Ebola, and nutrition assistance for infants in developing countries. China is beginning to pick up the slack. 

More than 350 employees who work at the National Nuclear Security Administration were ousted, many of whom lost access to their email before they were fired. DOGE then attempted to reinstate some of them after realizing the error of their ways. 

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has been ordered to stop all work—effectively shutting it down. Since its establishment in 2011, the CFPB has returned more than $21 billion to consumers by enforcing federal laws and protecting consumers from unfair business practices. 

Approximately 7,000 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) workers have been fired just as tax filing season hits full steam, which may delay tax refunds and the ability to answer phone calls or respond to help lines.

Nearly 300 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) workers were fired last month. There have been several aviation accidents just weeks after a midair collision over D.C. killed 67 people. 

Before the federal purge began, the U.S. government employed more than three million people. Federal workers live across the U.S., but the D.C. area has a disproportionate amount of them. Approximately 450,000 federal workers live in the D.C. area; about 162,000 live in D.C. (approximately 20 percent of D.C.’s population); about 144,000 live in Virginia; and approximately 143,000 live in Maryland. Of those living in Maryland, about 23,000 live on the Eastern Shore. (Interestingly, California has the most federal workers with more than 147,000.)

The sudden surge of unemployed workers in our area could have a devastating effect on our economy. Unemployed workers will seek new jobs, spend less money, potentially miss car payments, and more, and they will definitely add a lot of uncertainty into the mix. Add that to the pressure of tariffs and mass deportations, and many economists predict major economic upheaval in our area, particularly in the housing market. 

Already in D.C. more than 7,000 workers have filed for unemployment insurance in recent weeks. Many of the skillsets that unemployed Federal workers have do not coincide with job openings in the area—jobs such as nursing, culinary work, and hospitality services. Both Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Virginia Governor Youngkin are encouraging fired federal workers to apply for State jobs.

I haven’t even begun to unpack the effect that cancelled government contracts have on consulting firms and other public and private companies in the area.

There are many ways to create a more efficient, streamlined federal workforce. Encouraging creative, innovative solutions and actually implementing recommendations that many of the now-fired inspectors general suggested in their reports when identifying waste are just a few ideas. 

A thoughtful studied approach is the opposite of what has transpired in the last five weeks. Instead, according to Sunday’s New York Times, the approach used to fire employees arose from a $50,000 a plate fundraising dinner for Vivek Ramaswamy when he was running for president which Elon Musk attended. While there, Musk spoke about his frustration with federal regulators who were stifling progress on his pet projects with Space X and Tesla. Hence the brainchild of breaking into the federal digital servers.

All this upheaval, why? So that Trump can raise the debt ceiling and give tax cuts to the uber wealthy. 

So, how do you mend a broken heart? How do you stop the rain from falling down? It will be up to the Courts to decide how much power the President has. And it will be up to the Courts to ensure that its decisions are enforced. And then there is the “pie-in-the-sky” hope that Congress will eventually do its job. Stay tuned.

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, music, and nature.

 

During these troubling and turbulent times, it’s often necessary to seek escape. For me, that means burying my head in a book. Since the November election, I’ve been reading even more than usual. Here are three of my most rewarding escapes. 

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. This book was a selection for one of my book clubs. I was somewhat skeptical, as it is based on a true story about a midwife in the 1700s named Martha Ballard. I’m happy to report that I loved this book and am extremely glad I read it. The book centers on Midwife Martha’s Journal, which she kept for several years, summing up births and various ailments that she addressed while traversing a frozen river in Maine. 

The Journal notates that Martha delivered more than 800 babies without losing a single mother or baby. The story also involves a murder, and a corrupt judge who threatens many town members, as well as Martha’s’ family’s land where her husband has erected a mill. This book is a wonderful example of historical fiction that depicts a vivid portrayal of life in the late 1700’s and more than holds your interest until the story ends. 

