"Is Corporate America in Denial About Trump?" read a headline in the New York Times Magazine over the weekend. In it, staff writer Jonathan Mahler details how wealthy corporate executives, many of whom distanced themselves from Donald Trump after his attempted coup, are now talking themselves into backing his current presidential campaign. Noting that the erratic nature of far-right leaders is often destabilizing, Mahler warns that authoritarian leaders have a "disastrous effect not just on democracies but on businesses — and business leaders."
Mahler's article is a useful read, particularly in laying out the likely dire consequences of a second Trump term to the economy. But it is built on a questionable premise: That business leaders, in their hearts, are smart enough to loathe Trump, yet are setting aside their reservations to cozy up to the possible next president.
