Gratitude isn’t acceptable among Trump’s cabinet. It’s mandatory

To understand why, it’s important to know exactly how the political right is defining strength, courage and – perhaps most important of all – gratitude.

First, let’s talk about strength and courage. MAGA mythology requires both of those virtues to support Trump. His supporters see virtually every significant American institution as opposed to his rise. The mainstream media, the universities, Hollywood: They’re all united in opposition to Trump.

As a consequence, supporting Trump is an act of defiance in and of itself. This is one reason you see Trump supporters wearing clothing that says things such as “Lions, not sheep.” Trump is a lion, and his supporters are lions for standing beside him.

In this formulation, defying Trump would be an act of weakness. Because it’s what “they” want Trump’s cabinet to do.

When you add Trump’s legal woes to the mix, the acts of alleged courage grow only more profound. After all, to belong to Trump’s team is to risk prosecution – the “weaponisation” (as he and his law enforcement officers like to put it) of American justice.

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Again, look at the matter from MAGA perspective. The history of Trump’s scandals – including two impeachments, a felony conviction, a defamation verdict and a finding that he was liable for sexual abuse – isn’t about Trump’s flaws, but rather about his opponents’ vindictiveness.

Add that perception to the genuine relief that he survived two assassination attempts, and you can see that Trump’s supporters don’t view gratitude as just acceptable. It’s mandatory. He’s the man who was impeached for them, prosecuted for them and shot at for them.

Or, as Trump has said at his rallies: “They’re not after me. They’re after you, and I just happen to be standing in their way.”

In this context, Trump’s cabinet isn’t judged as much by its results as by its ability to trigger or enrage Trump’s opponents. If the media is angry, Trump’s base is happy. That means his supporters will cheer absurd pictures of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem cosplaying as an immigration enforcement agent, holding a rifle and wearing a tactical vest, simply because it makes Trump’s opponents angry, because it upsets their vision of responsible, sober leadership.

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That means they’ll judge Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth not by his handling of classified information but by his handling of the mainstream media. In their view, the mainstream media is the enemy of the people, so part of Hegseth’s national security portfolio is defying it.

Trump is a singular figure. No one else in the Republican Party comes close to matching his influence and authority. In fact, I’ve never seen an American politician at any time match his influence and authority over the Republican base.

That reality means we should expect this same dynamic to endure throughout Trump’s second term. His cabinet will genuflect, his supporters will cheer and his opponents will roll their eyes in contempt.

But to describe the divide between Trump’s supporters and his critics isn’t to rationalise or justify his cabinet’s sycophancy. The two competing positions are not equally valid. There is overwhelming evidence that Trump committed acts of misconduct that merited both impeachment and removal and criminal prosecution.

There is also overwhelming evidence that he’s not an economic or military genius, but instead that he often flies by the seat of his pants. The on-again-off-again tariff regimen is an ideal example. He loves tariffs, but he fears the consequences of his own policy, so we lurch wildly from statement to statement, depending on the fluctuations of the market.

Despite each mistake and each successive scandal, the cabinet members cheer. After all, if they want to be seen as strong, they have to surrender to Trump. That is their only path.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.