Trump’s White House is a Career Death Machine

You have to have some pity for Anthony Scaramucci. Two weeks ago, Mooch was a high-flying Wall Street guru and political financier. He served in finance roles for the Romney and Trump campaigns and as vice president of the Export-Import Bank. He had money, power, and respect. Then, after months of lobbying, the doors of the Trump White House opened and he stepped across the threshold. Within ten days he had lost not only his job, but also his reputation, downgraded from shadowy billionaire to national joke. Not only has his political power evaporated, but also his corporate heft — who would want their CEO or hedge fund manager to be the guy Trump fired after ten days?

Scaramucci is only the latest sucker to watch his career get destroyed, with ruthless efficiency, by the Trump White House. One of the biggest stories of this administration has been the parade of people, tempted by the power of the executive and dreams of political glory, who stepped to close to the black hole and lost everything.

For instance, take Reince Preibus. Once the leader of the RNC, Reince could have stayed on in that role and today be commander of the ruling political party. Instead, he took a job as Trump’s Chief of Staff. After six months of daily humiliation and impotence, he was thrown out on his face. Reince will never again come close to the power he had just six months ago, and will be lucky to revive his political career at all.

Or how about Sean Spicer? Spicer had spent twenty years in various communications and strategy roles, rising to become the chief strategist of the Republican Party by 2015. After six months of suffering the daily indignity of being forced to repeat Trump’s lies, he was bullied out of the job by the president. Spicer’s career is now over; after all, who wants the country’s most notorious liar as the face of their organization?

These are only the most prominent firings. Numerous less-notable people have had their careers chewed up and spit out by their association with Trump, including Derek Harvey, Katie Walsh, Michael Short, Michael Dubke, and K.T. McFarland. And the trend will continue. Even Trump’s own children have become wholly invested in the administration’s success as their pre-presidency careers and reputations have dissolved. Ivanka Trump’s brand, once associated with powerful women on a budget, has now become a symbol of partisanship and loyalty to Trump.

Consider the fate of his current appointees. Will Rex Tillerson, who, ignored by Trump and impotent on the world stage, is certainly on his way out, ever be able to regain his reputation as a mighty globetrotting dealmaker? What about poor H.R. McMaster, forced to sacrifice his integrity in a set of humiliating speeches defending Trump’s carelessness with classified info? Will Jeff Sessions be able to rebuild his reputation after the torrent of daily abuse, criticism and degradation Trump has subjected him to? One almost has to wonder if the humiliation Trump inflicts on his employees is an intentional strategy, forcing them to obey by destroying their non-White-House alternatives.

The political world is quickly realizing that the White House is a death machine. Trump’s public humiliation of his subordinates, and the taint of his scandal, lies and incompetence, make it career suicide to work for him. Ten days in the White House is enough to destroy a reputation built over a lifetime.

So, who’s next? Anyone want to work for Trump?