Tomorrow morning, you get a call on your phone. It’s John Kelly, Trump’s Chief of Staff. He says: “I’ve been a lurker on the SDMB for years, and I really like what you bring to the table. You’re smart, you have good ideas, and you’re on our team. I want you to work for President Trump.”
He then goes on to describe a job that’s right up your alley. You like national security policy? Well, there’s a job on the National Security Council with your name on it. Like communications? Just so happens they are looking for a person. Like traveling? The President needs a bag man for Air Force One.
There’s a good salary involved – call it $170,000 or so. Of course it’s the White House, so the pressure is considerable.
But the test of this scenario is: would you work at a job where you are right under President Trump? He’s watching you, you have access to him, and all that goes along with that.
Do you take the job?
Inspired of course by the NY Times op/ed by the White House staffer who is trying to keep the President away from the knife drawer and the poison under the sink.
I’m a not Trump RINO not your target audience. I’m guessing that the anonymous author isn’t your target audience either.
I’d be more likely to take the job for him than under another President. The suck of the job is greater than normal but so is the need. Sometimes embracing the suck is the best option.
I’d take the job even as a non-supporter. Get paid by the administration in order to take it down from the inside? Sure! I’d leak like a sub with a screen door. Though I’d be afraid that even doing my job piss poor on purpose would still be better than their usual hires that actually support them.
Normally I’d say – long term thinking. They could triple their current income by going to K Street after a year or two of the pay cut.
However, there’s one big thing those on the thread who say they would work for Trump are forgetting – liability. There’s serious risk you’ll face lawsuits, and criminal prosecution, after Trump is gone.
Plus, that $150,000 salary gets whittled down pretty quickly as soon as you have to hire a lawyer because you’ve been subpoenaed by the grand jury. Even if you’re pure as the driven snow, you’ll need to pay hefty legal fees.
Stone has said he expects to pay $1,000,000 in legal fees.
I’m pretty sure I’d be ok at it - doing up Don’s trusses, English tutoring / oratory training / fluffing the First Lady, being Official Placer of Whoopee Cushion under Oval Office chair-cushion (never caught), completely taking over His tweeting, hair guy, being available in the wee hours to lend a sympathetic ear, MacDonald’s / taco bowls procurer, prosthetic cock consultant, Faux Noose aggregator, browbeaten supplication.
My starting salary, though, would be 1.75.
Depending on how much crap you think you’d end up in, one can buy professional liability insurance that can deal with quite a bit of legal fees for a very reasonable price. I’m sure Roger Stone is ineligible for such coverage. Poor, poor man.
Seriously? I, at one point in my life, spent 5 years working for an unpredictable, often irrational business owner who was subject to screaming fits and loved to belittle his employees. Or be your best friend, depending on his mood that hour. I put up with it because I needed the money to support my family. Never again. Not for any amount of money. It is not worth it. I would rather dig through dumpsters for food.
Yeah, I’m totally mystified by people who will leap to work in what could be among the worst workplace environments in this country, even if it is aligned with one’s political goals.
From what I hear Trump demands and has people swear to loyalty to him (which really has me question his ability to appoint people to those who swear to uphold the constitution, which is in conflict as I see it, but anyhoo…). So that would be in itself problematic but not totally overcomable. But yeah, if I did I’d expect a ‘your fired’ pretty darn quick as I don’t take to be a follower very well.
Could be that some people believe that they can improve it (and/or do good for the country)? Or they don’t share your belief that it’s such a terrible workplace environment? Or the salary seemed attractive.