Presumed Guilty by Scott Turow. I remember reading Presumed Innocent when it first was published in 1987 and then seeing the movie with Harrison Ford in 1990. Both the book and movie almost haunted me over the years. The plot of Presumed Guilty involves a young Black male who dropped out of college and is accused of murdering his girlfriend while they were on a camping trip. Turow was inspired to author this novel after the murder of Gabby Petito in 2021 who was killed by her boyfriend. Rusty Sabich is the suspect’s lawyer in this novel, the same lawyer who was key to the plot of Presumed Innocent. And like Presumed Innocent, Presumed Guilty is a page turner that is chock-full of legal maneuvers, strategies, and surprises. I found it a spellbinding read that was difficult to put down. 

Three Days in June by Ann Tyler. I’m a huge Ann Tyler fan and devoured her short new novel the day it was released. It did not disappoint. Like most Tyler novels, it involves Baltimore, grappling with the human condition, the eccentricities of friends and families, and the foibles of aging. In this case, Gail is in her 60’s, loses her job at a private school, her daughter is about to be married, a fly in that proposed marriage surfaces, and Gail’s divorced husband appears on her doorstep with a cat, intending to move in with her until the nuptials are behind them. This novel captures the joy and heartbreak of everyday life and, as with most of Tyler’s other books, gives the reader more than a little food for thought. 

Tyler is best known for her novels Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, The Accidental Tourist, and Breathing Lessons for which she won the Pulitzer Prize. 

These three novels dealt with several issues including healthcare, court cases, corruption, job loss, and the overall human condition. They truly provided an escape, but they also caused me to once again think about today’s world in which people in developing countries no longer have access to healthcare with the dismantling of USAID; the rising numbers of court cases; government corruption being front and center; and the thousands who are losing their jobs. I especially think about those probationary federal employees who were let go last week, many of whom recently relocated and now are jobless and will soon lose their benefits. 

The writer Nora Ephron once wrote, “Reading is escape and the opposite of escape; it’s a way to make contact with reality after a day of making things up, and it’s a way of making contact with someone else’s imagination after a day that’s all too real.” 

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, music, and nature.

 

 

As I watch this second Trump administration unfold, I can’t help but notice how different the optics are between men and women.

Elon Musk stands in the Oval Office with his four-year-old son on his shoulders. Then the son stands next to the Resolute Desk and tells President Trump to “hush” while his dad is talking. Can you imagine the comments that would surface if a woman had done the same thing with her young child in the Oval Office? Editorials galore would be written about her lack of professionalism. 

Vice President Vance brought his whole family to Germany for the Munich Security Conference. Photographers captured several photos of his wife and three children exiting the plane. Not sure why the whole family was on this “business trip.” 

Let’s just say Kamala Harris had won the Presidency and decided to attend the Super Bowl. It is estimated that Trump’s little jaunt cost taxpayers between $15 to $20 million, which included Secret Service protection, Air Force One travel at a cost of about $3,000 per minute, a motorcade, stadium security upgrades, local law enforcement overtime and personnel. Had Harris decided to make such a boondoggle, the uproar would have been through the rafters. Oh, and by the way, Trump left at half-time. (I decided not to add up the cost of Trump’s truncated-because-of-rain trip to the Daytona 500 on Sunday which included an Air Force One fly-over and a pace lap around the track in the presidential limo.) 

And what if Harris had tried to profit from her election? The Wall Street Journal has estimated that since Trump won this election, he and his family have made more than $80 million. This includes donations to his library, a $10 million settlement with Elon Musk’s X, and millions from “meme coin” cryptocurrency ventures. In addition, the Trump Store launched 168 new products between Election Day and Inauguration Day, some of that money eventually going directly into Trump’s pocket. Such grift is unprecedented. No other president in the history of this country has done anything close, and for whatever reason, no agency seems to be reining in this profiteering. 

During his campaign, Trump frequently stated that he wanted to be a “protector of women whether they like it or not.” (Perhaps he would have profited from DEI training.)

 When you examine the demographics of voters who voted for Trump, the dynamics are interesting. Trump frequently alluded to the fact that men needed to take back control and assert dominance over their women. So disempowered men voted for Trump so that they would feel more powerful. 

Many women who manage the budgets in their households voted for Trump because of the rising cost of groceries, even though many of these same women also voted for protecting a woman’s right to choose. 

