How was Absalom able to pull off a rebellion against the popular King David? How can we spot the signs of someone with a propensity to do the same kind of thing? To answer these questions, we can look at a few examples this week: Jimmy Kimmel’s interview with Cassidy Hutchinson, and The Atlantic’s profile of Gen Mark Milley.
Cassidy Hutchinson: The Appeal of a Strong Man
Former White House aide, Cassidy Hutchinson, famously exposed the inner workings at the White House surrounding the events of January 6th. As a recent graduate in her early 20s, she describes being first drawn to then presidential candidate Donald J. Trump at one of his rallies due to his ability to connect with people and make them believe he alone had the ability to solve their problems.
In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, she explained, “It was really the first Trump rally that I attended where I understood the pull. And it’s something that I still struggle to put into words, especially to people that haven’t been to one.” A political intern on Capital Hill at the time, she came from a working class family and was the first in her family to attend college. That put her at a place and time where she would become part of history.
She recalled experiencing a sense of community. “I’m standing around and seeing all of these people that I felt I could relate to…It was almost at that moment that something clicked for me. That he was there to represent people like I was accustomed to growing up around. And it was this magnetism that I felt.” Like many rally goers in 2016, she was drawn in by Trump’s ability to hone in on the pain of ordinary people and exude the kind of power that made them believe he would fight for them. And she sensed a common bond with his other followers.
This is exactly the tactic that worked with Absalom to build his base. He posted himself by the side of the road leading to the city gate. There, people who believed they had suffered injustice entered on their way to have their cases heard in court. Absalom’s actions made it easier for people to support him because he validated their feelings of victimhood and promised to give them retribution if only he had the opportunity. 2 Samuel 15:2-4 recounts,
“He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, ‘What town are you from?’ He would answer, ‘Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.’ Then Absalom would say to him, ‘Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you.’ And Absalom would add, ‘If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice.”
He fanned their discontent and positioned himself as their savior. Like Trump, Absalom,
- Built a constituency across geographies,
- Validated the people’s feelings of injustice, and
- Promised to give them retribution if only he had the opportunity
These actions led to the popular support that made it easier for him to lead the insurrection against his father, the king. While the people present did not consciously assent to become part of it, Absalom made it easier for them to go along with his plan once it was underway. He magnified discontent to use it for his own political purposes.
General Mark Milley and the Homer Simpson Disappearing Act
General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Trump and later Joe Biden, was more aware than Hutchinson of Trump’s tactics, but still fell into the president’s trap. In early June, 2020, Milley was in the Oval Office wearing combat fatigues in preparation for a planned engagement with the president. However, when they exited, they headed instead to Lafayette Square, which had just been cleared of demonstrators by force in the wake of nationwide protests over the murder of George Floyd.
Jeffrey Goldberg, in The Atlantic writes, “Milley realized too late that Trump, who continued across the street to pose for a now-infamous photo while standing in front of a vandalized church, was manipulating him into a visual endorsement of his martial approach to the demonstrations. Though Milley left the entourage before it reached the church, the damage was significant.” According to The Atlantic article, a friend texted Milley the popular meme of Homer Simpson disappearing into hedges, to depict the way Milley exited the situation.
Homer Simpson disappearing into hedges
Milley’s presence in Lafayette Square was significant because it created the perception that the military was involved in domestic politics. Shortly thereafter, Milley apologized to the armed forces at a commencement address to the National Defense University. He said, “I should not have been there. My presence in that moment and in that environment created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics.” That is exactly what Trump was going for.
Absalom used a similar deceptive tactic when launching the rebellion against David. Absalom disguised his true intent by telling his father that he was going to fulfill a vow and by sending secret messengers to the tribes of Israel to tell them that he would be king. Unaware of the plot, the king sent him to Hebron in peace. As 2 Samuel 15:10-12 describes,
“Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, “As soon as you hear the sound of trumpets, then say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron.” Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing nothing about the matter. While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilsonite, David’s counselor to come from his hometown. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept on increasing.”
Absalom disguised his true intent from both his father and his followers. Like Trump, he lured them to a place where they would give the appearance of strength he wanted, making it easier to seize control of the capital later. Milley wisely extracted himself from the situation before it could devolve into martial law.
At his retirement this week, he boldly proclaimed that the military does not exist to serve tyrants or dictators. Thankfully, he had the level of character and integrity to recognize what was happening and put an end to it. Had he not, the staged photo opportunity could have easily launched a series of events that would have ended very differently.
The Value of Situational (and Self) Awareness
The experiences of Hutchinson and Milley demonstrate how easy it is to become a pawn of someone with nefarious purposes.
Like Hutchison, we are naturally drawn to people who seem to understand our pain. If we feel weak, we are especially attracted to people of power who promise to act for our good. Self awareness can give us insights into where we are vulnerable to manipulation. After all, we are most likely to be deceived when someone tells us what we want to believe is true.
Like Milley, we can become unwitting accomplices to advance agendas we would otherwise find repugnant. This is especially true when engaging with people who don’t play by the rules. Malevolent actors find ways to exploit our loyalty and integrity. Having a set of protocols, a robust team of advisors, and being willing to apologize and make amends can go a long way to preventing our reputation from being damaged by others.
This is why I appreciate the stories of what I call “All King David’s Men”: They give us a lens through which to interpret what we see and provide the mental models to think through a response plan. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
