One Thousand Days Today

To quote Tyler Cowen, “If you want to ascertain if someone is truly loyal to you, ask them to do something outrageous or stupid.” It started with crowd size. A thousand days later it’s foreign assistance in a U.S. federal election. 

Further raising the stakes makes the tribe more dependent. “By requiring subordinates to speak untruths, a leader can undercut their independent standing, including their standing with the public, with the media and with other members of the administration.” 

To quote Matt Yglesias, “Throwing out a constant stream of bullshit simultaneously helps the president assess whom he should regard as loyal, and also serves as a filter to increasingly bind a growing circle of politicians and political operatives to him and his family.” 

People seem to think the president is concerned (or even restrained) by the prospect of Republican Senators abandoning him during an impeachment trial. In fact, it’s the opposite. The president will raise the stakes because there is no better way to test their obedience.