Donald Trump’s biggest mistake yet
Of all the things that Donald Trump rarely or practically never does – laugh, take the moral high road, speak the truth – apologizing and admitting fault are two actions he has publicly stated he refuses to do. While that seems like an extremely negative thing for a person in his position, based on history it will be a positive thing for America. Multiple studies have shown that politicians who are capable of expressing regret and admitting they were wrong often experience an increase in approval ratings. Too bad for Trump, he hates to read, especially studies that incorporate facts and data, so he’ll likely never know he’s doing, as per usual, everything wrong.
An article by the New York Times titled “The Goal: Admitting Failure, Without Being a Failure” states, “Figuring out how to acknowledge failure without seeming like a failure is a time-honored occupational hazard of politics.” It is a core belief of Trump’s that only losers and weak people ever apologize. That can be observed with the recent controversy when White House staffer Kelly Sadler, who made the incredibly heartless comment when talking about Senator John McCain, “It doesn’t matter, he’s dying anyway.” Following the rightful outrage, Trump’s White House stated that they will not be apologizing for anything they have said.
History has demonstrated that showing empathy and willingness to ensure the “buck stops here” has resulted in increased approval ratings for practically all former presidents willing to allow themselves to appear human. When President Kennedy stated “Victory has a hundred fathers, but defeat is an orphan. I am the responsible officer of the government” following the Bay of Pigs his popularity increased dramatically.
President Reagan also improved his approval rating when he took responsibility and promised to address the problems following Iran-contra scandal. The ability for one to apologize for something they have done wrong is not a sign of weakness, rather an expression of strength. Being able to admit mistakes and take responsibility is an attribute that all real leaders must possess. Unfortunately for Trump, and fortunately for the rest of America, he does not possess this trait and this will only hurt him and hasten his demise.
I’m a ceramic engineer living in Central New York, avid sports fan but find myself more interested in politics lately.