Loyalty Trap: How Trump's Sycophants Become Scapegoats

Conservative columnist Ross Douthat examines the risks of blind loyalty in the Trump administration.

Apr. 5, 2026 at 1:25am

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Conservative columnist Ross Douthat argues that President Donald Trump's preference for loyalty and sycophancy in his administration creates a systemic vulnerability where officials are punished for the failure of policies they were ordered to implement. Douthat suggests that Trump expects his cabinet members to provide a litany of his accomplishments and to rubber-stamp decisions made in the West Wing or at Mar-a-Lago, but this desire for absolute loyalty conflicts with the president's refusal to accept defeat or embarrassment.

Why it matters

Douthat's analysis highlights the dilemma faced by officials who must balance intelligence and capability with total sycophancy in order to survive and succeed in the Trump administration. The columnist's examples of failed policies and scapegoated officials illustrate the risks of prioritizing loyalty over competence.

The details

Douthat identifies several high-profile examples where officials were penalized despite acting on the president's wishes. Former Homeland Security head Kristi Noem faced political consequences following an immigration enforcement debacle in Minneapolis, which was almost certainly what the president wanted. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi dutifully carried out Trump's instructions regarding political prosecutions and the Epstein files, but was transformed into a scapegoat due to courtroom losses and the unpopularity of the Epstein-related matters. Douthat also cites the example of Hegseth, who reportedly told the president "let's do it" during the lead-up to the war with Iran, only to be left owning the failure when the grand plans did not succeed.

  • On April 4, 2026, Ross Douthat published his analysis in the New York Times.

The players

Ross Douthat

A conservative columnist for the New York Times who has written extensively on the Trump presidency and its impact on American politics.

Donald Trump

The former president of the United States, known for his preference for loyalty and sycophancy in his administration.

Kristi Noem

The former head of the Department of Homeland Security who faced political consequences following an immigration enforcement debacle in Minneapolis.

Pam Bondi

The former U.S. Attorney General who dutifully carried out Trump's instructions regarding political prosecutions and the Epstein files, only to be transformed into a scapegoat.

Hegseth

A reported enthusiastic "yes man" for Trump's bellicose plans, who was left owning the failure when the grand plans did not succeed.

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What they’re saying

“It doesn't matter if you were acting on his orders; you will be punished for that unsuccessful service just as surely as if you'd tried to thwart his aims.”

— Ross Douthat, Columnist

The takeaway

Douthat's analysis highlights the inherent risks of prioritizing loyalty over competence in the Trump administration, where officials who dutifully carry out the president's wishes can quickly become scapegoats when those policies fail. The columnist's examples illustrate the dilemma faced by officials who must balance intelligence and capability with total sycophancy in order to survive and succeed.