For $500 Million, They Didn’t Buy a Company—They Bought Access, The Trump Kennedy Center Crumbles Under the Weight of Its Own Name, & Magnificent Marshal
February 3rd, 2026
What I Am Discussing Today:
Kareem’s Daily Quote: Whether it’s a small bundle or a small package…does it sound familiar?
Sheikh Yer Booty: (And by booty, I mean cash.)
The Mad Makeover King Strikes Again: Did the Kennedy Center really need a remodel?
Hidden Roots: My favorite lawman, Marshal Bass Reeves
Bad Bunny Wins: Great night for my friend
What I’m Reading: Blood Grove, Walter Mosley
Jukebox Playlist: Always made me laugh- Your feet’s too big
Kareem’s Daily Quote:
“…a person wrapped up in himself makes a small package.” - Harry Emerson Fosdick
Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969) Credit: Bettmann, Getty Images
Benjamin Franklin said it first: “A person wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.” A few years later, ordained Baptist minister Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick improved upon it, getting rid of the qualifier (“very”) and changing bundle to package to make it more modern. It must’ve worked, because a hundred years later, we’re still quoting it. And whether you prefer his version or Franklin’s, it makes its point. No matter how talented you are, no matter how many achievements you stack up—hell, you might be the most powerful human in the world!—if that world begins and ends with you, it’s gonna be pretty small.
In other words, when we become centered on the self, we shrink.
Public commentary has often focused on Donald Trump’s communication style, which tends to underscore his personal success, his personal grievances, and other people’s loyalty to (who else?) him. Those who love him and voted for him view this as confidence. Those who can’t stand him (or in any case aren’t in awe) see it as self‑centeredness. They argue that when a leader’s focus remains on personal image, the broader responsibilities of public office take a back seat. Or even no seat at all.
That’s because personal image is tricky. It weighs nothing while taking up too much space…not in the world, but in the mirror. When a leader is heavily centered on how he or she comes off, the scope of decision-making narrows. It has to, because that damned reflection blocks out the view of everything else. Or, if you don’t like the mirror analogy, picture Trump a cupboard under the stairs, like Harry Potter. Picture him angry that you treated him badly, or that you weren’t “fair” to him. Now picture him trying to take a step back, to refocus, to use logic and pragmatism.
He can’t. That cupboard under the stairs of resentments won’t let him.
But, as we know too well, being “other-centered” comes at a price. Fosdick paid it by taking up causes that were unpopular in his day. He was an outspoken critic of racism and fought so eloquently against injustice of all sorts that none other than M.L.K. Jr., called him “the greatest preacher of this century.” He defended the teachings of evolution and rejected creationism. And he was one of the first ministers to give his approval to Alcoholics Anonymous. Why? Because he saw “the other,” the downtrodden, the less fortunate, the needy. And in seeing them instead of himself, his view expanded. He expanded.
If instead it’s all about me, then public messaging, policy choices, or official actions become closely tied to personal branding or personal benefit. Ethics experts warn that when a leader’s attention turns inward, the space for collective responsibility, transparency, and public trust has to shrink. The “small package” becomes a metaphor for leadership that contracts, limiting its ability to serve the American people until all it’s serving is itself.
