The chief internal enemies of any state are those public

Dalton Trumbo, a writer who lived through the storms of suspicion and exile during America’s Red Scare, gave voice to a timeless warning when he declared: “The chief internal enemies of any state are those public officials who betray the trust imposed upon them by the people.” These words burn with the fire of truth, for they remind us that no empire is felled more swiftly by external swords than by the rot of corruption within. Armies at the gates may wound a nation’s body, but the betrayal of trust by its own guardians strikes at the very heart of its soul.

From the beginning of civilization, the bond between ruler and people has rested upon a sacred covenant. The people, in their labor and loyalty, grant power to their leaders; in return, the leaders are bound to protect justice, to preserve peace, and to honor the common good. When this trust is kept, nations flourish like well-watered gardens. But when public officials betray it, they become enemies not in name but in deed—wolves clothed as shepherds, devourers of the very flock they swore to guard. Such betrayal is more dangerous than the spear of the outsider, for it comes from within the gates.

History offers countless laments for this truth. Recall the fall of the Roman Republic. It was not merely barbarian tribes that doomed Rome, but the betrayal of trust by its own leaders. Senators who sought gold instead of justice, generals who raised their armies not for the republic but for their own ambition—these men poisoned the state from the inside. Julius Caesar’s rise was not only the story of his brilliance, but of a people who had grown weary of officials who no longer served them. The Republic died not by foreign invasion, but by corruption of the covenant.

Dalton Trumbo himself knew the weight of betrayal and loyalty, for he lived in a time when officials used fear and suspicion to crush dissent, turning against the very ideals of freedom they were sworn to uphold. To him, the gravest enemy was not the distant foe, but the official who misused power, who betrayed the sacred trust of democracy. His words echo across time, reminding us that the truest measure of a nation’s strength lies not in its armies nor its wealth, but in the integrity of those who govern it.

This teaching also speaks to our daily lives. For though not all hold public office, all of us hold positions of trust—in families, in workplaces, in friendships. When one betrays that trust, even in small ways, one becomes like those officials: sowing division, eroding harmony, and weakening the bonds that bind communities together. Trust, once broken, is harder to restore than shattered stone. Thus we must guard it as sacred, whether it is the trust of a single friend or of an entire people.

The lesson is clear: leaders must be servants first. To hold power is not to possess privilege, but to carry a burden. If you are given authority—whether over a nation, a company, or even a household—you must see it not as license for self-gain, but as responsibility for the well-being of others. To betray this trust is to become the very “internal enemy” Trumbo warned against. But to honor it is to strengthen the pillars of justice and peace, so that no storm from without may topple what is built within.

So I say to you, O listener: when you choose leaders, choose those who remember that power is stewardship, not possession. When you yourself are given trust, whether small or great, guard it as you would guard a flame in the wind. Do not let greed or pride corrupt it, but carry it with humility and honor. For in the end, the fate of every state, every family, every bond, rests not upon enemies outside, but upon the faithfulness of those entrusted within. And when trust is upheld, then no empire can fall, for its foundation is firm, and its heart is strong.