To most Americans, it was perfectly obvious that anyone who decided to work in the Trump administration would be committing career suicide. That was apparent before Donald Trump even stepped foot in the White House, and has only grown truer after the president’s numerous investigations, failed policies, and horrific behavior. “Trump” is a name that no one with any common sense wants to be associated with, and unfortunately the president’s former staffers are finding this out the hard way.
According to a new report, former White House officials are having a hell of a time finding good jobs after leaving the administration. The New Republic reported that for many of these ex-staffers, their work with the president has tainted their reputations and prevented them from finding “lucrative” job opportunities:
Some of these officials have returned to old jobs in academia or the private sector, distancing themselves from the president without renouncing him in full. Others have gone all-in on the president’s agenda by either joining his re-election campaign or the constellation of super PACs surrounding it. A handful have become apostates from the MAGA faith by getting ignominiously fired or resigning on principle. And some have simply tried to cash in on the experience.”
As a result, many of these former high-ranking staffers have had to default to jobs they had earlier in their career, and some have even resorted to signing on to Trump’s re-election campaign because they have no other options. The New Republic pointed out that unlike former administrations of the past whose affiliation boosted their staffers’ careers, an association with Trump is having the opposite effect:
Every administration deals with a revolving door of former officials who take up jobs in industries related to where they once worked in public service. In theory, working in a presidential administration can be a massive career boost. Veterans of the George W. Bush administration joined conservative think tanks and Fortune 500 boards. So did former Obama White House team members, whose alumni went to work for Uber, Facebook, and other controversial companies.
Trump staffers have found less lucrative jobs by comparison. White House press secretaries, for example, typically snag well-paid communications posts or high-profile cable news gigs.”
The New Republic made an example of Sean Spicer, Trump’s former White House spokesperson:
Sean Spicer, who became a household name for his surrealistic briefings, marketed himself as a potential talk-show host and now works as a correspondent for Extra, the tabloid TV news program.”
It seems as though Sarah Sanders, Trump’s current press secretary, may soon suffer the same fate as she has been unable to find other work.
Trump ruins lives in more than one way — and the damage is lasting. These people may never be able to scrub the stain from his name off their resumes.
Featured image via screen capture