Project 2025 specifically states its desire to roll back feminist gains and replace them with “conservative Christian family values.” Hence, the J.D. Vance “childless cat ladies” and “helping raise children is the whole purpose of the post-menopausal women” comments. (Tabulations are currently being run on how many pregnant Federal workers were fired last week during the Trump/Musk purge of Federal employees.)

During the campaign, Trump frequently said that Harris would not be able to hold her own against “world leaders.” He claimed they would make mincemeat of her. So, what do we have instead? Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Berlin telling leaders that Ukraine should not expect to reclaim its pre-war borders or become a member of NATO—essentially giving away the store before negotiations begin. And Vice President J.D. Vance scolding European leaders, telling them that they are the real concern—not China or Russia. After his remarks, Vance met with far-right Alternative for Germany Party Leader Alice Weidel. 

Trump has awarded several men accused of sexual assault with powerful posts—Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Health and Human Services RFK, Jr. And then, of course, there is his own sordid past. In short, he doesn’t seem to have a problem with men asserting control over women. Couple that with his whole gender ideology stance which makes it much more difficult to uncover inequities in politics, the labor market, and society in general. 

So, I guess we’re lucky to have such strong sophisticated talented white men at the negotiating table to end the war in Ukraine—men like Trump, Hegseth, and Vance. And we are saved from Harris, as Trump said during the campaign, “They look at her and they say we can’t believe we got so lucky. They’re going to walk all over her.” 

Yes indeed, we have master negotiators doing “the art of the deal” who are caving to Vladimir Putin’s demands, and, as Hamilton might say, President Zelensky wasn’t even “in the room where it happened.”  

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, music, and nature. 

 

 

In today’s complex world, assigning blame before the facts are in can result in dangerously inaccurate conclusions. Many accidents that occur have numerous levels of complexity which include human error, technology, timing, weather, communications, and endless permutations of each of these dimensions. 

Before having a handle on the facts regarding last week’s catastrophic airplane crash, President Trump blamed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. He then blamed Obama, Biden, the Democrats in general, and former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. 

Trump said, “I put safety first. Obama, Biden, and the Democrats put policy first, and they put politics at a level that nobody has seen because this was the lowest level. Their policy was horrible, and their politics were even worse.” 

Then Trump recommended that the most brilliant people with the most supreme mental superiority and fitness must be in these life-or-death positions. How do you know if you have the best people? Get rid of the diverse, the women, the disabled, the mentally challenged and stock up with capable white males. 

Here’s what Maryland Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, said: “We’ve just experienced a great tragedy, and the President of the United States has already rushed to politicize it—jumping to outrageous conclusions and undermining ongoing investigations.”

Former Secretary of State Pete Buttigieg suggested that Trump should look at some of his own actions before condemning others. Buttigieg noted that shortly after Trump took office one of his “first acts was to fire and suspend some of the key personnel who helped keep our skies safe.”  He continued, “As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying. We put safety first, drove down close calls, grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero-commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch.”

Trump tends to lash out in fear when he isn’t in control of a situation. When Covid was rampant, at one of his press conferences he suggested harebrain cures off the top of his head. After last week’s tragedy, his answer was to get rid of diverse people and replace them with superior white males. 

So, what is the right way to communicate in a crisis situation? I have helped many clients with these issues. Here are just a few suggestions.

Focus on what you know for sure.

Communicate honestly, openly, and consistently. 

Listen to the experts and let the experts speak on complex issues. 

Whatever you do, don’t jump to conclusions before all the facts are in. and don’t pretend that you have all the answers.

Monitor and engage with public feedback.

Designate a key spokesperson (in this case, the administrator of the FAA might make sense).

Use multi-channel communication systems. 

Ensure that you have an empathetic and trustful set of communications for those primarily affected by the crisis. Identify all target audiences and develop communication plans and appropriate vehicles for each of them. Repeat and reinforce key information.

Stress that the goal will be to ensure that after the facts are in, a team will be put in place to develop protocols and processes to ensure that this tragedy never happens again. 

Conduct post-crisis evaluations and develop follow-up communication plans.

John F. Kennedy once said, “Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame on the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.”  Sounds like a good idea. 

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, music, and nature.

 

Two song lines have been reverberating in my head all week: Bruce Springsteen’s, “Bring on your wrecking ball,” and Miley Cyrus’ “I came in like a wrecking ball.” 

