Lessons from Trumpism: When leaders go rogue

The term rogue has many connotations - when used for children, the term becomes expansive, even affectionate and includes everything from naughty to precocious. For adults, it could also mean cheeky, flirtatious or adventurous.

In other words, ‘rogue’ used within the context of normal people has an indulgent, happy, understanding, explanatory aura to it. But what happens when it is used in the context of leaders, especially political leaders?

Immediately there is a sense of foreboding, of being in danger, and feeling threatened because in this case ‘rogue’ suggests a feckless leader, who undermines and destroys social and institutional norms, and democratic institutions, and lives off, if not thrives on, impropriety. Leaders gone rogue are those who cannot see beyond their own nose – for personal benefit or for a bigoted ideology.

So, what happens when leaders go rogue? The effects are not seen immediately. The leaders transform into snake oil salesmen who suggest a national ailment and then provide their own brand of elixir. Trump claimed the US was held back by the swamp in Washington and that he would drain it. The Indian electorate heard the same thing in 2014.

Once in power, this chicanery does not stop. It is dextrously used to create an alternative universe while simultaneously weakening the foundations of democratic institutions.

So, what does one mean by an alternate universe? Simplistically put, these are alternative narratives and their systems of dissemination that bolster and protect the leader’s image. Trump began with Birther conspiracies against then President Obama. In the 2016 presidential elections Trump suggested Hillary was sick, he claimed that she had broken US law. This allegation took a life of its own and to this day his supporters chant ‘Lock her up’ whenever Trump mentions Hillary.

As president, Trump rails against the press calling them liberal, Fake News and claiming they were unfairly targeting him. By targeting minorities, refugees, immigrants he formalised the falsehood that they are detrimental to the country’s socio-economic wellbeing. Finally, he breathed life into fascist and fringe groups ranging from QAnon to KKK and Proud Boys to protect his beleaguered presidency.

Would it be wrong to say that bigoted groups and individuals get their raison d'être for existing from such rogue leaders? The relationship is symbiotic.

The other aspect which truly makes these leaders rogue is their ability to corrupt institutions and large swathes of the population. By converting people and institutions to their visage, leaders protect themselves and their reign. Plus, these neo converts become the leader’s surrogates.

They not only speak like him, but at times debase themselves to attract the rogue-chiefs’ attention. Prior to 2016 all major Republicans saw Trump as an immoral upstart, but now they clamour over themselves to speak in his tongue and support him.

In the case of institutions, Trump has packed the US Supreme Court with conservatives. Though he claims this is to serve the conservative philosophy - his recent photo-op with the newest appointee – Amy Coney Barrett suggests a never before closeness between the two branches.

Trump hoped that the conservative hued Supreme Court will rule in his favour if there is an election-result-dispute. Trump has appointed a radical conservative to head the postal service to sway the election results. Conservative governors passed laws to make it difficult for Americans to cast their votes. He has even been able to subvert religion for his own needs - Christians see Trump as doing the Lord’s work even though he is not religious and has broken every major Christian tenet.

What Trump has done is that he has hijacked the conservatives for his own benefit. The Grand Old Party have fooled themselves into believing he is one of their own. One has heard of body snatcher parasites in nature who are able to control their host. This maybe the first instance in a political context.

To summarise, leaders go rogue by first changing the narrative and creating alternative universes. which draws out the worms from the woodwork who have similar traits to them. They create clones of themselves, attract new novitiates and create zombies. Finally, they destroy or convert the edifices that support democratic society to support their reign.

Changing or challenging the narrative or even providing an alternative narrative can be a positive disruption if it does not threaten the safety and wellbeing of citizens and if it does not strengthen one’s hold over society. Similarly, institutional changes are vital if they serve to improve society, but they can also be used to extend one’s control over society.

One key leadership quality is the ability to empathise and find common ground with different sections of society. The leader is therefore the glue that binds the nation together which can only happen when there is moral courage and no bias. Biasness and the absence of moral courage in leaders percolates into society as discrimination and erupts as hate crimes.

Leaders go rogue because they believe they can fool citizens all the time. They corrupt every single section of society because they benefit from it. They not only abuse their office but also the trust citizens have placed on them because they have chosen personal or ideological gains over national interest.

In these times Abraham Lincoln provides a ray of hope, he said ‘You can fool some of the people some time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all the time’.