Hopie, it’s not as though you could actually DO anything, as least as far as your official title was concerned, but maybe you were the only one who could rein in Trump, talk him down from one of his tantrums, and get him to focus on something more important.
An excellent example occurred June 4 when The Boss “disinvited” the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles to the White House because only a few players planned to show, and instead held an impromptu “patriotism” event on the South Lawn of the White House.
![]() |
According to the Associated Press, Il Tangerino said that it is time “to explain why young Americans stand for our national anthem.”
A serial draft-dodger who obviously loves being surrounded by soldiers in dress uniform, the president sang along as the U.S. Marine Band and the U.S. Army Chorus rendered “The Star Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America.”
Since the Commander-in-Chief doesn’t appear to know all of the words to those two standards, maybe he should have had his speechwriting team whip up a syrupy, “Make America Great Again” anthem for the occasion, sung to the music of “Stars and Stripes Forever.”
You see, Hopie, we miss you because it might have been only you who could persuade His Mighty Patriotness that more important matters—such as NAFTA, North Korea preparation, immigration, trade wars or shooting wars—awaited his limited attention.
Only you who could give his pants a good press while pointing out that a big job like his requires a calmer and steadier approach.
Hopie, we believe yours might be one of the “young and beautiful lives” mentioned in this corny Trump tweet last month:
“Who’s going to give back the young and beautiful lives (and others) that have been devastated and destroyed by the phony Russia Collusion Witch Hunt? They journeyed down to Washington, D.C., with stars in their eyes and wanting to help our nation...They went back home in tatters!”
And we want you to know that we miss you, and wish you would come back.
***
Bill Huey is president of Strategic Communications, a corporate communications and marketing consultancy, and author of "Carbon Man," a novel about greed.


It’s evident to all that our 80-year-old president is a man stuck in the past but did he really have to invoke the spirit of disgraced FBI director J. Edgar Hoover?... NYC probes prediction markets. Kalshi Polymarket, Coinbase and Gemini Titan... Does anybody want Karoline Leavitt's job? It's no fun playing second fiddle to Trump, who serves as his own press spokesperson.
Kudos to the American Academy of Pediatrics for pulling no punches in blasting Trump's new childhood vaccine recommendations as "dangerous."... Billionaire Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is tired of hearing about people struggling with the economy... Trump delivers priceless gift to Iran's propaganda machine.
Understatement of the Year: FIFA president Gianni Infantino concedes mistakes were made in his scheme to sell-out the World Cup... Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch charges Israel with deliberately targeting and attacking journalists in Lebanon... It will take images of US soldiers throwing rocks at the People's Liberation Army as it invades Taiwan before Trump admits the munitions shortage.
Donald Trump, who earned more than $2B last year, accuses oil companies of making too much money... Rocket science isn't easy, according to SpaceX chief Elon Musk... The volatile Jeanine Pirro has the edge over smarmy Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in the battle over blame for The Reflecting Pool mess... Omnicom CEO John Wren credits clients for adjusting pretty well to the disruptions caused by the Middle East, Ukraine and tariff chaos.
FIFA chief Gianni Infantino’s audacious scheme to sell stakes in a new subsidiary that will manage the World Cup is the payoff for his obnoxious pandering to Donald Trump... PwC's "thought leadership" pieces on AI and electric vehicles are riddled with "hallucinations."... 



