Our current administration’s lack of professionalism has exacerbated a growing divide between political figures and everyday people, highlighting how out of touch U.S. leaders are.
Natalie Pappalardo
Workplace expectations, at the bare minimum, require employees to have decorum. In this sense, respect, integrity, politeness, responsibility, formalities and appropriate apparel are common sense. But, for an administration that regularly preaches “common sense,” the Trump administration seems to lack it regarding workplace expectations.
Despite holding arguably one of the most significant office jobs in the United States, President Donald Trump acts in the utmost unpresidential manner. During his recent speech at the United Nations General Assembly, he spent about an hour berating and insulting his fellow delegates. During one of his tangents on immigration, condemning other countries for not deterring illegal immigration like the United States, he said, “I’m really good at this stuff. Your countries are going to hell.”
Throughout the speech, he continuously bolstered the United States, not only praising himself for immigration control but also for his self-proclaimed domestic and global “accomplishments.” Additionally, he made threats, saying, “To every terrorist thug smuggling poisonous drugs into the United States of America, please be warned that we will blow you out of existence.” There was little to no humility, eloquence or honesty in this speech and most of all, not an ounce of professionalism.
Trump’s conduct at the General Assembly disgraced the United States’ image. President Trump is supposed to represent the people, yet his demeanor is the antithesis of an accurate portrayal of an American worker. Because of this, the disconnect between the president’s actions and those of everyday workers is symbolic of the gap between political elites and the American people.
Under scrutiny of a workplace HR office, Trump’s speech at the United Nations would be grounds for termination. Imagine going to work just to single out your coworkers, condemn their actions and belittle them. Imagine if you frequently flattered yourself with compliments on your own irresponsible work ethic and then gave a speech composed of fragmented sentences and blatant lies. Well, you probably wouldn’t, because it is neither acceptable nor allowed.
Political elites operate on a higher ground than everyday people, and with power comes privilege. For these figures, partisanship provides their value. Their persona is the most important quality of their job and their character is the least important. This is evident in Pete Hegseth, the U.S. secretary of war.
Beginning with his application and interview, Hegseth lacked the credentials or character to serve in this position. At the time of Hegseth’s nomination for his current position, he was most commonly known as a Fox News host. While he served as an Army National Guard officer from 2002 to 2021, having military experience checks just one box on the list of necessary qualifications. Common sense would suggest that leadership and management skills carry more weight to be the leader of the Pentagon, oversee the military and manage the immense budget for civilian and military personnel than being one of hundreds of thousands of service workers.
With a record of financial misconduct and no record of managing a body even a fraction of the scale or importance of 3.4 million personnel, Hegseth was unqualified. Nevertheless, he was confirmed by the Senate. This is equivalent to a McDonald’s crew worker working in the retail sphere for about 20 years, without any managerial promotions or further financial education, and then applying to be the CEO of the company and getting the job, which sounds absurd and simply would never happen.
No matter the industry, the general progression begins at the bottom, and employees move up the ladder based on their performance. Drawing on the previous comparison, a McDonald’s worker may start as a crew member but, with professionalism, hard work and experience, become a trainer, shift manager, assistant manager, general manager, district manager and so on.
Hegseth, lacking the skills and experience, was likely able to secure his position due to his loyalty to Trump. Trump nominated him, and the Republican-controlled Senate, which is partial to Trump, granted this wish.
While “networking” is an important tool for ordinary people to obtain jobs, they are not simply granted jobs through those connections. Networking may make it easier for someone to get an interview or be considered with greater regard in the applicant pool. However, they still must present themselves professionally and have the necessary qualifications and experience to be granted the job.
Despite the integrity that everyday workers must exert, they are treated more harshly than political figures. American workers are mere cogs in a machine — insignificant compared to the machine itself.
While some workers may play a vital role in their company’s performance, any feeling of worth is illusory. One malfunction, and they are easily replaced. The ruthless reality behind their achieved metrics is disregarded and workers are mere nothings in the face of the company itself. On the other hand, political elites’ actual worth comes from appearances, not from respectable attributes, like work ethic, integrity and performance.
Hegseth displayed his incompetence and overarching importance when he and other U.S. national security leaders discussed war plans on upcoming military strikes in Yemen on Signal, a messaging app not approved for classified messages, and accidentally included Jeffery Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. Rather than Hegseth taking accountability or facing consequences for leaking classified information, AP News reported that “the Pentagon and White House have tried to deflect criticism by attacking Goldberg and The Atlantic.”
Hegseth was protected from scrutiny by his connections and position of power, yet another show of his importance above his job. For political elites, negligence is spun into an unfortunate “mistake,” something trivial and possibly even redeeming — a humanizing quality.
The reality for an employee at a private company would be much different. Accidentally exposing confidential client data or sharing proprietary information makes them a company risk, which almost always leads to termination. Ordinary workers are disposable, which is why they must adhere to moral and company standards. Being professional and qualified proves they are a trustworthy and “valued” asset, but when they engage in careless, destructive behavior such as leaking confidential information, they must be disposed of to protect the company from future harm.
Essentially, the job is always more important than the worker, except for political figures, for whom the person is regarded as more important than the job.
Thus, there is a clear hierarchy: those in positions of government power are superior to the common people. Political elites are not subject to the same expectations and regulations as everyone else. If they are given superior treatment to ordinary people, it is not only unjust but also unrepresentative and undemocratic.
Natalie Pappalardo is a junior majoring in English.
Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the staff editorial.