Insight into the next Trump administration: A chat with Ambassador Ed McMullen
By Prioleau Alexander
Just when I think the wretch has finished introducing me to his friends who are movers and shakers in the world, he surprises me again — this time by inviting me along for a two-hour visit with his friend, Ed McMullen.
If you have ever run into Ed, you’ll have the same impression I did: A fine Southern gentleman who spoke with us about deer hunting before we even sat down. The impression only makes sense once you begin to learn about him: He’s a graduate of Hampden-Sydney who grew up on the Long Island Sound — fishing and sailing — while traveling often to his equine-loving grandparent’s beloved Charlottesville.
Adding to the Southern side of his heritage, he married his college sweetheart Margaret Ann Wade, a Greenville native and graduate of Randolph Macon Woman’s College. Ed and Margaret Ann’s son Thomas attended boarding school and Hampden Sydney in Virginia, pledging the same SAE fraternity as his dad. Both Thomas and his sister Katherine call Charleston home.
With that said, what you will not know or suspect is that he is known more formally as Edward T. McMullen, Jr. — ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein under President Donald J. Trump.
Although we were there to talk policies regarding what Americans can expect in the coming year, I did what any fan would do when meeting a friend and confidante of President Trump — I asked what Trump’s like in “real life.”
“Obviously he’s brilliant, but also hilarious and genuine,” Ed said. “I think I have an understanding of him that some people don’t, because I have both North and South family exposure, which gives me a pretty clear insight into his upbringing in Queens, where everybody’s assigned a nickname (usually derogatory but loving) humor is acerbic, and backing down from a fight is unheard of; he’s a classic example of a man nurtured in that environment.”
“One of the great misconceptions,” Ed continued, “is that he was raised like a rich kid his entire life. Absolutely not. He rarely saw the inside of his dad’s executive offices until he was 18. From ages 10 to 18 he worked the construction sites, starting with picking up usable nails and learning the business from the bottom up. He views the working class as his people. You’d be amazed if you saw how often he slips away from the high roller functions to hang out with the cooks, wait staff and first responders.”
I asked Ed about the president’s famed generosity, so often done anonymously.
“It’s true,” Ed explained, “and it happens all the time. I’ll tell you about one I was involved in directly. A Georgia farmer was about to lose his farm and was so devastated he took his own life — assuming the insurance money would save the family. The insurance was denied because it was ruled a suicide. The president learned about the story, paid off the farm, and contributed to the widow and family throughout their lives enabling the farm and family to succeed — all anonymously.”
“A colleague and I caught wind of the story through their pastor who called me in 2015 and asked if the family could share their story on a podium in front of his supporters. We then decided to surprise the president by having her introduce him at a rally. I was standing backstage with him when he recognized the story, and he told me, “This cannot happen again; it makes taking care of someone in need look like a publicity stunt.”
“When I contribute anonymously,” he told me, “it stays anonymous.”
I, of course, was loathe to stop learning about the man behind the legend, but the wretch reminded me we needed Ed’s policy insights — and since Ed is a key player in the president’s transition, foreign policy and inaugural committee team, “he might be just a tad short of time.”
But … I had one last thought: “Please tell me the president is going to get some payback for the Russia hoax, the lawfare and the impeachments.”
To my dismay, Ed said, “No. He’s made it clear he wants the DOJ to have justice fully balanced in every way. If you’re a criminal — left or right — it’ll be bad for you, but there’ll be no straight payback. He knows he’s only got four years and a lot to do. A wholesale vendetta against people who probably deserve it would distract from his implementing his agenda. It’s a testament to his commitment to balanced justice.”
The first policy question was, “What will we see in the next year that will help working-class America?”
Ed explained the first step would be the reversal of Biden’s ponderous energy policies, and his war on petroleum products that destroyed the Trump economic successes of his first term.
“An economy like ours runs on the cost of energy. It affects everything. President Trump knows this, and he’s going to relaunch fracking, open the Keystone Pipeline, and cut through the cancerous red tape that’s stifling drilling efforts. When the cost of energy drops, an economy grows.”
Ed also discussed the fact President Trump has serious designs on alternative energy that will actually work. He’s going to push for private sector innovation in nuclear — which is the cleanest energy of all — and push for further development of hydrogen power, innovative clean energy and new technologies that could change the world.
“Another obvious area,” Ed explained, “will be making his previous tax cuts for the middle-class permanent, then cutting taxes even further; people and corporations don’t stash that extra money under a mattress — they use it to innovate, start businesses, hire new employees and spend in the overall economy.”
