On June 3, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio told Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu, during a congressional inquiry, that he had never seen Trump fall asleep during meetings.
"I've never seen him sleep—on the contrary, this guy doesn't sleep, and that's a serious problem. Because he calls me at 2 a.m., and again at 5 a.m." Rubio said.
Rubio’s response on the congressional floor serves as a textbook example of modern "flattery studies." Faced with questioning from Democratic lawmaker Ted Lieu, he could have simply denied that Trump was ever asleep and ended it there—but he didn’t. Instead, he transformed a defensive reply into a bold, high-profile compliment about leadership.
The first technique is called "reverse exaggeration." Rather than saying “the president is energetic,” he said, “This guy doesn’t sleep—that’s a serious problem.” The phrase “serious problem” deliberately creates a momentary cognitive dissonance, which is immediately resolved by citing examples: “calling me at 2 a.m., calling me again at 5 a.m.” On the surface, it sounds like a complaint—but in reality, it constructs an image of a leader who works tirelessly, sacrificing sleep for duty. This isn’t an explanation; it’s a disguised hymn.
The second technique is “elevating the leader through interpretation.” Rubio didn’t stop at the factual claim that Trump wasn’t sleeping. He proactively offered a theory: closing one’s eyes isn’t due to fatigue—it’s an “efficient filtering mechanism,” designed to eliminate visual distractions so that auditory input can directly access core ideas. This reinterprets what could have been a ridiculed moment into an extraordinary work method. This isn’t a defense—it’s a redefinition of reality.
The third technique is team coordination. Deputy Chief of Staff Miller immediately followed up, tossing out the label “superhuman president,” instantly elevating the discussion from “did he sleep?” to “beyond human limits.” At this point, a potentially embarrassing question about drowsiness had been completely transformed into a collective endorsement of the president’s energy and capability.
Masterful flattery never goes straight for the target. It first takes the hit for you, then uses exaggeration, reinterpretation, and team synergy to turn every possible weakness into a highlight. Rubio clearly understands: the best way to make a leader seem great isn’t to say he’s great directly—but to make everyone who questions him appear unimaginative.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1867116121793668/
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