Blame avoidance is a political art form. When things go wrong, leaders don’t want to take responsibility — so they spin narratives, shift blame, and structure policies to ensure someone else takes the fall.
Christopher Hood’s The Blame Game provides a framework for understanding how politicians avoid blame while claiming credit. Using Hood’s three core strategies, we analyze Donald Trump’s 2025 speech to Congress — with direct quotes — to see how he strategically manages political risk.
1. Presentational Strategies: Spin, Framing, and Distraction
Hood argues that politicians use rhetoric, spin, and selective framing to deflect blame and amplify their successes.
Shifting Blame to Political Opponents
Trump repeatedly blames the Biden administration for problems, particularly on immigration:
“In comparison, under Joe Biden, the worst president in American history — there were hundreds of thousands of illegal crossings a month, and virtually all of them, including murderers, drug dealers, gang members, and people from mental institutions and insane asylums, were released into our country. Who would want to do that?”
Blame Externalization: Rather than addressing policy complexities, Trump paints the issue as a failure of his predecessor.
He also discredits Democratic lawmakers:
“This is my fifth such speech to Congress, and, once again, I look at the Democrats in front of me, and I realize there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy or to make them stand or smile or applaud. Nothing I can do.”
Attacking the Messenger: Instead of engaging with criticism, Trump frames Democrats as unreasonable obstructionists.
Selective Credit Claiming
Politicians don’t just avoid blame — they also claim credit for successes, even if the results are uncertain.
“We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years or eight years.”
Expectation Management: Trump sets extraordinary benchmarks, so any future achievement seems historic.
“Under the Trump administration, all of these scams — and there are far worse, but I didn’t think it was appropriate to talk about them. They’re so bad.”
Contrast Framing: This compares Trump favorably to previous administrations, reinforcing a hero vs. villain narrative.
2. Agency Strategies: Delegation & Bureaucratic Complexity
Hood notes that leaders delegate responsibility to agencies, subordinates, or bureaucracies, making it harder to assign direct blame.
Assigning Responsibility to Subordinates
Trump outsources blame for government efficiency to Elon Musk:
“To that end, I have created the brand-new Department of Government Efficiency — DOGE. Perhaps you’ve heard of it — perhaps — which is headed by Elon Musk, who is in the gallery tonight.”
Blame Deflection: If wasteful spending continues, blame can shift to Musk and his agency, rather than Trump.
He also transfers accountability for fraud investigations:
“Pam, good luck. You’re going to find it.”
Scapegoating Bureaucrats: If investigations fail, Trump can point to Pam’s performance instead of his administration.
Bureaucracy as a Blame Buffer
Trump frames government inefficiency as an inherited problem:
“For nearly 100 years, the federal bureaucracy has grown until it has crushed our freedoms, ballooned our deficits, and held back America’s potential in every possible way.”
Blame Institutionalization: This diffuses blame across a century of governance, reducing his personal accountability.
3. Policy Strategies: Structuring Decisions to Avoid Blame
Hood describes policy design as a proactive blame-avoidance strategy — leaders craft policies that look decisive but deflect responsibility.
Symbolic Reforms With Limited Impact
Trump announces high-profile executive actions with unclear enforcement:
“I also signed an executive order to ban men from playing in women’s sports.”
Symbolic Legislation: While politically potent, this order relies on enforcement mechanisms beyond the presidency (state laws, court rulings, etc.).
Economic Moves That Preempt Blame
Trump preemptively justifies potential economic instability:
“There will be a little disturbance, but we’re okay with that. It won’t be much.”
Expectation Cushioning: If economic fallout happens, Trump has already framed it as an expected “small disturbance.”
Shaping Perceptions of Trade & Tariffs
Trump’s tariff policy is presented as a bold move, but he avoids future accountability:
“On April 2nd, reciprocal tariffs kick in. And whatever they tariff us — other countries — we will tariff them.”
Blame Diffusion: If tariffs cause inflation or economic downturns, blame can shift to foreign nations, not domestic policy.
Final Takeaways: Trump’s Speech as a Case Study in Blame Avoidance
Trump’s 2025 Congressional speech is a textbook example of Hood’s blame-avoidance strategies in action:
✔ Presentational Strategies → Framing opponents as failures, exaggerating achievements, and avoiding direct engagement with criticism.
✔ Agency Strategies → Delegating accountability to subordinates and portraying government as inherently dysfunctional.
✔ Policy Strategies → Using executive orders and tariffs that allow credit-claiming but limit direct blame exposure.
Key Takeaway: Trump strategically deflects, shifts, and prevents blame while maximizing credit for his administration’s actions.
What Can We Learn From This?
Blame avoidance isn’t unique to Trump — politicians across the spectrum use these strategies. But understanding how blame is managed helps us see through political rhetoric and demand real accountability.
Next time a leader blames external forces for failures or frames an initiative as groundbreaking, ask:
Is this real governance — or just another blame game?
What do you think? Do modern leaders avoid blame more than they take responsibility? Let’s discuss in the comments!
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