A week into Trump’s second term and the U.S. is a much more dangerous place. On Day One of his second term, the self-described “Law and Order President” pardoned 1,500 of his supporters at the Capitol, pretty much cancelling the Department of Justice’s largest prosecutions in history. 

These so called “patriots” smashed windows, defecated in hallways, and brought nooses to hang Nancy Pelosi and Mike Pence. Three hundred of them pleaded guilty to brutally assaulting police officers.

Had they served their terms, the perpetrators would not have been allowed to purchase firearms after their release. Already, one perpetrator, Daniel Ball, has been arrested since his release on federal gun charges.

On Pro-Trump websites many people said they hoped judges would be executed and police would be “pummeled to death.” 

Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio have both said they are now free to pursue revenge and they “want it.” A son who testified against his father and the family of Stuart Rhodes are afraid for their lives.

In the midst of all this, Trump put on paid leave all Federal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Federal workers. That’s right, U.S. taxpayers are now paying these workers not to go to work. 

And then the Senate, thanks to Vice President’s Vance’s tie-breaking vote, confirmed Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. Thank God we got rid of DEI so qualified candidates like Hegseth can serve. Now he can rid the department of “woke generals” and replace them with more people of his caliber. You know, people like Tulsi Gabbard, Kristi Noem, Kash Patel, and RFK, Jr. 

Couple that with Trump firing at least 17 inspectors general that same week. No need to worry that Hegseth might need guardrails as unlikely as he is to get drunk on his own power. (These dismissals appear to violate federal law which requires 30 days’ notice to Congress in an intent to fire a Senate-confirmed inspector general.) 

And wait, more breaking news, Trump cancelled security protection for former officials John Bolton, Mike Pompeo, and Dr. Fauci. I guess they deserve to die because all three of them have been critical of Trump’s knowledge and intelligence in the past.

In the midst of all this chaos, the Trump team suspended research grant reviews indefinitely at the National Institute of Health which includes vital cancer research and clinical trials—perhaps until vaccine-denier RFK Jr can take the helm. And oh, by the way, avian flu is raging and has recently surfaced in dairy cows. No need to research how to stem that tide. 

Yesterday stock futures dropped sharply because of China’s much less costly Deepseek AI announcement and egg prices have cracked $6 per dozen. Well done, American voters. 

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, music and nature. 

 

 

 

When did expertise and knowledge become dirty words in the USA? I was disheartened listening to the hearings for Trump’s cabinet picks. Clearly, Republicans put little value in candidates’ abilities, experiences, or expertise for the very complex cabinet posts at hand.

Instead, I heard questions and statements such as:

“How many pushups can you do?” 

“How many genders are there?” 

“Tell me why you love your wife.” 

Seriously? Many questions about the detailed aspects of these cabinet positions received perfunctory non-answers. Secretary of Defense cabinet nominee Pete Hegseth’s most common response to any question was, “anonymous smears” –even when names were attached to statements. Tulsi Gabbard had difficulty explaining the responsibilities of the Director of National Intelligence. None of the cabinet nominees last week ruled out sanctioning illegal actions if Trump asked them to perform them. 

 Recent Pew Research studies indicate that the respect Americans have for subject-matter experts has dropped from 87 percent to 73 percent. Other research around anti-intellectualism indicates that one in three Americans harbors some resentful attitudes towards experts.

Both Trump campaigns doubled down on doubting the validity of experts on issues such as climate change, health policy, and the economy.

In general, Republicans tend to favor limiting government which, in some cases, means limiting the influence that experts in various fields have on our day-to-day lives. In essence, we are dealing with the backlash or resentment over so-called experts telling you how to live your lives. Today there’s a kind of arrogance that basically says my ignorance has just as much value as your knowledge.

In dangerous times such as these, authoritarian leaders instill fear in the populus and insist that only they are the messiahs who will save the country, and they must be obeyed. This approach also emphasizes racism and bigotry, often stressing the point that if you don’t fight back, you will lose your current place in the hierarchy. History has repeatedly shown that succumbing to such authoritarian leaders only leads to great unhappiness and upheaval in the end. 

