Is Trump a Public Servant?

[Yppej]

He works in the public sector.

According to his self-assessment he is doing a great job for the American people.

If you read his job description from his duties you would conclude he is.

[Ultralight]

He works in the public sector.

According to his self-assessment he is doing a great job for the American people.

If you read his job description from his duties you would conclude he is.

He is the lawfully elected president of the US of A. So yeah, he is a public servant.

[Gregg]

He's a pretty good self servant who, technically, is also a public servant.

[Tybee]

Is not a public servant by definition anyone employed by the government?

[iris lilies]

oP, what is the purpose of your question?

I see it as an invitation for the usual suspects to huffily reject the idea of Trump serving in any capacity. This gives an opportunity for them to self righteously put the words “public servant” and “serving” in quotes along with any disparaging idea they wish to couple with the Trump name.

And that is all fine, it is a free country and this website allows this sort of speech.

[jp1]

Maybe the OP is concerned about his student loans.

[Ultralight]

Yppej clearly has an ax to grind with someone on this forum who is also a "public servant."

America is to Rob as UL is to Yppej. haha

[Ultralight]

Maybe the OP is concerned about his student loans.
;)

[Yppej]

IL the point is to get people thinking about the definition of public service. I am all for calling the firefighters battling blazes public servants for instance, but I think the term is too loosely applied. Some public sector employees are embroiled in scandals, or otherwise seem self-serving. And it seems the best servants are too humble to call attention to their altruism by proclaiming themselves servants.

Some scandals in my state are fake overtime, nepotic hiring of unqualified people, fake workers comp, using the public position of a family member to sexually harass others, protecting family members from drunk driving charges, and kickbacks for government contracts. The national issues I am sure everyone is aware of.

So I am suspicious of Trump or anyone else who sanctimoniously claims to be a public servant.

[Ultralight]

IL the point is to get people thinking about the definition of public service. I am all for calling the firefighters battling blazes public servants for instance, but I think the term is too loosely applied. Some public sector employees are embroiled in scandals, or otherwise seem self-serving. And it seems the best servants are too humble to call attention to their altruism by proclaiming themselves servants.

Some scandals in my state are fake overtime, nepotic hiring of unqualified people, fake workers comp, using the public position of a family member to sexually harass others, protecting family members from drunk driving charges, and kickbacks for government contracts. The national issues I am sure everyone is aware of.

So I am suspicious of Trump or anyone else who sanctimoniously claims to be a public servant.

What I find interesting is how gutless some people are.

[Yppej]

Maybe the OP is concerned about his student loans.

While a student at Wharton Trump worked in the family business. I doubt he took out student loans. He is also only taking $1 per year in salary as president. So again, Trump would have grounds for thinking he is a public servant since he draws no pay.

[Ultralight]

Yppej:

What do you think qualifies a person to say they are a public servant? Explain your position on this issue.

Or you could say something like: "Oh, I just brought this up for discussion. I don't have an opinion yet."

I think it is funny -- like literally, it makes me laugh -- to know that one particular low-level public servant bothers you so much. haha

[Gardnr]

Self-serving for sure. Public servant by nature of the role he currently holds.

[oldhat]

Public servant...not a public servant...it's a matter of semantics.

What's important is that he's not fit to serve.

[Teacher Terry]

OH, so true!

[jp1]

While a student at Wharton Trump worked in the family business. I doubt he took out student loans. He is also only taking $1 per year in salary as president. So again, Trump would have grounds for thinking he is a public servant since he draws no pay.

True, although he is undoubtedly making more than any past president just on renting golf carts to the secret service and such. And no, when you have a silver spoon as massive as his in your mouth it's probably not necessary to take out student loans. Not to mention that college was waaaaaaaaay cheaper back then.

[Gardnr]

While a student at Wharton Trump worked in the family business. I doubt he took out student loans. He is also only taking $1 per year in salary as president. So again, Trump would have grounds for thinking he is a public servant since he draws no pay.


OMG, really? He is making a bloody F***ing fortune off being President.

[ApatheticNoMore]

They all make a fortune off it, Obama retired a billionaire, though Trump is probably particularly corrupt.

Student loans, man who even heard of student loans back when, who even knew you could pay for college that way back in the day, I didn't. Not that Trump would need to know.

[LDAHL]

They all make a fortune off it, Obama retired a billionaire, though Trump is probably particularly corrupt.



Obama isn’t a billionaire. If he’s worth more than fifty million, I’d be very surprised.

[LDAHL]

I think it is funny -- like literally, it makes me laugh -- to know that one particular low-level public servant bothers you so much. haha

Maybe it’s the pension. That seems to rankle some people.

[Teacher Terry]

I don’t see why a pension should bother someone. If you want one apply for government positions. That’s all I applied to after graduate school and was willing to move.

[Gardnr]

They all make a fortune off it, Obama retired a billionaire, though Trump is probably particularly corrupt.

40 million is his current net worth. Hardly a billionaire.

[dmc]

40 million is his current net worth. Hardly a billionaire.

Thats a pretty big jump from what he was worth in 2007 though. And I’ll bet it will continue to rise at a pretty good clip. He should take a few lessons from Gore if he really wants to cash in.

[Gardnr]

Thats a pretty big jump from what he was worth in 2007 though. And I’ll bet it will continue to rise at a pretty good clip. He should take a few lessons from Gore if he really wants to cash in.

Big jump for sure. Book deals and speaking engagements are lucrative. And the Pres and Michelle are both doing it so they double their miles;)

[ApatheticNoMore]

and the speaking engagements can get so much because they are payback for policy. Brilliant people speak without raking in so much, but you can't get laws out of them.