"God, you're hot."

Why do adults kneel before Donald Trump—even when they know he's wrong? Here's a clue.

Keith Irvin: Unambiguously not hot.

So earlier this week, during a meeting of the Washington County Board of Education in Washington County, Tenn., a representative named Keith Irvin listened to a high school student speak, then told her she was hot.

Seriously.

I’m not joking.

For real.

Watch …

And while the entire exchange was creepy AF, what truly caught my eye—and continues to consume my thoughts—is how none of the adults in the room stood up for the girl. Hell, there’s Jerry S. Boyd, school superintendent, sorta sitting there, hands folded, watching in silence. The other board members—nada. Parents—nada. Literally nobody said a word as Mr. Creepster laughed and laughed and laughed, and peers joined in with the chuckles.

And what hit me, in witnessing the moment, was this: Donald Trump’s cabinet members never confront their boss—because doing so would involve not merely conviction of character, but actual bravery. It would mean stepping out of the comfort of a cushy chair, standing tall and saying, “No! This is [fill in the blank with gross/crazy/insane].” It would mean taking a risk. It would mean separating yourself from the lemmings. It would mean being (gasp) brave. And decent. And kind. And real. It would mean risking the access to power, the snazzy job title, the cool parking space, the White House Christmas party invitation.

Those surrounding Keith Irvin had nothing to lose, and only risked the momentary awkwardness of separating oneself from the group—and they were too afraid to say something. So why would we ever expect Marco Rubio or Karoline Leavitt to be bold? Why would we expect them to represent integrity?

We wouldn’t.

And shouldn’t.

These days, sucking up is king.

And the king loves suck-ups.