What loyalty means in the age of Trump

After President Trump’s regrettable performance during the Helsinki summit, when he chose to take Russian President Vladimir Putin’s word over that of his own intelligence chiefs, some of the people working for him may have caught themselves questioning their loyalties.

“Had they sworn to serve the president or the American people?” they may have thought. At one time or another, every public servant has faced this question. The question is as old as public service itself.