I next asked Ed about the Department of Governmental Efficiency, to be headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
“That’s going to be fascinating,” he explained, “because those cuts will work the same way tax cuts do: Lots of the people who’ll be displaced from government cuts have great potential, and they’ll figure that out once they’re off the federal udder — they’ll be forced out into the private sector, where they’ll do even better — adding to our economy as entrepreneurs and new business innovators.”
I asked Ed about the bloodbath he anticipated from DOGE, and he said the worst politically motivated swamp creatures are already resigning by the thousands. He then explained the best news is that when one of them leaves, the job they held will no longer exist.
“If you leave no void when you depart,” Ed explained, “there’s no need to replace you.”
“It will be interesting,” he added, “to see how many in the D.C. area will quit when Musk tells them work-from-home is no longer an option. He and Ramaswamy are bringing in a lot brilliant people skilled in restructuring corporations — and odds are they’ll quickly figure out the work of six stay-at-homers can be done by one person in an office.”
On the topic of America’s never-ending wars and a potential WWIII, Ed offered some words of comfort.
“President Trump’s a businessman, and when he campaigned he said, “No more proxy wars.” He saw the entrenched methods of diplomacy, where nations rattled sabers and hostility is expressed via the media, letters and emails. During his first term, he said, “Let’s pro-actively pursue peace,” and sat down with our foes. You’d be amazed at what can be accomplished when people talk face to face.”
Ed went on to explain that Trump’s business acumen affects all aspects of his administration. It’s the norm for an international trade deal to take years because it’s nothing more than thousands of emails, exchanged by people without the authority to act. Trump’s view is that even a major trade deal shouldn’t take more than a year. As everyone knows, mountains can be moved when your boss trusts you, and says, “You speak for me. Let me know when it’s done.”
Ed predicts Trump can and, indeed, will end the war in Ukraine. Like all negotiations, Ed adds, no one will walk away “happy,” but that’s the difference between diplomatic negotiations and unconditioned surrender. There must be a compromise, where neither side is truly happy, but both sides can live with the deal — and free Western Europe is guaranteed peace and sovereignty.
Militarily, the other bull elephant in the room is China. “When President Trump began his term, he and Xi Jinping had a lot of pointed differences, but the president applied his business philosophy about negotiations: You’re foolish to show hostility towards a person you want and need to work with. His approach cooled temperatures, and we were making mutually acceptable gains, especially in achieving balanced trade. It all fell apart when Covid hit, and Biden became president.”
Concerning Trump’s approach to China’s militaristic language, Ed explained his opinion is that China would view an invasion of Taiwan as “a bridge too far,” and is thus a reluctant invader knowing the profound consequences in world reaction. In addition, the president’s pledge to end our nation's costly foreign proxy wars will also continue to cool hostilities, and hopefully end the recent trend of throwing adversaries into the arms of Chinese alliances against the west.
Obviously the wise-cracking and verbose President Trump we see on TV is a different person than the one negotiating behind closed doors with other world leaders. He is, as Ed reminds us, the award-winning author of The Art of the Deal.
This being a Mercury interview, of course this question had to be asked: “What do you think the new administration’s approach will be regarding wildlife and property conservation?”
“Although the president isn’t a hunter, Ed replied, “Don, Jr., Eric and Barron are avid outdoorsmen, as is the nominee for secretary of the Interior, South Dakota Governor Doug Burgum. As a result, I think we’re going to see some innovative ideas about how to manage public lands for the benefit of the American people. Currently we have a half-billion acres, with many areas held hostage by some radical environmentalists. I predict we’ll see surgical drilling, expanded lands for hunters and fishermen, and a business approach to ensuring the owners of this land — the American people — enjoy the prosperity that comes from that ownership: Economically, environmentally, sustainably and in terms of personal usage.”
Ed’s explanation of Trump’s miraculous comeback and victory summed up the accomplishment in a way that’s easy to understand: He went and spoke to people in places considered hopeless by Republicans, like the Bronx. The president didn’t think he would win the Bronx, but he wanted to say to the residents, “You matter.”
In addition, Trump spent thousands of hours reaching out to other “traditionally” blue demographics: The working class, working poor, Black and Hispanic Americans, union members and the proverbial “forgotten man” in the “Fly-over” states. He pointed out the obvious priorities of the left, and asked, “Are these your priorities? Is this your America? If not, here are my solutions.”
His message rang true among the majority of Americans.
The story of Edward T. McMullen, Jr. — former ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, is as interesting as the insights he offers. Unfortunately, that must be a story for a different day.
If you run across Ed, you won’t have any idea who he is because to a man like him boasting is unthinkable. If you think it might be him, ask for his full name and then break the ice by asking him how deer season treated him.
At the risk of stating the obvious, Charles W. Waring III contributed to this article.
