76. Trumps rants “accusation in a mirror”
Why the US President’s disgraceful blame-storming about the Potomac air disaster is only one part of his strategy
Here at Steps To A Humanity Of Organisation we’re interested in managing humanely and effectively. Occasionally that means shining a light on folk doing the opposite – to reveal and learn. I have not seen this particularly egregious example reported elsewhere. It comes in two parts.
The Potomac air crash and Trump’s response
As you will know, on 29th January 2025 a regional airliner (American Eagle flight 5342) collided with a military Blackhawk helicopter as it approached Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington DC. All 67 people involved lost their lives as the craft fell into the Potomac River, despite all effort by the rescue services in extreme dark and cold conditions. The cause of the accident is being investigated.
Soon after the incident occurred, President Trump turned his briefing into an attack on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies of the Federal Aviation Administation (FAA). He claimed, without evidence, that diversity hirings had led to lower standards. He said (quote):
But certainly for an air traffic controller, we want the brightest, the smartest, the sharpest. We want somebody that’s psychologically superior. And that’s what we’re going to have.”
This attack in the hours after the biggest air disaster in the USA in the past 15 years, was of course disgraceful. At a time of mourning when unity and reflection is the first requirement, Trump was intemperate, thoughtless and divisive. So far so clear and well-understood. But that’s not the half of it.
Accusation in a mirror
The propaganda and hate speech technique of accusation in a mirror draws on the ideas of Nazi minister Joseph Goebbels. It entails accusing the opposition of doing what you are doing, or intend to do. This tactic has been employed in the Rwanda genocide, the Russo-Ukraine war, and by Bashar Al-Assad in Syria amongst others. The term was introduced by French social psychologist and author Roger Mucchielli in 1970, following an examination of the 1968 ‘evenements’ (student protests) in France.
The idea is not that the accusation be taken seriously and proved. It serves to muddy the waters, to confuse the situation. Casual observers may conclude that ‘they’re all at it’ and think that whatever is happening is therefore somehow acceptable and inevitable. This on the side of the accuser may well take it as justification – “if they’re doing it, we should be doing it too”. It makes it harder for the accused to be taken seriously, since when they object the accuser will simply double down. All in all it’s a nasty, despicable and sadly effective stance to take.
Trump’s mirror image
Everyone has noticed that Trump’s blaming the air traffic authorities (without evidence) of employing substandard people is a wretched tactic. What nobody seems to have noted is that Trump is doing this WHILE the same week installing his own band of incompetents, loose screws, conspiracists and swivel eyed loons to the highest seats in Government. This is truly an outrageous piece of accusation in the mirror.
Trump says he wants the best people in the jobs. In the same breath he appoints people with literally no relevant qualifications. Pete Hegseth, talk show host, to run the Defence department. Hegseth has no management experience at all; he did serve in the military, but on that basis I could run British Airways because I’ve been on a plane. Robert F Kennedy Jr, the Health secretary who thinks vaccines cause autism and fluoride damages bones. And Elon Musk, the richest man in the world who is currently locking employees of US Aid out of their offices to prevent them disbursing humanitarian aid. The list goes on.
The accusation in a mirror is complete. Trump appoints his loyal troupe of lunatics, while claiming that the FAA’s employment of substandard people led to disaster. Don’t let him get away with it. Trump says he wants a meritocracy. It sure looks like he’s implementing anything but. The only merit in his Cabinet picks is loyalty to himself. DEI, on the other hand, is all about offering opportunities to all, so that all have the chance to rise to the top. That’s real merit, not hand-waving, nepotistic mafia-style rule by fear.
Closing thoughts
I was lucky enough to go to the Transatlantic Sessions concert in Perth this week. This series of shows has been running for 30 years, on TV and latterly as a week of concerts around the UK, bringing together musicians from both sides of the Atlantic to play together, explore each other’s music and build connections and musical possibilities. The ringleaders are Shetland fiddler Aly Bain and dobro-bluegrass maestro Jerry Douglas, both consummate masters of their art.
The ‘headliner’ this year was singer Loudon Wainright. Now 78 years of age, Loudon was a spritely and mischievous presence on stage. He sang Middle Of The Night, a number from his 2010 album Songs For The New Depression. The refrain goes like this:
Into this pitch darkness we're hurled
Where there's not a glimmer of light
It's not the end of the world
It's just the middle of the night
This seemed to sum up a lot about the state of the world right now. The talent on stage, and the audience in the hall, embraced this possibility with courage as well as trepidation. A grand way to keep on keeping on.
Mark...I appreciate you pointing out the "accusation in the mirror" tactic Trump is employing. It's a technique he has used throughout his time on the public stage. It's powerful and sadly many in the U.S. have been taken in by it. It's frightening as it has allowed much of his outrageous behavior to become normalized or dismissed. Your comment about him claiming he wants a meritocracy is spot on. It is something I pointed out in my calls to senators asking/demanding that they vote against these awful cabinet nominees. The Transatlantic Sessions concert you attended sounds fantastic.