Vice President Pence’s praise of President Trump during a Dec. 20 Cabinet meeting prompted a lot of derision, and not just from the late-night comics. This wasn’t the first time Trump’s subordinates have publicly performed effusive praise that seems to violate “a norm against excessive and ungrounded flattery,” but Pence’s performance made many cringe. In emphasizing that working for Trump was a “blessing,” Pence managed to praise the president once every 12 seconds.
Office of Strategic Communication