Almost without exception, those who enjoy the great honor of serving President Donald Trump have ultimately collided with two all-consuming dictums. The first is that Trump’s underlings must always elevate his personal interests above those of the institutions they run. The second is that they will always fall short of honoring the first, incurring his inevitable wrath.

Two big events late Thursday—Trump’s firing of Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s axing of a top military official—demonstrate the deep perils of what political theorists refer to as “personalist” rule. This mode places one charismatic leader’s vainglory and self-enrichment, unbound by procedural neutrality, at the center of all decision-making. Flattery, tribute, attunement to the Big Man’s ever-shifting whims, and the effective humiliation of his enemies are what secure one’s place in the highest circles of glory.