Enough

Throughout her work, Hutchinson portrays President Trump as lacking in important leadership qualities. Through her anecdotes, she claims that Trump’s leadership was weakened by his vanity, hostility towards critics and opponents, difficulty with empathy, explosive temper, and obsession with appearing strong and in control. For example, she reveals that Trump did not reject a COVID mask due to an ideological stance about how to behave during the pandemic but rather because he did not like that his makeup was visible on the mask’s white straps. Although Hutchinson agreed with his decision at the time, she considers how this may have set a poor example: “The press would criticize him for not wearing a mask, not knowing that the depth of his vanity had caused him to reject masks— and then millions of his fans followed suit” (106). To reinforce her claim that Trump was obsessed with his image, Hutchinson describes how Trump would require his valet to carry a mirror so he could look at himself before events. Trump also commented on Hutchinson’s appearance, telling her to make her hair blonder and complimenting her when she obliged and did so.

Hutchinson claims that one of Trump’s major weaknesses was his difficulty with empathy and personal connections. The author argues that during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans were distressed and needed reassurance, and Trump was unable to act appropriately in the situation because he “lacked empathy” (72). Hutchinson was frustrated that even when he became sick himself, Trump did not try to relate to the experiences that Americans were going through. She writes, “His strength would make a better impression if he had expressed empathy for his fellow COVID sufferers…” (145). Trump’s team tried to help him navigate this weakness; for instance, they informed him that it would appear callous to vacation at Mar-a-Lago “while so many Americans were dying in a pandemic” (96). This self-centered nature culminated in Trump refusing to accept the 2020 election results; rather than prioritize the country and a peaceful transition of power, he put his ego above all else, resulting in the Capitol attack on January 6.

Hutchinson also accuses Trump of having a volatile temper and shares many anecdotes about avoiding him when he was in a bad mood. For instance, at a poorly attended rally, Hutchinson knew that Trump would be upset at the low attendance and recalls, “I didn’t want to be anywhere near the president when he saw all the empty seats” (118). Hutchinson reports that the president’s meltdowns included throwing food in the White House and screaming at staff or his own lawyers. According to Hutchinson, Trump’s greatest weakness, ironically, was his desire to always appear strong and in control. She calls this impulse his “greatest kryptonite,” which the staff sometimes used to manipulate him into following their advice (181). She felt that Trump’s urge to always project strength made him out of touch and motivated his hostility, including his inability to publicly admit that he lost the 2020 election. In contrast to his behavior, Hutchinson provides examples of even-tempered people who put the country above their egos, like Liz Cheney and her Uncle Joe. She also ends the book with a warning to Republicans about the dangers of believing in conspiracy theories and putting their faith in Trump, as he is not a leader with their best interests in mind.