'Astoundingly embarrassing': NYT report reveals Trump cabinet members lay praise on thick
President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 26, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
May 25, 2026
A stunning New York Times report on Monday exposed just how often — and what — President Donald Trump's cabinet has said to praise him throughout his presidency. The revelations were eye-opening for many people online.
"The cabinet has historically advised the president on a variety of matters, but in President Trump’s second term, it appears to have taken on a new mandate: flattery," The Times reported.
The Times reviewed hours of marathon cabinet meetings and highlighted how each cabinet member has spoken to Trump, analyzing comments and comparing some of those remarks to the president's first administration.
"On average, at least one of every six sentences either flattered Mr. Trump, gave him credit or criticized his political opponents," according to The Times.
Media and political experts responded to the findings.
"This is astoundingly embarrassing," Lulu Garcia-Navarro, New York Times writer and CNN contributor, wrote on X.
"Classic authoritarian leader cult stuff," historian and author Ruth Ben-Ghiat wrote on X.
"This is amazing. The New York Times put together a graphic of how much time cabinet members spend kissing up to Trump in meetings. 'On average, at least one of every six sentences either flattered Mr. Trump, gave him credit or criticized his political opponents.' North Korea," Boston Globe columnist Richard Hanania wrote on X.
"The TRAIT of sycophancy in the Republican Party is a more anti-democratic and dangerous one than intra-party squabbles in a political party," producer Susan Bordson wrote on X. "YET, our political desks *love* to publish negative-toned headlines about any disagreements that arise among Dems more often than this."