So, how do we combat this dangerous anti-intellectual movement? Here’s what the experts say. 

Be OK with realizing you cannot know everything and become motivated and excited about ongoing growth and learning. 

Understand that it’s OK to change your mind or point-of-view when new sound information becomes available. 

Read about subjects that may not necessarily pertain to you or your work. 

Carefully evaluate arguments in your reading and analyze whether such arguments are based on truth and fact. 

Discover practical applications to theoretical ideas. 

Welcome difficult conversations with friends and family to understand various positions. 

In the meantime, here’s hoping the ridiculous conversations about windmills, sharks, and space lasers can be kept to a minimum. 

The scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson once said, “There is no shame in not knowing. The problem arises when irrational thought and attendant behavior fill the vacuum left by ignorance.” 

Something to think about. 

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, music, and nature. 

 

 

 

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I’m thinking about starting a new political movement–one with the goal of starting to bridge the political gap that often appears to be the forerunner of the next civil war. I call the movement “Stop Calling America Stupid” or SCAS. I am putting SCAS on grey baseball hats that I will sell online and hand out at SCAS rallies. SCAS is not a new political party or an effort to take over an existing one. It is a movement to encourage people to stop calling each other names. Nothing more.

In my opinion, America made a mistake on November 5. I worry about America’s future. For the next hundred years, historians will write about what led to Trump winning the election. Depending on what the next four years brings, MAGA voters will be credited with being prescient in bringing about much-needed change in American government or dismissed as voters who brought the wrong candidate to power. Some historians will make the same mistake many opinion leaders are making today—they will call MAGA voters stupid. The more charitable anti-Trump writers will call them “mistaken” or “misled.”

I like the later analysis because many Trump supporters, including a few who stoop to calling me a lunatic or “deranged,” are not stupid people. Some went to good colleges, have important jobs, and are solid family members. They look nothing like the beer-swigging, gun-toting militia members who are sometimes credited as being “Trump’s base.”

So, let’s acknowledge that you don’t have to be stupid to be glad Trump won the election. That means that there is hope. There is hope because it may be impossible to change the mind of a stupid person, but you can reason with an intelligent one. The problem is not the intelligent MAGA supporting understanding you but getting them to engage in discussions with you. And they will never engage in discussions with you if you are calling them stupid or if they are calling you deranged or suggesting that you be deported along with “migrant criminals.”

That is why America needs a cease-fire on the supercharged political rhetoric that has Made America Ugly Again. A case in point, we must stop calling the President-Elect a “NAZI.”

Like every ceasefire in history, this cannot happen unless one side takes the first step by stowing away its anger and hate. It needs to turn the other cheek when Donald Trump calls progressives communists, utters what they consider to be racial slurs, and makes proposals best described as acts of war—things like sending the army to Greenland to “take” it.

The Trump transition has made it difficult for those of us who might join my SCAS movement with his questionable presidential appointments, plans to pardon offensively named “January 6 patriots,” and his continued threats of retribution against his perceived enemies. Trump and MAGA are in the middle of a Dionysian dance of celebration that will not end for at least a few months. During this time, it will be unlikely for SCAS to make much progress, which is not to say that the effort to launch a civil dialogue should not begin now. Rather, it is urgent that it begins right now. Remember that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.

I will not wish Donald Trump “God Speed,” like Judge Merchan did as he handed Donald Trump his sentence in the “hush money” case. I don’t want to see his policies become the law of the land. Joining SCAS doesn’t mean abandoning principles or empathy for people whom you believe will be harmed by Trump’s policies. Instead, good SCAS members believe that Trump’s agenda will eventually fail, or will fail to be enacted and implemented and that America will be left with the need to Return America to What it Was Before Trump or Make America Something Different from What Trump Wants to Make It.

America is not lost. America is not in decline. And America has not repudiated democracy by electing Trump. We are on a detour, not an elevator descending to hell. There is hope. And the way to turn that hope into a change in policy is to stop calling America stupid and begin setting the stage to work with others on a new and improved path.

J.E. Dean writes on politics, government, and, too infrequently, other subjects. A former counsel on Capitol Hill and public affairs consultant, Dean also writes for Dean’s List on Medium and Dean’s Issues & Insights on Substack.