Last Man Off

I get it. History has made clear the President of the United States is an assassination target.

Perhaps this one especially.

I get it too; ultra-secret and extraordinary security measures are always in place to protect said target. I also appreciate that Trump may not have made the call himself– Secret Service may have decided to use White House staff and media correspondents as decoys while Trump was spirited to safety in a catering truck.

But it isn’t a good look. And when viewed through the lens of everything else, it’s no wonder the incident has become this week’s punchline for late-night television.

On the one hand, we have Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, insisting on being the last man off an aircraft that actually did succumb to a bird strike, refusing to leave until he knew everyone was safe and accounted for.

On the other, we have the Commander in Chief, first man off an aircraft facing only the threat of a strike, while everyone left aboard was seemingly relegated to the role of acceptable collateral in the deception.

Nice!